Midlife Tech Layoff: From Oracle to Netflix Algorithm Victim
Michael Ferry, once a happy camper in a 20-year embrace with Oracle (via acquisition) near Philadelphia, just found out jobs don’t come with loyalty trophies anymore—especially when your last job title, 'Senior Application Server Administrator,' stayed frozen for 12 years while your skills apparently did not. Meanwhile, 65-year-old graphic designer Terry Armstrong near Sacramento is leveling up to Starbucks barista or Home Depot greeter because apparently, 'morale-boosting mortgage payments' come cheaper than age diversity. Career coach Colleen Paulson suggests veterans might need to rebrand their two decades as 'dynamic adaptability,' but computers still prefer fresh-faced newbies. At least LinkedIn promises another 5 years of stalking for Ferry.
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Got 20 years loyalty plus outdated tech skills? Congratulations, you’re the human version of a Winamp plug-in nobody remembers. Companies want young blood and honesty, but mostly young blood.
Applying for jobs after 20 years at one company is like showing up to a hipster party in cargo shorts: technically allowed, but you’re definitely interrupting something no one asked for.
Age 65 and counting freelance $1,500 a month graphic gigs but applying to Starbucks? That’s less career pivot, more tragic seasonal special on repeat.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/15/2025 | Author: Tim Paradis,Ana Altchek
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