What company would hire a 49 yr old woman who is a whizz with Visual Basic?

Question

Not just a recent whizz either -over 10 years experience, Masters degree, distinctions .... All suggestions welcome, particularly for southern England.

Answer 1

Hi,

I can tell by your questions that you are obviously knowledgible about the industry. As someone who has worked as a hiring manager (and hired VB developpers), I will talk straight with you.

First, is the issue of gender/age. Many people will say it is no big deal, and in large shops it isn't; however, in some small startup software companies you are definitely not the norm. Most hires are males in their twenties who are willing to put in 60+ hours a week. Sometimes they are great programmers, othertimes they are just ok, but in nearly every case they are work horses. In a sense, they fit into their own culture and adhere to peer pressure to overwork. Hence, if you are going for an interview with a company like this, portray yourself who gets along easily with people AND willing to put in a lot of hours to feel part of the team.

Large companies are possibly an easier place to get hired. I have worked as a VP at a Fortune 500 company, and it is completely different. Because the company is larger, experience and diversity is more important than maintaining a deep team bond. With your education, you should also be looking for a major company. Also in the US, Insurance and Finance firms pay better than most of developers, but I am not sure in England.

Third, consulting. You seem like a dream technical consultant. Seriously, being a whiz means you will be able to answer the questions and do the work independently. Your age, education and "distinctions" will give you credibility when getting projects. Best of all, you are not necessarily limited to local firms to which you can commute. As a consultant, you could work for a firm that is based in US, Europe or Asia. The only possible downside is that these jobs often require travel which gets old.

Hope this helps,

Leo

Answer 2

It's probably obvious to you but, first focus on companies that already use Visual Basic as a development tool. The could be application development firms, or consulting firms that provide customized front end applications for businesses. A good place to start would be any users groups or organizations around Visual Basic. See who is working where, and try to get connections. It's my experience that age will not be an issue, given your experience level. Sure, we're all human, and there may be an initial reaction if you were to interview with a 20-something. What you must do, though, is make it very obvious that they cannot NOT hire you! Sometimes marketing 'ourselves' is very difficult, so focus all your communications and your CV on how you've solved specific business/technical problems. Your degree, disctinctions, 10 years experience is important, but more important is 'connecting' your abilities with a potential employer's business problems. So when you approach a particular employer, do not send a generic CV. Make sure you've done what you can to uncover their specific business needs and tailor your communications towards how your experience has successfully solved similar problems in the past. Wish I could help with the southern england part, but.....

Answer 3

hi there!

Try a company that has a forte in graphics design or apply as a software engineer. It will require a deep knowledge in programming and with your experience they would not think twice to not hire you.

But your awesome! Having that long years of experience is great. It is such a big factor for you to have a big career.

God bless and hope that could help you.... =)

Answer 4

I don't know much about visual basic but I'd say whatever kind of company that uses that would hire. Good luck.

Answer 5

if i comprehend any agencies that do i won't be able to be right here!!! i hate the very reality being 17 is unlike being 18:(!!! anyhow, examine for information jobs each and every important agency begs for good assistances i basically examine the first 2 solutions and OMG!! you adult males are being thoughtless! good success

Answer 6

age is irrelevant, you've got good experience. try an agency looking for an IT specialist, most of those occupancies require vbs as standard. normal p/a 17-25,000

Answer 7

hum, i think Visual Basic for the over 49rs me be looking for staff.
xx

Answer 8

i don,t really know but any company who doesn,t , it is their loss. i wish u all the best

Answer 9

one that recognises talent