Latest / The Career Change Podcast with Fexingo: Switching Fields, Bootcamps, and Reskilling / How Bootcamp Grads Can Navigate Age Bias in Tech Hiring
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this figure that I keep coming back to. A Harvard Business Review study from last year found that tech applicants over the age of forty receive about thirty percent fewer callbacks than equally qualified candidates in their twenties. Luna: That's a brutal number. And I bet for bootcamp grads — who are often making a career change later in life — that bias can feel like a double wall. Lucas: Exactly. You're already fighting the 'you don't have a CS degree' stigma. Add age on top and the rejection rate can feel overwhelming. But I want to talk about a specific case that gives me a lot of hope. Luna: Please. Lucas: I spoke with a guy — let's call him Mark. He completed a full-stack bootcamp at forty-seven. Before that, he'd spent twenty-two years in retail management, running operations for a regional grocery chain. When he started applying for junior dev roles, he got nothing but silence. Luna: That's the callback black hole. What did he change? Lucas: He stopped leading with his bootcamp certificate and started leading with his management experience — but framed through a technical lens. His resume's summary line went from 'Recent bootcamp graduate seeking junior developer role' to 'Operations leader with 20+ years of process optimization and team management, transitioning into software development.' Luna: So he reframed the narrative entirely. Instead of 'beginner,' he became 'experienced professional adding a new tool.' Lucas: Right. And he got specific. He highlighted how he'd automated inventory tracking with Excel macros and later with a sql based reporting tool. That's not a bootcamp project — that's real-world technical problem-solving. He also listed the size of teams he'd managed and budgets he'd overseen. Luna: But doesn't that risk making him look overqualified for a junior role? A hiring manager might think he'll get bored or demand a higher salary. Lucas: That's the fear, for sure. But Mark addressed it head-on in his cover letter and interviews. He said, 'I'm not looking for a VP of Engineering role. I want to build software. I've had enough of managing people — I want to manage code.' And he was willing to take a pay cut. He landed a junior dev role at a mid-size SaaS company in six months. Luna: That's a great story. I think the key is that he didn't hide his age — he reframed it as maturity and leadership experience. But I've heard other advice that says you should strip your resume of anything older than ten years. Lucas: And I think that advice can backfire. If you remove everything pre-2016, you might end up with a resume that looks like you've been doing nothing for a decade. Better to curate selectively — keep the roles that demonstrate transferable skills, even if they're older, and drop the ones that are purely operational with no technical overlap. Luna: What about the actual application process? Are there tricks to bypass age-biased filters? Lucas: Some companies use software that scans for graduation years. If your degree is from 1985, it might flag you. One tactic is to list only the year you completed your bootcamp on your resume — not your earlier degrees. Or you can list your bachelor's without the year. It's not dishonest, it's just strategic. Luna: I've also heard people recommend using a 'modern' email provider — not AOL or Hotmail — and keeping your LinkedIn profile photo current but professional. Small signals add up. Lucas: Absolutely. And networking is even more critical for older job seekers. Automated systems filter you out, but a referral from someone who knows your work ethic can override that. Mark attended local meetups and joined a Slack group for career changers. His eventual job came through a guy he'd paired with on a side project. Luna: So the advice is: don't go it alone. Build a community. And be upfront about what you bring. Lucas: One more thing. There's a growing number of companies that specifically value 'second-career' developers. They've realized that someone who's managed a team, handled a budget, or dealt with difficult customers often has better soft skills and more resilience than a twenty-two-year-old fresh out of college. Luna: Are there any industries or company sizes where age bias is less pronounced? Lucas: From what I've seen, mid-size companies — say fifty to five hundred employees — are more open to older bootcamp grads than big tech or tiny startups. Big tech has a culture of youth, and startups often want someone who'll work seventy-hour weeks. Mid-size companies need stability and maturity. Luna: That makes sense. Also, government and education tech roles tend to be more age-diverse. The pay might be lower, but the culture is often more inclusive. Lucas: Great point. So if you're a bootcamp grad over forty, don't just spray applications to every unicorn startup. Be strategic. Target companies where your age is an asset, not a liability. Luna: And remember that you have a perspective that younger developers simply don't. You've seen business cycles, you know how to communicate with non-technical stakeholders, and you're probably less likely to job-hop after six months. Lucas: Exactly. That stability is worth a lot to the right employer. And if they don't see it, they're probably not the right fit anyway. Luna: Alright, let's take a quick breather. If this show has helped you think through a career move or given you the confidence to apply for that role you were unsure about, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small way to keep the podcast ad-free and totally listener-supported. Every contribution helps us keep doing episodes like this. Lucas: Yeah, we really appreciate that. And we mean it — the support from listeners is what lets us spend time on deep dives like this one rather than chasing sponsors. So thank you. Luna: Now, back to age bias. One thing I want to push back on a little — I've heard people say you should 'gut' your resume of anything that implies age. But I think there's a difference between hiding and curating. Lucas: I agree completely. You don't have to list every job you've ever had. But if your most relevant experience is from fifteen years ago, include it — just frame it around results, not years. Instead of 'Managed a team of 12 from 2008 to 2015,' write 'Managed a cross-functional team of 12, improving throughput by 40 percent.' Luna: The year is secondary. The impact is primary. Lucas: Exactly. And one more tactical piece: use LinkedIn's 'open to work' settings to signal that you're a bootcamp grad looking for your first tech role. You can set your industry to 'Computer Software' and your job title to 'Junior Software Developer' — that way recruiters searching for junior talent will find you regardless of your past titles. Luna: That's smart. Also, consider getting a certification that's current — like an AWS or Google Cloud cert — to show you're up to speed with modern tools. Lucas: Great add. So to wrap up: age bias is real, but it's not insurmountable. Lead with your strengths, curate your story, network deliberately, and target the right companies. You've got a lot to offer — make sure they see it. Luna: And if you've got a success story or a question about navigating age bias, reach out to us. We love featuring listener stories on the show. Lucas: That's a wrap for this episode. Until next time, keep coding and keep advocating for yourself.