Just a couple thoughts about what these statements seem to imply (not about age :)
However, you can look at it and see that I was hungry for bigger and > better things based upon the advancement. > > > ... for every 1 person who wasn't able to advance past a jr. role, ... Some people are not interested in climbing the ladder. Being hungry for bigger and better things, can take different forms. Personally I'm driven to learn to do new things and work on problems that people don't know how to solve, and work with people who are a lot more talented and intelligent than me. You really couldn't pay me enough to supervise people, although I might coach them. "Advancing" to a management role, means less hands on technical work - that can often be the exact opposite of what a talented technical person wants. What I think I hear you saying is that if an experienced person is only looking for a jr. position, then they don't want to do anything other than what they've already done, and won't be able to adapt and work on new things. Perhaps there's also the assumption that this candidate would also be passive, wait to be told what to do, not take initiative or be a self-starter, since they weren't "able" to advance past a jr. role. If somebody has been in IT for 10 years, even in a junior role, it's unlikely they are still doing the stuff they started with. Technology moves fast, to have longevity in IT you have to keep learning, often on your own time. So as a manager, you have to learn to recognize drive and passion, that expresses itself differently than your way. Not everybody wants to be an IT manager, and that isn't an indication of a lack of drive. You might consider recruiting in the Detroit area. IT professionals were hit pretty hard here, although it has improved some. There's a lot of talent here, and quite a few people are willing to relocate. After experiencing unemployment, they may be unlikely to just quit after a couple years. I also agree with the suggestion someone made earlier to reach out to some of your local professional groups - it would also put you in contact with the kind of people who spend their own time to learn and improve themselves professionally, and you might find a better match with what you are looking for. - Debbie
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