Hey WSO,
I have an unexpected interview coming up for a director level position. I am right on the border of what they are looking for as far as experience.
Throughout my career I have been told I look young. Just the other day someone said I am the youngest on my team (I am not).
I clean shave everyday. I wear nice clothes and shoes, am 6'2" with an athletic build (190 lbs 9% body fat). I feel like my voice sounds young (as in 25-26, not 18 and not 35).
I know the easiest answer is to grow some sort of facial hair, but I have never in my life left it for more than three days and do not even know where to start.
Anyone else ever in a similar situation? Anyone land director positions at a young age? How did you overcome the age issue?
Are you white?
Yes.
start smoking cigarrettes
I would hire the candidate who won't worry about these things.
You better see a doctor just in case you have the Benjamin Button disease.
Color your hair gray and wrinkle your face from now until then to get some crows feet going near your eyes.
Or don't worry about it, concentrate on kicking ass in the interview and sound confident and authoritative in your speech and how you hold yourself. And don't use speech fillers such as "like" and "you know" that younger people tend to use. And appreciate it if you look young and actually are the youngest person in the room. I advanced career wise pretty quickly and was always the youngest person in the room and then suddenly I wasn't and it sucked when I realized I was the old guy.
OP should get one of those "Touch of Gray" hair dye kits.
No, no, no. The OP should start smoking 3 packs a day - immediately - anything less than that will make the OP look like he isn't committed to the position.
"I know the easiest answer is to grow some sort of facial hair, but I have never in my life left it for more than three days and do not even know where to start."
You don't know where to start when it comes to growing a beard? How about you just stop shaving? Growing a beard is not exactly a complex process. I worry that if you don't know very simple things such as growing a beard, you may not meet all of the hiring criteria for a director level position.
Just a thought.
It's more about how you carry yourself than how you look. Be confident, calm, and speak with precision. Be succinct and knowledgeable. Be at ease in your own skin. That will carry the day. At its core, your interview is you selling the vision of yourself in that role. Make that vision really compelling.
If you do want to game the mechanics, read up on how to speak with a deeper voice: - https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-develop-a-deeper-voice - http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/11/13/masculine-voice/ -
Does looking older help you in finance? (Originally Posted: 08/05/2014)
I am in my early 20s but due to shitty genetics and poor maintenance by myself you wouldnt belivie it, I can get away with anything between 27-35 (it does suck at times but meh). I seemed to notice that when I was interning or wherever I work I never get stuck with the bitch tasks and am generally given a lot of responsibilty . I'm also treated as more of an equal rather then a surbordinate . With all things being equal ( as in you know your shit , work hard etc ) do you think looking older helps in buisness and if so why? For me it has seemed to but this may not be a trend.
from what I have seen/heard from others yes this definitely makes a difference. perceived higher age potentially means more maturity, more trustworthy, more experienced, etc etc etc
I would contradict the previous post, as I've found many people who are looking to break into the analyst position but who are older are often asked if they can keep up with 22 year olds. So may be a disadvantage for breaking in, but once you have the spot perhaps it does help you avoid the menial tasks
true point about the keeping up bit, perhaps that matters more for FO then ops which I was working in. I think on some psycological perhaps others feel embarrased asking someone to do menial work or to make the tea if they think gosh this dude could be older then me. It really helped that my voice sounds older too. I was regularly working with ops guys in hedge funds and stuff, and I never implicilty told them an intern (hey if they dont ask) (even removed it from my email signature...) and they definatly respond to you a lot better. Most people thought I had been doing that stint for ages. Perhaps its worth just trying to devlop a more mature/older phone voice at least dont think it can hurt.
Yes, looking older does help - a lot! Nobody wants to work with a kid that can't be trusted and has no experience. Looking older makes people think you've been around for some time, you know things, and you'll do better. But don't get into that too much because you'll get older anyway, long term is better to take care of yourself and take care of your health, hit the gym, eat healthy...
once you get in front of clients, it will help.
Totally helps. I unfortunately look younger so I picked up a pair of fake lense glasses. They are not trendy and look like something a 50 year old would wear. They have been golden for creating the perception of age and experience especially in front of clients.
You're an idiot
Why apply for analyst positions just go straight for VP! If you look the part you can play the part.
Heard it helps. There's only a 3rd year associate and me (1st year analyst) on the team, and the associate looks like a freshman... And because I look more mature and am more outgoing, my boss had told me that he'd trust me in front of seniors and clients more.
Granted we were at happy hour and my boss was a little drunk, but I still believe him!!
Fuck I look young as shit (I am 23) and I hear that I could pass as a freshman in college. Shit pisses me off
If you are a girl, no.
Executive presence is the term you are looking for.
Problem with looking too young (Originally Posted: 11/18/2013)
Many people ask me if I am a student. This might be because I live in an uber liberal college town, think somewhere like Madison, Austin, or Ann Arbor, where the older men stereotype younger men with long hair as hipster because that is what they did when they were young hipsters. Anyway, what can I do to look older.
facial hair and shorter hair on top
Don't sleep as often so you get wrinkles quicker and baggy eyes.
I have facial hair with the exception of interview days. After I got a short hair cut a contractor asked me if I owned the place when I was at my parents' house, which is way too big for a college student to afford. That is an improvement! However, young women still ask me what I am studying.
