I'm 42 years old.
I just graduated from my local community college with an Associate Degree in Computer programming. It took me 2 years to get degree (69 credit hours). I'm looking for a position as an entry level java developer.
http://degreeprograms.gtcc.edu/computer-programing/#toggle-id-1
Why can't I find a job? I can't even get an interview. Not one. Is it because I'm too old?
yes.
no one is going to hire a 42 year old java developer with no experience.
You came to the right place to ask.
>>53515732
there are cheaper and better trained people out there, especially for entry level java work
>>53515732
If you are white straight male, sorry to be you... but there is no such thing as age discrimination, on the other hand if you are Xor GenderFluid with maniac disorder and half-white-half-indian and find yourself discriminated by your age you can blame it on your personal choice at birth.
>>53515732
Likely yes.
Sorry to say but hiring managers will discriminate, and they never have to tell you about it.
>>53515732
>Is it because I'm too old?
yes
>>53515732
>I can't even get an interview. Not one. Is it because I'm too old?
How do they know how old you are?
>40 years old
>decides to start a career in a field with the highest age discrimination rates
are you retarded?
>>53515732
An AS in computer science is worthless. Go to a university and finish your BS.
>>53515785
>he put his age on his resumé
>>53515809
>worthless
no it isn't.
It's not because you're too old. Just apply to more places, especially smaller companies. Most actual managers love older applicants, you actually have something to talk about in your previous career and you're showing that you want to improve your life by going back to school when you're older, which is a strong point. All 22 year old graduates are the same and have nothing interesting to offer. Try job fairs or tech meets, meeting people in real life is way better than applying online.
>>53515789
>highest age discrimination rates
What is the reason for this? If someone is capable of doing the work and doesn't mind being paid an entry level salary (for SE), why would it matter?
>>53515732
Just like about how much experience you have. You're old enough that people will believe you.
>>53515732
Because a degree doesn't guarantee you a job. Don't you realize that? Only Experience, Connections do anon. You need to network and connection in order to get a job. So go to Tech Meets, events, job fairs. Applying Online forces to deal with the bullshit HR filters.
Youth doesn't matter if you don't meet HR expectation. Fresh College Gradulates are just as fuck as you because they won't pass the technical interview or HR screening if they don't have the qualifications.
Don't worry, rejection is the norm. Just apply more, and you may need to move around the region to find a good job in programming.
>>53515844
that'll work for 2 weeks, tops. By the third week, it will be painfully obvious that Op has never had a computer programming job.
That isn't something you can fake
>>53515809
>An AS in computer science is worthless.
If you want to be a programmer then getting an AS is useful. If you want to do more than programming (code monkey) then yes you need something more.
>>53515732
my grandma used java in her job
she is like in her or 60s or 70s now and retired
>>53515881
this. an AS is a great way to get your toes wet, while you finish a BS online at night after work.
>>53515842
I've very rarely seen 40s as being labelled one way or the other. If you're really dealing with an ageist interviewer, they tend to hate you more if you're the other way by which I mean too young. For any job not requiring physical strength and as long as the older person isn't senile I haven't heard of any case of discrimination for being too old. However if anyone has any experience with that I'd be willing to read it.
just don't mention you are 40 years old before the interview for example how about you DON'T PUT IT ON YOUR RESUME
after you get the interview just show your skills
>>53515789
well, it depends.
at the moment, there's age discrimination because the 40+ generation had a whole different "PC experience" and uses them way differently.
As long as it stays as it currently is, there will be no age discrimination for generations to come.
However, if some weird web 3.0 standard comes out, with devices similar to smartphones which have complex functions and are not understandable by every fucking faggot, there will be age discrimination again.
>>53515842
> you damn kids, get off that computer and do something useful with your lives!
> video games are stupid, why don't you kids watch nascar or football like normal people?
>Your video games are giving my email viruses and it's all your fault you moron!
> I'm older so I know what's best, it doesn't matter of this technology is only 5 years old and you have more experience with it than I do, you do what I say or I will be assmad as shit.
Nothing personal old man, but your potential work mates do not ever want to hear this kind of shit EVER. And this shit is spouted exclusively by old people, they have been conditioned their whole lives by peice of shit adults to associate old people with arrogant troglodytes who don't listen to new ideas or take them seriously so of course they would rather keep old people the hell away from their already stressful workplace.
>>53515732
Sink about two months into learning Python or Ruby, put it on your resume, and watch the offers pour in.
>>53515832
+1 for actual useful advice. It's all about networking.
>>53516035
Funny because that would probably actually work and in the end you may still be better than your coworkers.
>tfw I'm 29 and in a similar position as OP
Am I going to have the same problems?
I would graduate by the time I'm 31 though.
>>53515757
>xor genderfluid
kek'd externally desu
>>53516295
Not if you network, do internship, and do side projects.
>>53515842
Less likely to have other commitments like family - permitting longer hours and more involvement in work
Same problems as OP. People won't even give me an interview for anything and I'm 21.
I feel like it's because a lot of the job market is looking for IT monkeys. I'm pretty confident about the content of my resume. Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong type of corporation or something. I don't know.
most of these responses are compete bullshit, you are all just assholes trying to break his spirit. many many companies would rather hire a white male in his 40's than some entitled faggot millennial, just keep applying for things OP
OP, i'm 35, been a full time employed java dev of various sorts for the last 15 years. Here's what's up:
1. Regardless of your age you're suffering the same fate as all newly graduated coders. Specifically:
>you can't get a job until you've got enough experience
>you can't get enough experience until you've got a job
There's no easy fix for this but to find as many little hacks and workarounds as you can. You need to keep poking at it until you find a small enough opening that you can get through. I got lucky and got a graduate position all those years back, that's how I did it.
