Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
Just out of curiosity, which job sectors do people currently work in, or have worked in, in the past?
I work in adult social care, specifically learning disabilities /ASC, after exploring numerous other sectors that turned out to be ill suited to my motivation, social and preferred working styles (theatre / film /tv, admin. temping, call centres (yuck !), harvest work).
I wasn't diagnosed until last year, but I studied Computer Science at University in the early 1980s, then spent the next 30 years working in programming & data analysis as I seemed to have a natural aptitude for it.
As I got older, the recommended career path was to move into management, but that never really appealed to me & companies I worked for thought I was too useful doing the data work, as I have a very good eye for fine detail & could handle problems in client data very quickly.
That strategy is fine as long as you stay working for the same company, but at least in my experience, the IT industry is horribly ageist & if you haven't made the move to management before you turn 40, it becomes increasingly harder to find another job if you get made redundant. Employers assume older programmers are 'past it' & usually prefer younger ones, even when they have far less experience.
I am now in my mid 50s & have been suffering from severe depression for several years. Until earlier this year, I had been working from home doing part-time programming & analysis work for a previous employer, but that has now finished & I am unemployed.
I am currently living off my savings until I feel well enough to go back to work, but have pretty much given up the thought of being able to get back into programming professionally. Not sure what I will end up doing next, probably working in a supermarket I guess.
There are a lot of specialist skills here, even in this small sample of people who have responded on the thread.
Some of my friends have started to experience ageism whilst switching jobs in their 50's, so Pirate Santa your comment does not surprise me. From what I've observed, it may take longer to find a role but it is still do-able.
Please be gentle with yourself and try not to become too disheartened. If you enjoy IT and want to continue working as a contractor or employee do persevere.
Wishing you well in your search.