Also, how short is too short? Is an almost shaved head ok?
I don't sleep much and I still have a baby face which is great because people set the bar lower than appropriate, making it easier to exceed expectations. Facial hair is definitely transformative but you could wind up looking like a homeless person.
That's why I go with a well trimmed Van Dyke beard. However, it does take a lot of work to maintain.
nice avatar
What is best facial hair style for looking the oldest.
The way you carry yourself will offset some of your appearance. Dress like an adult. Here's the breakdown of how people react to each other: 70% how you look 25% how you sound 5% what you're actually saying
Look at it this way, when you enter your 30's you can still hang out with 20 year old chicks and they won't know the difference. That's what I do.
Can you cite where this percentage breakdown comes from?
Why is this an issue? Use it to your advantage. People think young = stupid. It's your opportunity to surprise them.
@"DM", another way of looking at it is that people might have problems getting rid of preconceived notions (stereotypes). Malcolm Gladwell discusses this in "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking."
I feel your pain, OP. I have a baby face and people automatically assume I'm just some young kid.
Problem solved. You're welcome.
I'm 21 and I look 29. Enjoy that shit, dude. I feel weird hitting on 19-year-olds.
@bic - If anything, you should lie and say you ARE 29. We love older guys haha
@SilentGuardian - I feel your pain. But at least you don't get stopped in airport security and asked where your parents are.....
When You Look Like You're Pre-pubescent (Originally Posted: 07/04/2012)
I'm interning at a BB and I still look like a kid.
How do I get taken seriously by other people?
I'm 18 but I accelerated in high school and college... 5 feet, 96 pounds, female. People assume I'm between 13-15, even with a conservative black business suit on. I usually wear conservative three inch heels. I try make-up, but it usually just makes me look even younger.
I've encountered so many people who didn't believe I was seriously getting paid to work.
I have bought business suits and stuff to look older, but its a total joke. I look like I'm playing dress up.
I'm extremely competent when they actually let me speak and give me the chance to do real work. But networking is really hard. Any advice?
I dont think anybody gets taken Very seriously when they start out.
You're lucky you're a girl...... try being a man while looking like a 16 year old.
I'm a guy who's 22 years old and 5'6, when I shave and keep my hair short I look like I'm 16...and I've had no problems in the workplace. It's all about how you carry yourself. If you let people treat you like a kid, then they will. I can't speak for girls, but if you're a guy, carry yourself like a man, and others will treat you like one. I feel like every time I go into an interview with a BSD I am fortunate enough to shatter their expectations of my professionalism, and it almost always turns into a positive experience. My point is, don't let how you look hold you back - because it will become a crutch, and you will begin to resent yourself for it. That's when eating disorders and plastic surgery take hold in your mind.
pics
TROLL
Apply for positions in Singapore or Thailand.
pics
Daaaaaaaaaaamn. Nothing wrong with that. That is all.
Ignore them, and let your work speak for you. I started in operations in way back office when I was 16 and I was in the same situation. I excelled with my projects and daily tasks and it worked out.
Not a troll. I work at JPM in NYC.
The stuff about tall people getting hired over shorter people really bothers me...
Not stupid enough to put up real pics, but heres a reference: http://t2.ftcdn.net/jpg/00/12/60/63/400_F_12606338_6joT1jZNDOMONJGKteCI…
Thanks for your advice though!
going gray, wtf? (Originally Posted: 03/05/2012)
I started this as a rant on going gray but Relinquis' comment below got me thinking
How much does having a dusting of gray affair affect your career? And how common is cosmetic "aging" for the sake of career advancement? ie allowing the gray hairs, showing off a receding hairline, wearing glasses? What other methods have you seen?
My original post: I was looking at photos from a year ago and I had maybe a couple gray hairs, now I have like 25-30 (I am 30 years young btw). Is this is a downward spiral into Andersoon Cooper land?
For those in the same boat - do you dye your hair or not give a shit? I'm not looking to start "just for men" or equiv, but if this continues I'm going to do something about it. So far I've just been snipping them out when I see them.
What do women think of men in low 30's with gray hair?
At the end of the day at least I'm not going bald....
I'm in the same boat, ~30 with greying hair on the sides. I trim them a bit, but don't give them much thought really. Girls don't mind. I'm not going to die my hair even if they did.
Looking older definitely helps with your career. People are mentally prepared to pay you more and take you more seriously. I have friends who wear glasses even though they have 20/20 vision and act / dress 10 years older than they are. It makes a difference, but less so in the US and less so as you progress in your 30s. The grey hair look can work well. Check out Bill Ackeman of Perishing Square.
I'd say, relax and enjoy your youth.
Older people get laid off more, this is bullshit.
re: your original post Chill, girls don't mind and it's very easy to tell when men dye their hair because it just looks weird, so you wouldn't be making it any better. Even more, gray hairs in men are hot.
Embrace and age gracefully, what else is there to do? Pretend you are 17 forever?... sad.
(Chic advice 101)
"easy to tell when men dye their hair", really? An older man sure I could see, but a 30something guy you'd never suspect it.
re: "gray hairs in men are hot." hope all women agree with you :)
I'm 23 and noticeably grey. Started going grey at sge 12. Will be dying my har soon.
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