Re: Job market and potential age discrimination?
I had one technical writer tell me she had left off ten years of her resume, because of her perception of age discrimination. Having 19 years myself, I have considered doing that, but don't feel comfortable with "not being myself". I was wondering what some other techwriters are doing about it.....
Like programming, tech-writing, I believe, is seen as a young person's profession. Just as a middle-aged programmer is expected to have become a project leader, or even a CTO, a middle-aged tech-writer is expected to have become a manager or switched into a related field, such as marketing or media relations.
Needless to say, these expectations are unfair, and probably unrealistic. Not only is there nothing wrong with people sticking with a job that they like, but such people can be highly valued employees. Often, they have a skill and maturity that younger workers lack.
Still, the perception exists and has to be dealt with. As a tech-writer, you have two choices: either stay with the profession, knowing that you will have to fight the perception for the rest of your working life, or move up and out. If you stay, you can fight by educating those around you, by keeping one job longer or moving out of contracting, or by some other means - but you will almost inevitably have to fight.
--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield
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Job market and potential age discrimination?: From: Wilcox, Rose (ZB5646)
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