Youngest in the Room
I have been "the youngest person in the room" for as long as I can remember.
I first started in an office when I was just 19 years old working as a temp working on a sales project. I thankfully had someone in my corner who was always looking out for me and found this opportunity at his company for me. From my success in the sales campaign, I was offered a part-time permanent position as an admin when I resumed school in the fall.
Everyone in the office knew I was in college because there wasn't a lot of part-time staff in our department, so my odd hours stood out. Aside from my long-time best friend who also started working there (three years older than me) and my first manager/the person who helped me get my foot in the door, no one in the office really knew how old I was. Also considering the fact that I am 87 years old on the inside, most people just assume I am older than I am - this has happened to me my entire life.
It's also not like I went around telling people, "hey, did you know I'm only 19?" The only time it ever really came up was when people asked me to go out for drinks and I'd awkwardly pass, until someone pressured me to "give one good reason why" I wouldn't go out with them that night. To me, the age of your coworker is unimportant, as long as the work gets done and it gets done efficiently. But as people have always assumed I am older than I am until finding out otherwise, I know firsthand how much age does matter at work. And not only because of all those "oh, sweet, we have a designated driver," jokes, but because many people associate age with wisdom.
“But what do I know? I’m just the youngest person in the room.”
There are a LOT of assumptions made about my generation. And granted, stereotypes exist for a reason, but are often an oversimplified generalization. As I mentioned previously, I am 87 years old on the inside. Now you might be thinking, "oh, Laura Ann, all you millennials say crazy things like that," (which, again, would be an oversimplification), but truly, I think I must've just been born with an old soul. I'm an independent realist with a good head on my shoulders. Which is honestly probably why people are so thrown off when they find out how young I am or how recently I graduated college.
Myself, on the other hand, I choose to look at people I work with for what they bring to the table. 30 years of experience is a remarkable feat, but if all 30 years were at the same company, in the same group, without striving for promotion, or professional or personal growth - is that the individual I would choose for my team? No, I'd rather have the fresh grad who worked their way through college and is excited to try new opportunities.
As the youngest person, you have to work so much harder to prove yourself once you get in the room - IF you even get invited. My sassy ass usually decides against the "seen and not heard" framework that most of the previous generations have come to expect. This is how I stand out against the rest - I don't let my perceived inexperience shut me down. If I have an idea, a concern, a question - I pose it. I do what I can to make my presence unforgettable, as the natural born leader I am.
I whole heartedly agree that the more experience you have, the more wisdom you have gained. However, age does not necessarily come with experience. You still have to put yourself out there, fail and get back up, and continue to grow and challenge yourself. Complacency is not an option. But what do I know? I'm just the youngest person in the room.
-Laura Ann
