Believing in young people

Recently, I went for a job interview. I was rejected, not because I sucked, but because I was too young. Feeling rather indignant and also a bit desperate for a job (you'd be too if your bank account mirrored mine), I sent the GM an email. Here it is.

Dear Sir,

I have been working with youths in various capacities for over 5 years now. In working with youths, I have also dealt extensively with parents, teachers and other adults. I fully understand what it is like to meet with people who look down on youths or write us off as "young punks" who have no idea what we are doing. I understand your fears that the teachers, heads of departments and principals I will meet in this line of work will not be as generous as you are with young people. It is rather ironic that the very people who educate youths are skeptical of their own charges. It is no wonder, then, that we have generation after generation of people who fail to see the potential in youths, thus limiting our potential for growth. However, while the real world is very real in that sense, I choose to be idealistic and believe that I can change this trend in my generation.

As such, I was rather excited at the opportunity to work with -company name-, as this is a company that seems genuinely interested in creating a lively and exciting environment for young people to learn and grow. I believe that it would be an excellent job fit for me, as I do not simply believe in education, as many educators do, but I believe in young people. I do not simply believe in creating exciting environments to maximise learning, I believe in giving young people endless opportunities to maximise their growth.

Sir, I understand your fears that the clients I meet may not take me seriously because of my age. However, I do not see this as a disadvantage; rather, I see my youth as an advantage that few people in this sector possess. I see myself as being able to bridge the needs of young people with the experience of their educators. I believe that when I meet with clients, I am able to present myself in a mature and confident manner as someone who is able to cater to the needs of both our clients - students and teachers. While it is true that I may not have the experience that older adults possess, I do possess the energy, drive and raw passion that they lack, which I believe will be an asset to your company.

I hope that you will reassess my application. I promise nothing less than hard work, diligence and of course, sales revenue, in return.

Thank you.

Regards,
Liane Ng

I walked away from that interview loving Pastors even more.

There is a difference between an educator and someone who genuninely believes in young people. As G Zone, let us never forget how it was like to be looked down on by older people. Let's be a generation that loves and believes in young people.