Who Would You Rather Hire?

 

When I first got my current job back in 2014, I was told that I should hold onto it for dear life. The reason was simple, I was turning 40, and given that it was my first time in an office in a full-time capacity, my first full time job was effectively my last. To put it crudely, ageism is probably the only ism that everyone finds acceptable and rife in Singapore. Anyone over 40 who loses their job can look forward to a career in entrepreneurship selling tissue paper.

I’ve actually experienced these phenomena. Kiddo once told me she found a job add for a restaurant claiming to be “desperate” for people. I wrote in with my date of birth and they politely told me they had enough people before reposting the same ad.

So, I got hired and I’ve spent the best part of my forties gainfully employed. Sure, I hadn’t planned on entering the industry but hey, I was steadily employed with no fear of losing my job when many of contemporaries were actually worried about losing theirs.

Life was ok. Paid my bills after struggling to do so after a decade of freelancing. Sometimes I overspent but there was a cheque end of the month. I could actually do what I loved to do – go out and drink, on a regular enough basis. However, since I was working two jobs for a long while, I didn’t really get into exercise. Walked at the Bistrot and tried to claim I was getting exercise from there. However, I never did any form of real exercise.

Didn’t notice it but I was beginning to balloon. Mum told me I was starting to look “gross” and stepmum told me that Dad was worried I’d get a stroke and wipe out his retirement funds. I nodded politely and continued as I was. Didn’t realise it until I looked at this photo from back then:

 

 A decade later, I’m in a different place. I only work one job but I move significantly more. I’m now 50, worried about being old, sick and broke. Doctors told me that my blood sugars were dangerously high and I’ve been doing what little I have been doing to ensure that I stay out of hospital. The two stays I’ve had were frustrating enough. So, lifestyle changes were easier than the prospect of having to spend what little I have on pills. This is me this morning:

 

 Since, we’re the age of AI, I asked an AI (Grok) to give its feedback on the comparison between the me of 2014 and the me of this morning. According to Grok, changing my lifestyle helped to age a decade younger. Chief amongst those lifestyle changes was cutting the booze (though admittedly I did backslide two weeks back when the conference organisers announced they were serving champagne) and moving more (hit work outs) and taking more protein.

 

 

So, here’s the thing, I am fitter. Back then, I’d feel tiered enough in the day to sleep in the office when the boss wasn’t looking. Even started dozing off in meetings. Whilst I have dozed off in very cozy airconditioned rooms on occasion, I generally don’t. My energy levels are simply higher than they were.

Yet, the reality is this – the puffy 2014 version of me, was more likely to get hired. At 40, I was still employable and yes, I did get employed. The reality is that I am now 50. The first two digest of my NRIC give my age away and employers “desperate” for people will tell me they have an abundance of people. I stay where I am and accept that nobody is going to look at my CV because I am the age that I am.

This is despite the fact that the version of me today has more energy than the me of a decade ago. I have a more focused mindset than I had a decade ago. I am less likely to take sick leave than I was back then. The problem remains this, at 40, I was already “pushing it” in terms of getting employed. I am now 50. My actual energy levels were never the issue. My perceived energy is.