Why does my age matter?
It seems like much of my internet world is up at arms about numbers. While numbers are really awesome, they give you a false sense of something. And that something is usually a feeling of superiority, accomplishment, failure, strife, and who knows what else. (And yes, this is one of the reasons why I'm protesting Klout, and while you should consider doing so too, that's not actually the point of this post.)
You can take numbers at face value (yes, pun intended) but numbers are but one part of the story. Case in point: I am 24 years old. I started my first big kid job at 22 and got offered my first full time position (this one) in the same year. I thought for a really long time if it was a good idea or a bad idea to tell the world these details, because like it or not, numbers cause people to draw conclusions.
Are these numbers pertinent? Yes and no. It's quite nice to tell folks that I have a job that I love, and I alwaysalwaysalways indicate how completely lucky I am to have any sort of job, much less a job I adore, in this ridiculous economy... and along with these things, I always state my class year because, damn, am I proud to be a member of the class of 2010. It's a reassurance to share with fellow soon-to-be/recent graduates that it's possible to hop along from college into a job that you enjoy. But even in writing this blog post right now, I still think twice about announcing my age to the big world, and after reading many many many (yes, all those manys are different blog posts) of the posts that popped up last week and this past weekend regarding the ideal age of social media managers, I know why I bite my tongue sometimes.
What doesn't matter as much as the world thinks:
- Your age. Whether it be your biological age or your mental age, the reasons your age should matter are as follows: What have you done with your time? Not how much time necessarily, but what kinds of things have you done and do you want to continue to do? How have you developed as a person in the time that you've been alive — not how long you've been alive, but how have you progressed?
What actually does matter:
Your passion. I loved the crap out of my major, and boy am I proud of my BA, but my passion was not just my major. My passion is more than cinema studies, and best of all, everything I have done in my life can contribute to the creative things I could do within that major and more. I appreciate the liberal arts for myriad reasons, but the top one right now is that by taking the wide variety of courses that exist at this fabulous school that tapped into one interest or another of mine, I've figured out how I can draw connections between all parts of the world, all kinds of content, and more. And that is freaking cool.
Your desire to learn. I don't care what age you are, but in this era, if you're not open to learning something new, you've stopped growing. However you choose demonstrate your desire to learn more — with more degrees, with asking more questions, with reflection — that will translate accordingly.
What you actually make. Or perhaps I should say what you actually do matters too. To paraphrase a Twitter pal, Rob, are you producing good content? And to paraphrase myself, what have you already done and what do you still want to do? Experiences, self created or otherwise, and how much time you've spent is a sign of interest, dedication, and your developing skill sets.
Someone who can identify your passion and help ignite even more. This can be a function of a good employer if a job is what you're after, but more holistically, what I am referring to is a mentor. My boss-dads Cary and Ben are two of the most inspirational people I've ever encountered and working with them is the most defining part of my late college and early post-college career. Their job, in part, is to identify raw talent and empower those folks to do more, and I am constantly mind-boggled by their ability to take good people under wing and serve as a set of supports they reach their great places (quite humbly, I include myself in this under-wing group).
I couldn't continue with my life until I did a bit of writing about all these broad claims that have so affected me recently, so I know that I didn't cover all the things that do matter, so please add more in the comments below.
Mentorship is the key to this. So many people at critical points in their career don't get the best advice. Part of the problem is, some leaders just aren't especially good mentors. I think you're chock full of points here that age isn't as relevant as your experience, your skill and your willingness to adapt and do the things that need to be done at a high level. It can be an asset though, if you know how to position it. Especially in the context of higher ed, working with (or marketing to) students who are not too far from where you (speaking broadly, students) once were if you're not that old.
But I'd agree that other things matter way more. The way to offset the possible biases against age would likely involve maximizing one's career through any channels they can. A lot of people tend to lean almost too much "I did x, y and z in college" and while it matters, it tends to matter less as you get older and that's to me the key differentiator when we're talking about someone's ability to move up the food chain and so forth.
Also like you said, being a good mentee and finding good mentors. So great conversation to bring up, as usual.
I'm inclined to agree that my age can be asset while doing social media for a college, but if we're looking at the job world more holistically, many of the skills one utilizes in managing social media are not tied to age or audience.
Many of the reasons I've become immersed in the things that I love have been based on the people I want to work with most. In essence, my whole life has been based on finding mentors and absorbing what they know.
Thanks for your thoughts, Ron :)
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