IT field - Do professionals work longer in this field?

So it's Saturday, having completed my taxes, I logged to the Social Security website to check my information is correct and do my annual review. According to the SS website, I will retire at 67 years of age. Having been in IT for 10 years now, that means I have some more decades of IT work to do. The question is, do you see yourself working in IT at age 60+ or even at 67+? I don't usually think about things like this, but I have worked with people in their 60+, they become really mellow and seem kinda bored, waiting for that retirement day. Comparing IT with other professions it's obvious that our bodies do not take a lot of physical stress but there is a lot of mental stress, yet because of the lack of physical stress the way I see it is that we should be able to work past 60 with no issue. Do you think this is true and if it is, do you think you would be comfortable working at 67 past retirement or would you just go into retirement and let someone else pay their dues?
I think I will still be working but maybe go into the consulting phase or contract phase where I can take longer vacations and work part time.

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Comments

ramrunner800

I think this is a pretty interesting subject that not alot of people think about enough. In my office we have a few folks in their mid 40's and older, and they are looked down on by pretty much everyone in the office as not technically up to speed. Microsoft is facing a class action lawsuit for firing people when they turn 40.

I think it's a pretty scary prospect, and I'm scared for my young coworkers who judge the older folks, rather than recognize this is something that will happen to them too. They are convinced that they can ride the console and stay high speed until they die. I personally think that with a few decades of experience under your belt a move into management is appropriate. I plan on pursuing an MS and an MBA and working in consulting helping large organizations change, or managing a large organization. We have a consultant where I work now who is older, but he is extremely technically competent and is a wizard at navigating the complexities of making huge changes in large orgs, and I hope to be like him one day.

stlsmoore

By 60+ I want to be retired or at least semi-retired. I imagine owning a business or being partner by then along with assets in a bunch of other places.

MrAgent

I'd like to think that I'll retire in my 60's, but I don't think that I have the ability not do anything but go fishing. I'll have to find something else to occupy my time... hopefully something NOT IT related.

EDIT: 1000th post. Giggity.

philz1982

I see myself owning a company and being done working by the time I am in my late 40's to early 50's at which I will probably get my PHD become a professor and teach.

joelsfood

I plan to retire and open a bait shop and specialty grocery store in harbor country long before I hit my 60s.

Verities

I'm the youngest person at my workplace at the age of 26 and I work with people in their late 40s to mid 60s, so I understand where you're coming from. I have no problem with people aging and have always gotten along well with older people, but you need to be able to pull your weight. Its understandable you may not work as fast anymore, but do what you're getting paid to do. A few of the older folk I work with, think because they're older someone else should do the work for them.

the_Grinch

Scary idea I hadn't quite thought about. If 67 is the age for me, that would quite literally mean I had been in IT for 43 years. Hopefully part of that book I read about the Information Economy pans out and I won't have to worry.

E Double U

When I left the NOC, I think one of the managers there was 70. Still very sharp and enjoyed coming to work. He said he didn't need the money as much as he just needed to get away from his wife.

alias454

I think sedentary jobs actually are more unhealthy and lead to more physical problems than some physical jobs. I'm sure there are studies on increased heart disease and how stress affects the body.

PC509

MrAgent wrote: »

I'd like to think that I'll retire in my 60's, but I don't think that I have the ability not do anything but go fishing.

Well, that's about what I'm looking forward to with retirement. Fishing, relaxing outside reading books about war, listening to oldies (by then, I'm sure Pearl Jam, Nirvana and others will be golden oldies!)... What else is there to do? Maybe some video games, too. Never too old for those.

Silentway

IT is a very vague subject; the quick answer for me is, No. I plan on retiring at 55 if I can, but by then I hope to be a Director or VP. So far in my career I haven't worked with anyone over 40 except my managers who are in their 50's. As someone who also has 10 years or so in IT my career path is leading me from technical positions to management positions.

Jon_Cisco

I always find this topic interesting. I don't think that you loose value simply by being to old. However there will probably always be a young hot shot that is better then you.

I think the real problems happen when you are switching careers in your 60s and have to convince people your not looking to coast until you retire. IT seems to have a lot of turnover so this could potentially be a big problem.

Keep in mind two things.
Most people never truly reach the point of early retirement and A lot of people are forced to retire before they plan too. So whatever you choose just be aware it might not work out exactly as planned.

LeBroke

alias454 wrote: »

I think sedentary jobs actually are more unhealthy and lead to more physical problems than some physical jobs. I'm sure there are studies on increased heart disease and how stress affects the body.

You'd think so, but it only works when compared to low-stress, mildly physically active jobs. I.E. a PE teacher where you basically walk around some of the day, and maybe go for a light jog if you feel like it (though you generally have to be fit/athletic to be a PE teacher to begin with, which can bias the results). Maybe think Yoga instructor, dancer, etc.

On the other hand, with something like construction, professional sports, or trades, your body basically burns out in about 20 years. Some of it is age, sure, but some of it also comes from overexerting yourself, or spending a lot of time in an uncomfortable position (i.e an electrician that's hanging off poles or crawling around vents) that lead to significant health problems, most commonly arthritis, back problems, hernias, or worn out joints. There's a reason tradesmen are making a lot these days - it's to compensate for their relatively short career.

Meanwhile, accountants, artists, or researchers can and do work well into their 70's. These are nice, relaxing jobs where you don't necessarily have to keep up with rapidly changing fields, perform physical labour, or have a metric ton of stress.

As for IT, honestly, the only reason bias against older people exists is because very few people have been in the field for more than 20 or so years - the field barely existed before the early/mid 90's. Hence, there are stereotypes about older people being computer illiterate - after all an average older person may go as far as have trouble navigating a TV guide on a digital box. Why? Because an Average Joe who never had any interest in computers isn't going to magically pick up a Linux box and start doing Python. People who kept up with technology as it matured are just as sharp as many younger people, but sadly, not everyone sees it this way because pretty much everyone has an uncle that can't figure out one side of an iPad from another.

Give it 20 years as current mid-career IT guys age, give technology itself another 20 years to mature (a lot less stuff changed between 2005 and 2015 when compared to 1995 and 2005), and this won't be an issue any longer.

As for young hungry hot-shots that want to rock the boat, there is always an older guy with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality that will counterbalance it with a proven solution that'll cost less in the long run than a fad of the week that may not even be supported 2 years from now.

tpatt100

Ok after reading this thread being 43 I feel like my "life-clock crystal" has ran out and I need to run away from the Sandmen. (If you don't know what I am referring to then yes you are young lol)

Anyways I don't think it is age but more about staying at one job/position for too long. We have people in their thirties who have been here since they graduated college and you have to kick them in the butt once in a while.

I am older and I am the newest hire so I am the one rocking the boat but I can back it up from past experience and I run into a lot of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" except I prove to them it's broke but they don't want to fix it. Now that we have to become SOX compliant everybody is asking for my input.....

As far as what my long term goals are before I have to report for vaporization at Carrousel, I see an ever growing opportunity to move my career strictly to security auditing and compliance. I have to be comfortable and familiar with newer technology but I won't have to be an expert in the day to day operations of IT. I don't see a lot of IT people interested in compliance and I see myself having to educated myself in the legal issue part of compliance so I think my career prospects are good.