Silicon Valley’s Dark Secret: It’s All About Age
Aug 30, 2010, 20:04 (2 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Vivek Wadhwa)
"An interesting paradox in the technology world is that there is
both a shortage and a surplus of engineers in the United States.
Talk to those working at any Silicon Valley company, and they will
tell you how hard it is to find qualified talent. But listen to the
heart-wrenching stories of unemployed engineers, and you will
realize that there are tens of thousands who can't get jobs. What
gives?
"The harsh reality is that in the tech world, companies prefer
to hire young, inexperienced, engineers.
"And engineering is an "up or out" profession: you either move
up the ladder or face unemployment. This is not something that tech
executives publicly admit, because they fear being sued for age
discrimination, but everyone knows that this is the way things are.
Why would any company hire a computer programmer with the wrong
skills for a salary of $150,000, when it can hire a fresh
graduate—with no skills—for around $60,000?"
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