How to deal with Age Gap?

Hi everyone!I really hope that you finance mates can understand me in this. I am young and I work in asset management since Dec '22 for a big bank in Europe. I am experiencing a (quite) big age gap in the team: all my colleagues are at least 20 years older than me. No problems on that, I know it's normal in certain areas, but sometimes my colleagues seem not to trust me, they say that the young generation is not willing to work as many hours as they did in the past and even if you commit a small mistake they make it appear really really big.A thing that triggers me is that my manager and his boss appreciate my work, treat me with respect and I really feel stimulated and motivated in this area. To sum up: the problem is: how to gain the trust of these colleagues? How to overcome this issue?Have you guys ever experienced something similar? Any advice would be much appreciated ❤️

 
Most Helpful

I work amongst young and super senior ready-to-retire people every day

This is all easier said than done, but don't chase their respect. Be yourself and act normal. People have their solidified viewpoints (about younger people or whatever) and you're not Mary Poppins, you're not there to change their perspectives.

Do good work for yourself and carry a good and pleasant attitude for yourself. Trust will come and is established over time.

Think about who really matters here. Colleagues don't matter as much as your manager and his boss that can make things happen for you. And some colleagues may not like you simply because you are younger and there's nothing to do about it. Brown nose those who really matter.

Most importantly, find a good and powerful mentor (typically more senior) who will actually care about and support you. The fact that someone more senior literally just likes you can completely change your career for the better, I've seen it happen many times.

 

PM me, im an early-twenties female in S&T institutional sales and the next guy closest to my age is 20 years older than me. I spend all non-desk work at conferences, client entertainment, corporate roadshows working with senior management.

Honestly at the beginning I struggled alot about what others thought of me and whether I was performing or not. Its a natural part of the process, but I can promise you it gets better as time passes by and you build more experience by putting the time and effort in. Know your shit at all times and always have your ears open to learn.

What I can suggest is to connect with other graduate level people are your bank, female seniors, women in finance communities in your city (ask your HR, or linkedin is also a useful tool). Finmeme pages on insta are also great for having a laugh after a bad day. I've done this in the past and have made alot of amazing connections which have helped with feeling less alone. 

Cheers! You got this :)

 

Hey just based off of the original post:

sometimes my colleagues seem not to trust me, they say that the young generation is not willing to work as many hours as they did in the past

I'm in my 30s and I do feel this with younger generation (not pointing to you, I don't know much about you other than the post) and I presume older folks feel/felt that way about me as well. I feel that the only way to overcome this is to be really conscientious about your work and work ethics, be ready to role up your sleeves and get grinding. It takes a while but eventually people notice and begin opening up to trust you more. Just remember, people are too busy with their own lives to be 'out-to-get-younger-folks' and more times than not, they're not malicious.

even if you commit a small mistake they make it appear really really big

Similar to above, if they make it appear really really big, it probably is really really big or small but fundamental to whatever is being talked about. This is probably where you need to take constructive criticisms as they are and use that as an opportunity to learn and improve. Take notes, don't make the same mistakes, repeat.

Gaining trust is a mid/long term result and if you consistently meet your short term objectives that are aligned with what your team is doing, then trust will come eventually over time. It's similar to pursuit of happiness, happiness cannot be a goal itself but a product of hard / easy decisions you make. 

 

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