I'm 30 but get mistaken for 15. Looking young may seem great, but it's made my professional life and job hunt harder.
Looking half my age and being mistaken for a teen has made it hard to feel confident at work and job interviews despite my professional experience.
Ayman Eckford, a 30-year-old professional, has found that her young appearance often leads to being mistaken for a teenager. This has made it challenging for her to be taken seriously in her work. She has experienced this firsthand in various settings, from movie theaters where she was sold children's tickets to police officers asking her about her parents.
Eckford has also faced issues in professional settings, such as being asked if she is just starting her studies when she was in a university building for a work-related matter. She has taken steps to appear older, including wearing platform shoes and more mature clothing, but wishes she didn't have to. She believes that appearance and age are not the same as experience, and that age doesn't automatically bring wisdom.
Eckford has known young professionals who were excellent at their jobs as well as older individuals who were not. Despite these challenges, she feels she must continue playing the game to be perceived as a professional adult.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
