Over the last couple of years, I have interviewed a few times at Salesforce.

I have had the hiring manager say, "You are the ideal candidate for the role," but other managers have also said on other occasions that I was "overqualified" for the role.

My past experience at a company that Salesforce partially owned really does make me qualified for the roles, and my past employees who are now at Salesforce give me the strongest recommendations. However, I am in my 50s, which appears to be an offer killer.

That manager who said, "You are the ideal candidate for the role," had to come back later and say, "My new VP is looking for someone younger for the role."

I'm not bitter about this, just disappointed.

I am completely confident that Salesforce does not have policies that institutionalize age discrimination; probably the opposite. However, the hiring managers in the trenches are clearly looking for candidates within age ranges, regardless of cultural fit, aptitude, and experience.

Various cultural fit questions:

• What is the role of a manager in guiding the career of a developer?
• How do you feel about agile development?
• What is your philosophy of management?