Tech requires a specific set of skills, that need to evolve quickly in line with the fast pace of the industry. This may mean that people within the older generations may be subject to unconscious bias in the workplace, making them feel like they aren’t as tech-savvy or valued as younger tech workers.
According to research by Visier, the average US tech worker is 38 years old, compared to 47 for non-tech industry workers, highlighting the presence of a clear age disparity.
The same Visier research debunked myths about tech ageism such as older workers being less valued, receiving a drop in salary over time, and resigning at a quicker rate than their non-tech age counterparts. This is proof that tech is a viable career option for workers of any age does exist. So, whether you’ve always wondered what it’d be like to work with cloud technology, or you’re looking for a new challenge to get started with, it’s never too late to begin an exciting prosperous career in the cloud.
In this blog, we’ll be discussing what ageism looks like in tech, how we can work together to address it, and some helpful tips you can follow to start your cloud tech career journey.
Tech ageism: a brief history
With STEM subjects long being deemed as male-oriented and dominated, it’s unsurprising that these fields are still far behind when it comes to diversity, and ageism in tech is just another example of this. This was a particularly pressing issue pre-pandemic, where statistics provided by Stack Overflow revealed that three-quarters of professional developers in 2018 were younger than 35, with only 18.2% of the 100,000 respondents reporting being 35–44 years old; that’s in comparison to the main bulk of the sample who were 25-34 years old (50.8%). Add research from Payscale into the mix that found the median age for large tech corporations was just 29, and it’s clear to see why older people may not believe a career in tech is worth pursuing.
With many businesses moving to the cloud during the peak of the pandemic, you might have expected that this would improve. While the demand for cloud professionals certainly skyrocketed during this period, the number of Gen X and Baby Boomer workers employed fell with aQity Research’s Generational impact of Covid-19 in the US study revealed that one in four of Gen Xers lost most of their monthly income due to the pandemic. The same study also found that one in ten Baby Boomers already have, or plan to, cut down on retirement contributions if their financial situation doesn’t improve.
While there may be other external reasons at play, it’s possible to argue that the tech industry favors younger professionals because their skills are more up to date given the various new technology they are exposed to, including platforms for social media, as well as products and services.
Whatever the reasons for it, tech ageism has certainly begun to take a U-turn, with more companies opening their doors to older talent and acknowledging and praising the knowledge that older workers can offer businesses, especially start-ups.
What does tech ageism look like in the present day?
Tech ageism isn’t something that’ll just disappear overnight, but with the effects of the pandemic and the subsequential Great Resignation placing extra pressure on businesses to find candidates to fill their tech vacancies, companies are far more diverse and accepting of talent from different backgrounds. For example, in the Mason Frank Careers and Hiring Guide 2021-22, 75% of respondents said they believed their employer championed equal rights, showing promising improvement in at least one area of the tech industry.
Despite technology being synonymous with innovation and fast-paced change, the reasons for business failure remain the same, and given older generations will likely already have experience seeing growth and decline cycles, previous exposure to business pitfalls is recognized as a massive advantage to modern-day organizations.
Despite the fact that tech ageism still exists, there are signs that things are changing. For example, recent Zippia statistics show that the median age for US IT workers is on the rise with the average reaching 41 years old recently, a 7-year increase on the maximum average age from the previous Stack Overflow study.
And perhaps, this can be attributed in part to the wider acceptance and movement towards making the tech landscape more diverse. We must also recognize that recruitment processes are evolving, meaning the days of being hired solely on degrees or education are behind us, with skills-based hiring becoming much more commonplace as companies recognize that a people-first strategy is the secret to a great digital transformation.
Plus, with HBR predicting that by 2025, 25% of US workers are expected to be over 55, for companies to beat the competition and fill their urgent vacancies, it’s clear that the only way is to hire a more diverse workforce, from any age group or background. So, whether you’re 40, or 60, you can bet the industry will be grateful to have you going forward.
How to tackle tech ageism
Tech ageism isn’t just going to go away overnight—it’s something that has existed for a few decades now and something the industry has been working hard to tackle in more recent years. And as we can see from the above research, we’re making some good headway, so keeping the momentum going is crucial for levelling the playing field for older IT professionals and closing the digital skills gap.
But when the industry still seems so in favor of fresher, younger talent, what can you do to get your foot in the door?
Choose a specialization
While it’s definitely advantageous to have broad overall knowledge, having deeper knowledge of one area is very attractive to a potential employer as it shows passion, a strong sense of career direction, and commitment.
Look at the perks offered by potential employers
Although it doesn’t provide a full picture, you can usually gauge how diverse a company is from the benefits they offer.
Keep an eye out for benefits like pension schemes, PTO, flexible working hours, and private medical care which can be indicative of a more inclusive workforce.
Prioritize continuous learning
With the tech industry seeing older IT professionals as having less up-to-date skills, it’s important that you keep yourself in the know. So, keeping up with industry news such as new product and service launches and what the tech experts are saying about certain topics is crucial to being able to hold a discussion with an interviewer where you’re able to show off your knowledge and passion.
Create connections and network
When you’re completely new to a field, or haven’t worked in an associated one before, there are tons of online community groups you can find through forums, blogs, and social media. Even if the connections you build can’t offer you the role you want, they’re sure to have some good tips to share with you and may be able to help you further down the line.
Join a talent creation program
More and more companies are abandoning traditional ways of recruitment in favor of working with talent creation program providers to ensure they’re getting top-quality talent who have the knowledge, experience, certification and soft skills to join their company.
These talent creation programs are great for developing both your knowledge and confidence in a field that may be completely new for you and helping to open up doors for you within the industry as you go. And with these programs, it’s possible for you to specialize in both the tech and role you’re interested in.
For example, Revolent provides you with unmatched support from world-class trainers who have years of experience in specific fields of tech. Not only this, but you’ll also get the opportunity to receive paid work experience with some of Revolent’s top clients, which is a great way to grow your network and find future career opportunities.
Revolent is dedicated to making tech careers more accessible to people from all walks of life, no matter how much or how little tech or IT experience you have behind you, so why not start your journey with us today?
