Being young and joining the workforce is an eye-opening experience. It’s not long before the idealism and optimism you might have had about the meaningful career you were going to have quickly evaporate, both because of the people you’re in close proximity with, along with the frustrating hierarchies, unwritten political rules, and power dynamics.
You’ll find that you encounter quite a lot of people, both managers and coworkers, who are quite happy to take advantage of their newfound feeling of superiority they have over you, not because of any real aptitude or authority either, simply because of your age.
Of course, there are things you have to learn as you cut your teeth on the ins and outs of working life and the industry in general. But it’s surprising the number of barriers you’ll face simply because of your fresh-faced appearance.
This 18-year-old working in a café encountered a new shift lead who was clearly eager to exert her dominance over the young woman. While chatting with her coworkers while also handling tasks during downtime, the shift lead suddenly took offense, telling her, “You’re not paid to socialize. You’re paid to work. Less talking, more doing.” This led to her malicious compliance with the order, which ultimately caused her boss to back down from the ultimatum.
