I’m younger than you think. Of course, this does not have any bearing on my ability to do my job. And although I’m not focused on my age, many people are curious. No good comes from comparing your age at work. If you’re younger, people project ideas about what you can do based on what they could do at your age. If you’re older, they project ideas about your lack of tech savviness, or assume your approaches are outdated.
Even several years into my management career, I find myself constantly dodging inquiries about my age. Here are some tips to keep in mind regarding how you share and think about your age in the work place.
1. You may be disclosing your age without realizing it. So you don’t explicitly reveal that your 24, but you mention that you graduated high school 6 years ago. Easy math. Take care not to reveal too much about which years you were in college or how old you were for Obama’s inauguration. It’s easy for someone spiteful to date you based on the bands you were into in 9th grade.
2. Don’t let others’ obsession with age impact what you know about your competence. You are in your role for a reason. That reason has nothing to do with your age and everything to do with your abilities to get things done, to think critically, and to further the mission of the company. If others are hung up on your age, it’s likely much more about them than it is about you.
Do you have experience with colleagues judging you by your age? Or resisting your attempts at privacy around your age? Tell us about it below in the comments!