At 54, I'm still managing IT projects with team members in their 40s

Employers have already pushed many workers born in the 1980s out of the job market, and those born in the 1990s may be next.

Many VnExpress readers debated this issue.

Reader btqv1971 shared:

"At 54, I'm still managing IT projects. My team consists of people in their 30s and 40s, all coding and using AI tools like Copilot fluently. They also learn new skills every day.

I've noticed that professionals in their 30s and 40s work carefully, assess risks, ensure quality, and remain diligent and composed. These are just some of their many strengths."

A man is being interviewed. Illustration photo by Pexels

Reader Hung U60, also in their 50s, shared a similar experience:

"A month ago, I attended the 30th anniversary of the foreign-invested company where I started working 28 years ago. Many former colleagues attended—some left to start their own businesses like me, others continued working at different companies and are still employed.

My generation, born in the early 1970s, is now mostly around 54, and many of us hold production management positions in various companies. Since most people of my time graduated with engineering degrees, our personal value increases with time and experience, unlike in other industries."

Reader Quoc Khanh pointed out that companies always look for cost-effective hiring:

"Recruiters are very similar to shoppers in that they all want to get the best quality at the lowest price. There's no right or wrong in this. It's just how the market works.

Competition in the job market is inevitable. As someone born in the mid-1980s, I once outcompeted older workers for better positions when they started families. Now, younger candidates from the 1990s and Gen Z are pressuring me. The only way for people my age to compete is to keep improving our skills and securing multiple income sources just in case.

For over a year, my company has tried recruiting a former colleague born in 1990. Our foreign boss has repeatedly called them, personally flown to Vietnam, offered a ludicrous raise, and even promised full-time remote work, and we still can't convince them to return to work for us."

Reader .than.vn said the age-based hiring bias persists in Vietnam:

"I don't know who first came up with the idea that people over 30 can't work as effectively anymore, but this belief has existed for years. Ironically, many millennials once supported this mindset online when they tried to compete with older workers. Now, some companies explicitly state in job postings that they only hire candidates under 30 or 35. On what grounds?

I think companies should prioritize skills over age, but they are still making age the top hiring criterion. This bias is the result of the widespread belief that workers over 30 are no longer employable."

Reader Cuc Tan suggested two ways to stay competitive in the job market:

"With an oversupply of workers, employers can afford to be selective. If you don't meet their criteria, you have two choices: look for a job with less competition or improve your skills.

Besides, you should also give employers what they want, not just what you have. Tailor your resume to match job descriptions and focus interview responses on what the company values. That's how you get the job."