If you’re changing careers or jobs after age 40, you may end up reporting to someone much younger. You’re likely starting at a lower level in a new field, so the chance of working for younger people is higher. This often happens in industries like technology where people tend to be young and move up quickly to senior roles.
This is a difficult situation to handle emotionally when you’re coming from an industry where you have a history and depth of knowledge. There are techniques you can use to develop strong working relationships and mitigate issues at the start and over time. The most important thing to remember is that age determines how long you’ve been working, but not how strong or knowledgeable an employee you are.
[Read: 4 Traits That Hiring Managers Want in a New Employee.]
Consider your position at the start. When you come in as the newbie, your younger boss has been at the company longer than you have. That means that he knows the company culture and the business. You know everything about your previous field and company, which could come in handy at some point, but you have a steep learning curve ahead of you. The first step is to accept that and move forward.
Think like your boss. What is your boss thinking? If he’s strategic, it’s probably something like this: “How can we ramp up this person quickly so he can be productive? Are there skills he brings that complement what we’ve got and that we can leverage?” Once you have an idea of where he’s coming from, you’ll see that age is likely not a factor in his thought process. He just wants you to do the work and be successful, ultimately making him look good or his job easier.
[Read: What to Do When Your Boss Is Half Your Age.]
Actively show your drive. Let your boss know that you are eager to learn and seek his advice. People are typically flattered when you ask for their guidance — even your boss. This also shows that you are confident and not afraid to ask a younger person for their opinion, which will set you up for a communicative relationship with your boss down the road.
Ask your boss what success means to him. It’s important to figure out early on in your tenure how you can expect to achieve your professional goals. After all, you need to know what you’re working toward. Plus, you’ve just begun in a new field, so it’s unfamiliar. While it may sound a bit awkward to ask what success looks like to your boss, asking this will not only help you succeed personally, it will show him that you’re invested in the team’s success and his success.
Communicate regularly. Don’t wait for your boss to come to you and ask how your projects are going or your personal progress on the job overall. Find out how your boss prefers to communicate by asking him directly — is it via email, phone or in person? — and how often he wants status reports. If you don’t get a straight answer, ask your colleagues who’ve worked with him for longer. And then make sure you use the preferred mode and frequency of communication.
[Read: How to Become Your Boss’s Favorite.]
A similar, yet equally discomforting situation can occur when you are already at a company and a younger, less experienced person is hired at a level above you. Whether you must report to that person or not, this can be a difficult and emotional situation. In this case, you may want to consider taking some of the following steps.
Promote yourself. If you have been with your company for several years and feel that you’ve been performing at a high level, speak up. Explain to your boss that you are pleased to have a new person on the team and feel there will be much to learn from her. At the same time, you’d like to explore how to get to the next level. Ask what milestones you need to achieve to get promoted, and take action.
Maintain good relations. This type of situation can cause bitterness. Try your best to do your job well and preserve good relations with everyone on your team, including the newest member. Seek out opportunities to learn from the new team member and genuinely consider her point of view. This will show that you remain a valuable, engaged team member.
If necessary, begin your search. If you’ve worked hard, actively promoted your work and your goal of getting promoted, and nothing happens, it might be time to seek an internal or external career move. Start talking to people within your social and professional networks to see what possibilities are out there to find a role that will launch you to the next level.
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That’s Awkward: How to Handle Working for a Younger Boss originally appeared on usnews.com
