Mike Gardiner

Nottingham

IT Recruitment

Its a complex subject, and your correspondents illustrate some of the different facets of the problem. Factors include environmental, cultural, budgetary, candidate, recruiter, and employer considerations, with each situation where ageism comes up containing a different mix.

The cost is measured in lost skilled resource, and frustrated older prospective job applicants. There is no easy cure, because while overt ageism might be somewhat inhibited by legislation, covert ageism cannot.

Candidates can best help themselves by looking their career squarely in the eye more often, and ensuring that their career plan makes sense and is being tuned to meet the constant shifts in the industry. There used to be an add for a big pensions company which showed a smiling 20 year old making too little contribution, running through to a miserable 60 year old reaping the consequences. IT careers can be subject to a similar pattern.