Heart racing, head spinning…you’re sitting in your best attire. You reckon the interview went well and as you get called back in, you put your best face on and try to walk straight despite the fact that the room’s spinning. You sit. “I’m sorry we just feel that you’re not experienced enough for the position” one of the ‘Smileys’ (See end of paragraph note) finally utters. They feign a hint of sadness before resting back in their seat waiting for your response.
Well this sucks I thought it went really well, do I get up and leave before emotion really takes hold? It’s either tears or anger or both and I didn’t eat this morning so you can imagine which way it’ll go. No. “Thank you for your time, I understa… I’m sorry would you mind detailing the experience required, as I believe my previous roles more than satisfied the specifications on the advert.” The brows furrow on all three of ‘smileys’ faces, I don’t think they were expecting a question at this point. Finally one of them states… “We just feel that you’re too young and we need someone with more experience.”
“Smileys” – What I like to call the ones on the other side of the table with slightly over-exaggerated smiles that very rarely matches the emotion they are portraying in their eyes or giving off in their posture.
There we have it the old age v experience debate. Well which is it, you want more experience or you want me to be born in a different year?
That was a standardised job interview example and you may think it didn’t quite sum up your situation. Maybe it was in an interview, or just the “Are you hiring?” stage, or even Louis Walsh’s response when you audition at 16 on X-Factor. The common denominator is the year you were born. I’m not sure about you, but I’m pretty done with the age stereotype…I find myself mentally visiting Age Anonymous.
Hi my name’s Mia and I was born in 1994.
I’ve considered leading with that sentence before and each time the next word is ‘but’ or a synonym and that’s where I noticed the issue. To continue my sentence with ‘but’ or ‘however’ infers I agree with the connotation surrounding my previous sentence. It is factual, I’ll give it that, but I don’t necessarily agree with all the assumptions your more ‘mature’ mind is gluing to it.
If you’re not careful you can easily end up wishing years away: you can’t wait to be 16 because apparently it’s big and well ‘sweet 16’ right? But actually maybe next year at 17 will be better because you can drive (UK), school’s potentially finished and well it just sounds good. Next year’s 18 and whey I’m an ‘adult’… party time lads, although I’ve heard 19’s a little better because you’re not such a newbie when you get ID’d. Hold up, can’t wait till I’m 20 then I’m definitely not a ‘teen’ and well adult life actually starts, BUT Amber’s now 21 and I can’t go to that club because it’s 21+ so after next year the world’s my oyster right? Vegas baby! After that, it’s goalposts: 25, 30, minor meltdown at 39. The big 4-0; apparently you can start your ‘mid-life crisis’ from here, 50, 60, 65…you get it! Age seems to be a massive thing and we’re wishing it away until we’re well into our twenties then we start having a meltdown and splashing out on lotions to, um…slow the clock?
Anyway, what I’m trying to say in a very general rant is that I’m tired of being defined by my age. Yes I’m 20 and so were those ‘kids’ that got really drunk and demolished your porch, but I heard they caught the ones that held hostages at the bank the other day and they were hitting 40 so I guess your age isn’t doing much better.
Be clear, is it really experience you’re looking for or is it age? I think we’re more than past the point where we should be separating the two and being a little less judgemental or dare I say it…Ageist.
Rant of the day
M
x
Well this sucks I thought it went really well, do I get up and leave before emotion really takes hold? It’s either tears or anger or both and I didn’t eat this morning so you can imagine which way it’ll go. No. “Thank you for your time, I understa… I’m sorry would you mind detailing the experience required, as I believe my previous roles more than satisfied the specifications on the advert.” The brows furrow on all three of ‘smileys’ faces, I don’t think they were expecting a question at this point. Finally one of them states… “We just feel that you’re too young and we need someone with more experience.”
“Smileys” – What I like to call the ones on the other side of the table with slightly over-exaggerated smiles that very rarely matches the emotion they are portraying in their eyes or giving off in their posture.
There we have it the old age v experience debate. Well which is it, you want more experience or you want me to be born in a different year?
That was a standardised job interview example and you may think it didn’t quite sum up your situation. Maybe it was in an interview, or just the “Are you hiring?” stage, or even Louis Walsh’s response when you audition at 16 on X-Factor. The common denominator is the year you were born. I’m not sure about you, but I’m pretty done with the age stereotype…I find myself mentally visiting Age Anonymous.
Hi my name’s Mia and I was born in 1994.
I’ve considered leading with that sentence before and each time the next word is ‘but’ or a synonym and that’s where I noticed the issue. To continue my sentence with ‘but’ or ‘however’ infers I agree with the connotation surrounding my previous sentence. It is factual, I’ll give it that, but I don’t necessarily agree with all the assumptions your more ‘mature’ mind is gluing to it.
If you’re not careful you can easily end up wishing years away: you can’t wait to be 16 because apparently it’s big and well ‘sweet 16’ right? But actually maybe next year at 17 will be better because you can drive (UK), school’s potentially finished and well it just sounds good. Next year’s 18 and whey I’m an ‘adult’… party time lads, although I’ve heard 19’s a little better because you’re not such a newbie when you get ID’d. Hold up, can’t wait till I’m 20 then I’m definitely not a ‘teen’ and well adult life actually starts, BUT Amber’s now 21 and I can’t go to that club because it’s 21+ so after next year the world’s my oyster right? Vegas baby! After that, it’s goalposts: 25, 30, minor meltdown at 39. The big 4-0; apparently you can start your ‘mid-life crisis’ from here, 50, 60, 65…you get it! Age seems to be a massive thing and we’re wishing it away until we’re well into our twenties then we start having a meltdown and splashing out on lotions to, um…slow the clock?
Anyway, what I’m trying to say in a very general rant is that I’m tired of being defined by my age. Yes I’m 20 and so were those ‘kids’ that got really drunk and demolished your porch, but I heard they caught the ones that held hostages at the bank the other day and they were hitting 40 so I guess your age isn’t doing much better.
Be clear, is it really experience you’re looking for or is it age? I think we’re more than past the point where we should be separating the two and being a little less judgemental or dare I say it…Ageist.
Rant of the day
M
x