I was in my late forties and unemployment was the shadow of my life. My resume was full of experience, but every application was rejected. “You’re too old,” they said, ”You can’t adapt to new technologies.” However, I had adopted lifelong learning as a principle.
One day, I was called for an interview at a technology company with a large number of young people. I was surprised, but hopeful. In the interview, I told about myself, my hunger for learning, and shared my experiences. I could see the doubt in the young manager’s eyes, but I didn’t give up.
A week later, I received an e-mail that I had been accepted for the job, and I was overjoyed. In my new job, I was motivated by the energy of my young colleagues. I passed on my experience to them as much as I learned from them. In a short time, I became an important part of the team. My age became an advantage, not an obstacle.
One day, my young manager came to me. “I hesitated when we hired you,” he said. “But I was wrong. I learned a lot from you.”
That day I realized that age is just a number. What matters is the desire to learn and the determination to improve oneself. With this determination, I will continue to inspire both myself and others.