We battle age at both sides of life. The young adult must prove they have enough knowledge and skills to do the job. The senior adult must prove they still have the health, skills and motivation to do the job. Both sides of the spectrum can be challenging.
Actually, at every level it is the same. The 40-year-old does not get a pass on proving he has the skills and desire to perform the tasks, but is often given the first glance as a stronger candidate for the job.
When I was 20, I was in college and serving as a senior pastor at a church in Lexington, Kentucky. I went on to several other senior pastoral positions in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. From age 20 to 30, I knew I was competing with men 30 to 55 who had more experience and could point to more success than I could. It all worked out and I did receive numerous opportunities and places to serve.
At age 49, I was receiving calls from different churches in various states about serving as their pastor. I almost went to at least three of those opportunities. Around age 50 seemed to be a peak time for moving to a new senior pastoral position. I had vast experience, doubled and tripled attendance everywhere I had been and generated millions of dollars in contributions to the churches and their causes. For someone in my profession, 45-50 is a grand time.
I was fortunate that at age 50 I had found my place in life with my current job. It does not feel like a job but a daily opportunity to serve and help ministers around the world to train for greater service and fulfill their callings in life.
My dad was another story. By the age of 55 he had worked about 37 years in the coal mines and he was done with that part of his life. Age 50 would be a hard time to begin a new career as a coal miner. There are so many jobs where 50 or 55 is a great age, and others where it is not.
Regardless of what we do in life, we are to some extent competing with age. Unless we can prove it does not matter. If we can prove it does not matter, then people forget about it. Someone is not too old or too young to do the job unless they prove they are too old or too young. President John F. Kennedy was 36 and he did the job. We have had elderly senators and representatives who performed their jobs well, and others who obviously became too old to do so.
Regardless of your age, you have to prove yourself. Twenty-one might be too young, but maybe not if you are willing to work hard, educate yourself and prove yourself. Eighty might be too old, but maybe not if you have the health, motivation and skills to keep going.
Do not let the number be the determining factor. Evaluate your skills and motivation, and do your best in whatever job or task you take on.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is the author of “Uncommon Sense” and 13 other books.