2. The new hotness is webdev with js/css/node/json/mobile/webservice & apis/etc. This is where the jobs are right now. It's also where all the sjws and wannabe 3117 fuckwits are. Basically, these are the folks use macs, an editor with the monokai colour scheme, and the chrome browser dev window and think that they're the shit. If you need a job this is where you'll need to look. Best to avoid it if you can though, the folks you'll be working with are insufferable cunts.
3. Java is is fast becoming (has already become) the new COBOL. A shitload of java systems running on either big iron or assorted servers sitting in data centers chugging away doing things like backend processing, overnight batch jobs, interfacing with ESB middleware, and for those that aren't backend stuff then they're legacy apps which will eventually go away (call centre interfaces/db apps/custom garbage for managing inventory/etc). I like java, but jobs solely coding java and its boilerplate are long gone now. If you want one of these jobs you'll have to try and get through several layers of HR and coding jobs to get into something like banking/insurance/finance/etc. That's where you'll find java systems to work on.
>>53515732
>Why can't I find a job? I can't even get an interview. Not one. Is it because I'm too old?
Too old.
No experience.
Only an associates degree.
No prior work.
You might be lucky if you were 20 years younger and named Sanjeev, but you need more substance to get a job,
>>53517035
4. It's hard even when you have experience. You'll have two types of interviews, the first is where they'll ask you questions to see how you think and these are the good types of interviews. The other is where they expect you to be a walking talking api quoting autist. These are the bad types of interviews. Be prepared for both, but if it's the second then don't sweat it. Also, those preparation for coding interview type books/websites have in my experience been mostly useless. Nobody has ever asked me why manhole covers are round, or to discuss the finer points of the quicksort algorithm on a whiteboard. Worst I ever got was some tricky coding things involving references and code that did jiggery pokery with a variable. Also fizzbuzz one time. Fucking LOL.
It's like most careers I imagine, once you've got some momentum behind you it's not too hard to keep going. It's just getting started that's a bitch.
Hope this helps a bit.
>>53517035
*3117
>1337
>fucking butter fingered noob typing
>>53515757
>Xor GenderFluid with maniac disorder and half-white-half-indian
ayy lmao
>>53515732
because you are 42 years old with no work experience and an associates certificate (don't try to call it a degree, it's just sad)
>>53515821
yes, yes it is. it is in fact, of such negligible worth, compared to the plethora of other indicators of competency that it is, for all practical purposes, not worth consideration, i.e. worthless.
>>53515868
a degree doesn't even guarantee competency. and a dude getting an AS at age 42 doesn't exactly spell "go getter" on a resume either.
>>53515732
Where are you looking? You might just have your sights aimed too high.
Check out staffing firms, city/county/state level government jobs would also be worth a look.
>>53515732
42 years old Java devs with a full career behind them have trouble finding work these days. Without experience you"re fucked unless you have some cool personal projects you can show, possibly with various languages to show that you're adaptable.
>>53515842
Because programming requires quick problem solving, logic..and is competitive field, old people fail.
>>53516073
10/10
totally true, his generation was fucking cancer to my generation, luckily I ignored them.
>>53515732
Then don't say your bloody age in your CV.
You're not going to tell them your life story there, just things that are actually relevant to the job.
I just cringe whenever I see pages and pages of people's life story - like their favorite apple color and where they got married.
I never tell them my birth date before signing the contract and I keep my CV at 1 to 2 page max with only the important details summed up.
Try to find yourself some side projects (maybe start working on something open source - it will look very good, even though you contribute with 1-2 commits a month).
>>53517330
They usually ask for DoB todo backgrpund checks.
>>53517330
not him but how do i get started on open source projects? i'm still in school and don't really know what i'm doing
>>53515732
>Java
Found your problem.
Learn Fotran and C.
Also people at this age must be self-employed.
>>53515875
That's three weeks he can add to his experience. It adds up. You'll have that two years before you even know you're 50 OP.
>>53517396
Look for ideas on the internet if you want to start your own.
You could just program your own music player, email client, custom browser history / bookmark plugin etc; simply plan it and learn what you need along the way. It doesn't have to be innovative - just do something you think you'll like using, something that maybe brings some features lacking in other software. Use modern tools for extra "points" (like noSQL for storage and new programming languages - try to keep it diverse).
If you use open source software and you find bugs you could go through their repo and try to solve them (but you need some experience to do this).
Also, you have to learn how to work with git or SVN.
And learn good practices.
And learn how to properly handle feedback - seen too many programmers go full retard when they were told about their mistakes.
>>53517568
>Also, you have to learn how to work with git or SVN.
good on git from command line, do i need to know both?
>>53517708
Nah, they're almost the same.
>>53515732
This is b8 but I'll bite. First of all you went to a community college you stupid degenerate. Bachelor degrees don't even promise a job today and you got a fucking associate degree. To make things worse, you're 42 YEARS OLD. WHO THE FUCK WOULD WANT TO HIRE YOU?
>>53515732
Age discrimination is a thing. Everything else being equal, a younger employee will work for less.
If you find a position that has even the slightest customer facing requirement, age will usually work in your favor. Having even a small portfolio will help as well.
For what its worth, I tend to hire older employees when everything else is equal, as the life experience is worth something as well.
