Most of my colleagues at work are about 15 years older than me on average. It’s not that I’m particularly talented or suddenly rubbing shoulders with industry elites at a young age — that’s just how traditional industrial companies are.
The team is mostly made up of those born in the 70s and 80s, with very few 90s kids like me. It’s a world away from law firms or internet companies. It was quite a shock at first. They’d casually bring up events that happened when I was still in primary school.
After working my way up to senior associate at a law firm, I somehow ended up being the youngest one again. I initially worried that being so junior would make it hard to build credibility, and that I’d just be ordered around. But over time, I’ve realized there are pros and cons to everything. Working with much older colleagues has been incredibly helpful for my mental peace.
Whenever I notice the gap between us, I think: “Well, they’ve had over a decade more life experience — it’s only natural they’re more composed.”When I see them working late constantly, I feel totally fine leaving on time: “They have families to support, so it makes sense they push harder.”
Even when communication with some colleagues gets messy or repetitive, I stay patient: “They’re a bit older, so it’s understandable they process things more slowly or forget things easily.” All in all, without peers my age to compare myself to, my stress level has dropped significantly. I actually really enjoy working with my older teammates. From them, I not only learn tons of industry experience, but also clearly see how different lifestyles over decades shape a person’s overall energy and appearance. For example, a female colleague 17 years my senior eats healthily, sleeps regularly, loves outdoor sports, and still comes off as cool and vibrant — you’d want to call her “sister.”
Meanwhile, a male colleague who’s actually younger gives off such a tired, worn-out vibe that you’d think he’s an uncle. (I only use “sister” and “uncle” to describe their vibe; we call each other by first names at work.) Of course, some generation gaps are unavoidable. We care about different things, live in different contexts, and face completely different life pressures. At lunch together every day, beyond project talk, our conversations are mostly just each of us talking about our own worlds.
