One middle-aged job seeker lamented the fact that his 18-year history with the company seemed to be a drawback to prospective hiring managers–while colleagues who served shorter stints at the same firm have found it easier to find new jobs.
Of course, his former co-workers may be considerably younger, and we don't know what sort of position he (or they) have been seeking. But, as the author of the Times article points out, it's not the length of an employee's tenure at an organization that matters to hiring managers; rather, it's what he or she has accomplished and the way that the long-term stint is "marketed" to prospective employers.