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I write this fully expecting some people not to believe me. I don't care if you believe me or not.
In a few weeks (after I come back from my vacation in Florida), I will leave my current office and join another team for a much bigger project than the one I've been working with. It's worth a few hundred mil.
Earlier this week, I went to the corporate office to attend an intro meeting where everyone in the new team got introduced to each other and whatnot. I was told that this will be the A-team, basically the best people in this division.
Long story short, the head of documentation expert will be a 68 year old woman, the head office engineer will be a 67 year old guy, and the assistant project manager will be a 65 year old guy. My brother will be the project manager for this project. After the meeting, we started talking less professionally. I pointed out that the company has assembled a senior team made literally of seniors. Everyone laughed and the assistant project manager said if you think we're old just wait until you meet Bob (not his real name). I asked how old is he? He said Bob is 72 and he moves real slowly.
So, now you know. If you want to go into a career that isn't ageist, go into engineering. Again, I've been told that these guys are at the top of the food chain in the company.
Congratulations on your move, on the fact you seem happy with where you are and where you are going, even this thread that has included more than a few good comments to consider further. What sort of engineering work being referred to is difficult to know, but curious, because my son just graduated with a master's in Civil Engineering (structural) and just now doing the interview thing...
A note of caution I might add or supplement to a few similar comments before mine.
First, careful of projecting based on personal anecdotes, because we tend to view things according to our own personal experience, but the overall reality of these matters can be quite different overall, statistically speaking. For example, for every company with a leadership team average age of yours, how many similar companies are started or run by people half that average age?
I also agree with another comment in this thread about being careful to profile older or younger workers one way or another, because there are obviously the good and bad from both groups. I know I have certainly been very impressed with people along the way of my career, both twice my age and half my age.
I don't know where we might get the best statistics or insights to determine which career paths are best, which age group is best to work with/for, at what age does getting re-employed become more difficult, under what circumstances, for what sort of work, etc..., but what I have observed from serving as Executive Coach for hundreds of working professionals and volunteer to help displaced professionals is the following:
You never know what is going to happen to your career, you company, your health, your life, except perhaps the unexpected.
Also very typical, when a company feels financial stress and needs to cut costs, payroll is a common first target. Also common is for higher-salaried employees (often older as well) to be at high risk of losing their job, particularly if there are younger talented employees to fill in. Younger talented/capable employees not only cost less, they are also less likely to have health issues, more excited/motivated for less pay (that first expense account, company car...), and they represent better longer-term opportunity for the company (not going to retire as soon).
"There are exceptions to every rule." Of course there are people well up in age, still strong at it. Jimmy Carter, 91, and with cancer no less, still at it. Older people with more job experience, if they don't lose their job along the way, and if they are capable of advancement and more responsibility, of course they are still found in the board rooms. For every one of those gray hairs, however, how many have been shown the door instead somewhere along the way? Those are the statistics that better describe these realities than personal anecdotes.
Option to have your own business: rife with just as many challenges of a different sort...
Good luck in any case, and always..., if you do your best, that's the best you can do.
Congratulations on your move, on the fact you seem happy with where you are and where you are going, even this thread that has included more than a few good comments to consider further. What sort of engineering work being referred to is difficult to know, but curious, because my son just graduated with a master's in Civil Engineering (structural) and just now doing the interview thing...
Just curious. What does your son want to go into? Does he want to go into the construction management aspect of engineering, design, or something else?
I agree there is probably more age discrimination against older workers than the other way around, but it's not like the other does not happen.
The goal of a firm should be able to assemble the best talent they can for that position with workers that fit into the corporate culture. That's going to vary from industry, firm, location, culture, etc. The talent may be older and it may be younger. There's nothing wrong, per se, with assembling a team of either all younger or all older workers.
Just curious. What does your son want to go into? Does he want to go into the construction management aspect of engineering, design, or something else?
For starters, he just wants to build bridges and the likes...
Again, what type of engineering is YOUR firm into?
I agree there is probably more age discrimination against older workers than the other way around, but it's not like the other does not happen.
The goal of a firm should be able to assemble the best talent they can for that position with workers that fit into the corporate culture *. That's going to vary from industry, firm, location, culture, etc. The talent may be older and it may be younger. There's nothing wrong, per se, with assembling a team of either all younger or all older workers.
* and in the most profitable (cost efficient) manner possible.
Generally that also means keeping payroll as low as possible, and high-income earners are often "low hanging fruit" when belt-tightening time comes (especially when there are two or more presiding over two or more business units that can be consolidated into a lesser number of business units).
For starters, he just wants to build bridges and the likes...
Again, what type of engineering is YOUR firm into?
We do everything including but not limited to military bases, airports, bridges, tunnels, mines, train tracks, roadways, and buildings. We're one of the biggest engineering firms in the US.
Build bridges like designing them, manage their construction, or project oversight?
* and in the most profitable (cost efficient) manner possible.
Generally that also means keeping payroll as low as possible, and high-income earners are often "low hanging fruit" when belt-tightening time comes (especially when there are two or more presiding over two or more business units that can be consolidated into a lesser number of business units).
Don't disagree necessarily, but those people are typically more skilled. It's easier to replace an administrative assistant than it is to replace a senior nuclear scientist.
We do everything including but not limited to military bases, airports, bridges, tunnels, mines, train tracks, roadways, and buildings. We're one of the biggest engineering firms in the US.
Build bridges like designing them, manage their construction, or project oversight?
No doubt my son can answer for himself better than I can, but the kid is just out of school...
Might like to run his own company someday I think, but right now just being a part of designing a bridge (and getting a paycheck for it) would suit him just fine!
He told us he just had a "great" interview with a company specialized in designing to protect against terrorism, for buildings, airports and such, so they don't come down as easily as terrorists might like to hope.
Sounds interesting, sad but interesting, and he thinking that might be a little too specialized a niche for his taste right now.
No doubt my son can answer for himself better than I can, but the kid is just out of school...
Might like to run his own company someday I think, but right now just being a part of designing a bridge (and getting a paycheck for it) would suit him just fine!
He told us he just had a "great" interview with a company specialized in designing to protect against terrorism, for buildings, airports and such, so they don't come down as easily as terrorists might like to hope.
Sounds interesting, sad but interesting, and he thinking that might be a little too specialized a niche for his taste right now.
We shall see...
Hehe. I fought tooth and nail to stay the hell out of the design department. They wanted to send me there when they found out I have experience in it. Design is easy, boring, and meh. Nowadays, I specialize in construction management and project oversight. I love it. I also make a lot more money in construction.
Funny story from when I first started in engineering a number of years ago. During the interview with the hiring manager when he asked me if I had any question, I asked him what I'd be doing. With a completely straight face, he told me he was going to make me a flagger. I thought to myself "hm... so it's come to this after getting a masters in engineering..." Yes, I was desperate for a job at the time. Fast forward to my first day showing up at the office, the same manager greeted me and showed me around. Then with a straight face, he asked me if I was ready to be a flagger? Thought to myself "oh well, let's suck it up and see where this is going..."
Turned out he was joking all along. He's one of those people that joke with a straight face so you can't really tell if you didn't know him well enough.
An older guy later told me when he first started in engineering a million years ago, he was sent out to the construction site to "help out". The laborer's foreman gave him a shovel and told him to start digging in a ditch. He was knee deep in mud for 3 days before his boss came out to the site and asked "what the hell are you doing?" Turned out he was suppose to find the site engineer to observe and learn, not to shovel dirt around LOL.
Experience is everything. Smart people no matter their age, know that.
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