There has been a lot of controversy in recent months about the prevalence of ageism in the technology industry. As noted in a recent piece by The New Republic, the startup scene, particularly in Silicon Valley, is dominated by programmers under the age of 30 who are seen as being more hip and trendy than their older counterparts.
This has left many experienced coders in an awkward position of having impressive resumes but still struggling to find jobs at the top tech firms. The problem has gotten so severe that plastic surgeons in San Francisco have seen a boom in recent years as older employees have cosmetic procedures done just to make them look younger and fit in more comfortably.
Of course, ageism is inexcusable, and firms that hire based on age should be held accountable, just as they would if they were guilty of discriminating based on ethnicity or gender. Such cases, however, will be difficult to prove, which begs the question of what older coders can do to remain competitive in the job marketplace.
Because the technology industry is subject to rapid change and constant innovation, it's crucial for older coders to stay on top of their programming skills while acquiring new ones. Continuing education in computer engineering and science isn't legally mandated the way it is in law and medicine, but practically speaking it should be, given how quickly the technological landscape can transform.
IT professionals who are looking to brush up on their coding skills can do so by enrolling in a Masters Class at The Coder Foundry, where they'll learn about the latest programming trends and technology. With our class you can tackle advanced C# programming topics, learn how to build websites with the Bootstrap framework and learn more about how to use unit testing to improve the functionality of your coding. Acquiring these skills will help you compete for higher paying coding jobs.