[pregressicko]

>> I almost immediately learned that no one in tech, is interested in hiring a 55-year-old, regardless of their pedigree.

My comment is off topic but I have to chime in: while I'm sad to hear of your bad luck, this is YOUR experience, and it is not universal.

At 54, I got my highest paying job ever in tech after being walked out of a "marquee-name" company after 24 years. This was three years ago. There is a tremendous need for senior engineers in smaller companies. The main reason is that all the A+ engineers (clearly I am not one!) have retired from decades of fat equity compensation, and those of us at the B+ level (or me who financially screwed up) are actually now a rare commodity.

So hang in there, greyhairs are still valuable to smaller companies.

[ChrisMarshallNY]

Fair point.

I should say that I wasn't particularly interested in a "good-paying" job. I was set, already.

I wanted something that I found interesting.

The places that would hire me, had crappy work.

The places with the interesting work, had no interest in hiring me. Saying that it's because oldtimers are expensive, is a red herring. I would have happily taken half of what they pay people with half my expertise.

In any case, it's all good, now. I have no interest in returning to work. I'm having way too much fun, working harder than I ever did, without managers pissing all over my work.