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It's sometimes thought that training for a new career is only for young people, as those past 45 won't get a look in on the interview circuit. That may be the case in some industries (even though ageism is not strictly allowed), but the IT industry has a more flexible approach.
The IT Industry Is Not Age-Dependent...
The majority of IT trainees in the UK studying for commercial qualifications are men between the ages of 25 and 35. So we could jump to the conclusion that if we're not in that demographic, we'll have an uphill struggle trying to compete. Surely that must be the 'perfect' profile employers are looking for? Not necessarily. This logic assumes that the IT industry has an ideal type, and that's the reason why more males in that age group change career into IT than anyone else.
In reality, it's more a case of the tail wagging the dog. The reason there are more males in this age group joining the industry is because there are more of them with circumstances that push them towards it than any other grouping. Yes, twenty and thirty-something guys can make ideal IT workers, but so can men and women in their forties and fifties (or kids just out of school for that matter) if their reasons are big enough.
IT Needs You Right Now...
Let's look more closely at a typical male IT student, to show why he's been driven to action at that time. Though generally intelligent and capable, he probably didn't go to college after school. By his late twenties/early thirties, he's usually got a young family, he's fed-up with his job and he needs a new challenge.
It's that desire for more that powers him to act, and that gives him the commitment to stick with it - that's why he succeeds. Any other able person with an equivalent desire for change, and the same passion for the subject, could also achieve success in IT.
The changing nature of the industry puts everyone on a level playing field. An IT manager doesn't know what he or she is going to be doing in five years time, so a problem now needs someone with the skill-set now. Whether you're 18 or 56, if you have the knowledge of, say fixing the network - you're in.
Even in this time of recession, the skill shortage in the IT industry is such that commercially qualified IT professionals are not always easy to come by. Whatever your age, if you have the desire, commitment and enthusiasm to learn, the IT industry needs you.