I'm the oldest in my job

[Kjones27]

I just turned forty. And I just started a new job.

I'm the oldest by a good bit. I'd say the second oldest is 28, and the majority are around 25.

This is the first time this has happened to me. Usually there were people older than me in the job.

Obviously I'm getting older, and this is part of getting older. That I will begin to be one of the older colleagues.

However this is the first time its happened to me. I'm not sure how to socially navigate. They obviously all have more in common with each other, so they chat to each other. They're not rude to me. But I think they just see me as different and kind of leave me out.

What did you do when you became the oldest in a job, to make it easier?

Yep I feel you. Next oldest is 39, I’m 44 and then it’s a big drop to 32/33 with the majority being younger than 27.
i don’t know what to suggest, I have children the age of or older than the guys a share a desk with.
But my industry is a young persons industry, I just go along with it - I’m good at what I do and I’m very much needed. My experience is what makes me excel at my job which no one of 23 would have.
I get it though, I hate feeling old as I don’t actually think I am

At my newish job, more than half the team are young enough to be my children. It was very odd to start with but a few months in and we've found enough common ground that it works really well - I can learn the new things in our industry from them and they appreciate and learn the unchanging constants from from me and my decades of experience. I certainly don't feel like random oldie in the team any more. In fact, I really enjoy it.

I have found this in my 40s, in fact I've found this in all jobs and have to ask myself where do all the older people work?

I work in a team of seven. Five of them could be my children, at a push one could be my grandchild, the next oldest is seven years younger than me.

Our Christmas do in December will be the last one I attend, as I felt my age more than ever before which is so very sad as I love a good dance.

I've got the longest experience and most qualifications in the team and am called on regularly for help and advice.

I work in a very young industry. I’m at a senior level but quite often get people above me that are 10 or so years younger. I’d say the number one tip is not to pretend to be 25 again!

It never bothered me much. I used to observe that I'd been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth!

Im 52 and the oldest by about 20 years in a team on about 40.
I thoroughly enjoy working with such a young team. It's great craic!

It's interesting you say that you don't think you are old.

My 75 year old mother told me not to call her old the other day. She said "I don't like being called old, I'm not old"

I don't think anyone ever feels old. We are all young in our soul!

40s are definitely not old. But I feel in the workplace it is definitely seen as old.

This seems odd to me - I work in a mixed team, with people in every decade from mid 20s to mid 50s. I’m late 30s.

We all rub along great, and the last ones standing at the Xmas night out aren’t always the young ones. I can’t imagine feeling like I had nothing in common with a couple of 29 year olds just because we’re not at exactly the same age and stage.

What industry are you?

I dont think ita unusual. Iwork in banking. I don't work in a branch. I work in a large bank centre.

So in our centre we don't face the public. We do behind the scenes banking work. I do a mixture of customer service and digital marketing.

Everyone working here is a "young gun". There are literally no forty year olds. And barely any thirty year olds . The managers are in their 20s. Everyone in the customer service department are in their twenties.

The next department to me are risk analysts. They are all in their twenties. Then there is the anti money laundering dept. They are all in their twenties too.

I'm starting to think that they don't hire a lot of older people. I think they prefer to hirw young people.

I didn't put my age on my CV for this job. And I left the dates off my education on my cv. So the interviewers wouldn't have known my age.

I was asked to email my passport later on in my application. After i was offered the job. If they looked at my passport they will see my age. But I went from interviewer to hiring manager to manager, and when I was asked to email my passport in i don't think anyone looked at it that closely.

I think that banking and finance places like these simply prefer to hire younger people.

A lot of workplaces are ageist. We know that.

I was advised when applying for jobs to leave my D.O.B off my CV

I said they're 25, not 29.

The majority are 25. And I'm the only one that is 40.

It's not their fault they are young.

But it's definitely made me see that companies definitely prefer to hire young people.

People my age tell each other that we need to keep our dob's off our cv.

My friend applied for loads of jobs and didn't get an interview. She then changed her cv to not show her age in any way. Taking dates of education off the cv, for example. She then got called for interview.

I was also careful not to show my age on this CV when I applied for this job.

Alot of companies are agist. Its sad to think that it might just get worse when I'm older.

It must be the sector. I've just landed a new job at age 59 and there are people older than me. I left my date of birth off the CV too.

What sector do you work in @dramaalpaca.

After this role, I would really like to work with some people who are in the same decade as me.

@Kjones27 higher education. I think my particular department has an older age profile.

I’m 40 and there are only 3 members of staff younger than me in my workplace, everyone else is older!

@Kjones27 Hi OP, wouldn't people be able to get a good idea of your age by looking at when you started working/the length of time you've been in particular roles etc? Or is it ok now not to include this info? It had not occurred to me to leave my age off my CV, but as I'm approaching 40 and close to heading back into work after a few years with young kids, I might just try it!

Last job, people aged 18 to 70s

A good mixture

We are all human

You dont have to out every job on

I just included my last four jobs.

And then I left dates off education.

You probably will feel different when you're the oldest though!

It's because we live in an ageist society. Older people feel self conscious and worth less.

I remember when i was 30, I house shared for a while with two forty year olds. They were always talking about how they felt they were at an awkward age. At work. At dating.

I get it now. Everything was definitely slightly easier when I was 30.

Same here. A few weeks shy of 50. Lots of 20-somethings in my office. It's a weird feeling. In my last organisation everyone was about my age...

I definitely feel awkward!

I was thinking of the people currently sitting opposite me who are both 28-29, when typing that.

Would never put my age on my CV. I went to uni in my mid 20s (and none of the jobs I had before that are on it) so if people are looking at that or try to work out my age from it, they’ll be surprised.

I still don’t really get why this is an issue. Do you think you’re overlooked for interesting projects or opportunities? Or the opposite - are you asked to go above and beyond when you’d rather not?

You said you don't get why is an issue. Have you been the only person in your forties in an office and everyone else is in their twenties?

It feels awkward and uncomfortable

I wouldn't choose to go to a bar where it was all twenty year olds and I was the only forty year old. Would you. There is a big difference in mindset.

Yet I have to do it at work. I'm literally the only person over 30 here. I'm not sure why they don't hire anyone else over 30. Someone said to me they like to hire young people because they think they're easier to mold/control. And also they see that they will get more years of work out of young people.

I was made redundant at the age of 60. I got another job and after two years was moved to a new department. At the first team meeting everyone introduced themselves and one person said he was the old man of the team as he was 50.

I
went on nights out and joined in most of the social activities. I really miss
working with those young people.

When
I decided to retire aged 66 all my friends in their teens and 20s were jealous.