The Question of Age: How old is too old to pursue your ideal career

Glenford Smith, career writer

The ascension of Andrew Holness to the pinnacle of Jamaica's political-power pyramid on October 23 occurred amid a cacophony of voices, some resonant with hope in his youthfulness and others decrying his inexperience.

I'm willing to bet that you have your own opinion about whether the 39-year-old prime minister is too young or not, don't you?

Here's a more important question for you, however: Is there a career path that you desire to take but haven't, because you believe you are too young, or too old? You would be surprised at the number of people who can relate to this dilemma.

Many desire to go back to university to study their real passions, like nursing, journalism, teaching, or medicine. They keep dismissing the idea, however. The reason is that they believe that, at 40, for instance, they would feel like dinosaurs in classes with young people in their late teens and early 20s.

Others have been made redundant and desire to change careers and start over. They think it is impossible to start over at age 50, however, after having worked at one job for 30 years.

Here's another interesting twist to the age dilemma. Many young people also discard their dreams and strangle their possibilities by clinging to the belief that they are too young to do what they really desire to do in their lives and careers.

Simple fact

The simple fact, however, is that age becomes a problem in pursuing your ideal career, only if you let it. The following examples prove this point:

• In 1975, Bill Gates was only 19 when he co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen. For several consecutive years, he held the title 'World's Richest Man', as a result of Microsoft's phenomenal success.

• In June 2007, Jamaica-born Barrington Irving became the Guinness world-record holder for being the youngest person, at age 23, to fly around the world solo. This, despite being told repeatedly that he was too young and did not have the experience for such a venture.

• Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was 21 years old when he co-founded what is, today, the world's leading social-networking site.

• Legendary boxer George Foreman became the world's oldest heavyweight champion when he shocked the world by knocking out 26-year-old Michael Moorer, in 1994.

• My own father, George Smith, began his tertiary education in his 50s, without the benefit of a high-school education, and successfully graduated seven years later.

• Sprinter Merlene Ottey became the oldest athlete to compete in the European Athletics Championships last year, at age 50. A decade before, she was the oldest athlete to medal at the 2000 Olympics.

Here's the point: Only with time can we accurately judge Prime Minister Holness' stewardship. From the above examples, however, age will not be the determining factor - performance will.

Similarly, you're not too old, or too young, to succeed. Focus on accomplishing your goals, not on your age. Go for your dreams. Don't let your age stop you!

Glenford Smith is a motivational speaker and success strategist. Email:: glenfordsmith@yahoo.com