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Email ThisAge should no longer be a factor in one’s career. Proof positive of this is the country of Georgia, where age didn’t matter when officials were chosen to fill its cabinet.
According to Monocle magazine (the June 2007 issue), Georgia’s Minister of Defense, Davit Kezerashvili is only 29 years old. Its Minister of Finance, Alekshi Aleksishvili is 33. The Minister of the economy, Giorgi Arveladze, is 29. He started working as a government leader (he was then head of the Georgian government’s penitentiary reform program) when he was 22.
There are countless other ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary leaders in their twenties and early thirties in Georgia. At an age when most “youngsters” would be just thinking of settling down or finally deciding on a career path, this generation of young Georgians are, literally, running the country.
You would think Georgia would be in trouble because of all these young and supposedly inexperienced people running things, but that isn’t the case. According to Monocle, Georgia is ranked as the world’s leading reformer in a 2007 World Bank study. It has also gained much financial and non-financial support from the rest of Europe and the U.S. (Although it must be noted there has been some political turmoil such as mass protests in Georgia in late 2007 due to demands that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili resign ).
It seems experience may possibly be overrated not only for start-ups, but even for government work and leadership. No matter how young you are, one can still make a difference. This is true even in government work, where seniority and tradition usually means everything.
For those who are twenty-somethings or in their early thirties, it looks like youth is no longer an excuse. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to try and make a difference, maybe even run a country.
The Youth CAN run a country. So let’s get to it.
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Interesting! To be fair, though, I feel compelled to point out that a 20-year-old in Georgia (we’re talking about the European country that was once part of the USSR, not the state) is going to grow up very differently from a 20-year-old in America. I suspect that we’re really not comparing apples to apples here.
That said, I agree that age itself does not always beget good leadership, and that experience does not always beget maturity.
That’s true, things are very different there and in the U.S., and even more so in Asia (where I’m from) but I think it is at least proof positive that “youngsters” can handle high pressure positions like cabinet positions.
Good point about how age does not mean good leadership or that experience does not always beget maturity.