[arfliw]

If they had to choose between you and somebody with no programming experience, who do you think they would hire? If they hired you both, do you think you'd get the same salary?

Answers are obv: (1) you (2) no - so your skills are not valued at $0.

[fsk]

I've had several recruiters say they'd rather hire a recent college grad than me, even for the same salary, because I didn't have experience in their specific technologies and it'd be easier for the recent grad to learn.

So I'm less attractive than a recent grad with no experience, which means my experience has negative value.

[rikibro]

Actually, it's a win-win situation. Do you see yourself working at a company where most/all your colleges were hired, not because their experience, but because their age?

He is actually doing you a favor (in general terms, since one need food on the table...), and also protecting his company from frustrated employees (like you would, probably, be), since the young guys are able to endure more BS and bad management.

[fsk]

When I see one clueless hiring manager or recruiter, I can easily shrug it off and move on. When I see everyone making the exact same bad decision (your experience is worth zero/negative unless it's exactly the tools we need), then I wonder if I picked the wrong career.

Fortunately, I only need one job, so if 99% of people doing hiring are clueless, I only need to find one who values my experience and ability.

[arfliw]

Your age has negative value, not your experience. If that new grad were the same age as you, that wouldn't apply.

[Pizzalover]

Recruiters don't know shit

[fsk]

But they are the gatekeepers for getting interviews and jobs. What does it say for the industry when most of the people who are evaluating candidates are computer illiterate?

That leads to stupid stuff like when someone is hiring for MS SQL Server 2014, and they say that experience in MS SQL 2000 or 2008 is worthless.