Nicola
Nicola
Aug 28, 2017 · 2 min read

Hi Guy, thanks for your article. I’m 44 and have been working as a web designer for 19 years and am self-employed since 14 years. I started stuying HCID in April in Rapperwil, Switzerland. I’m one of the oldest and only two of us are having kids. I can feel some are not taking me serious and it makes me uncomfortable sometimes. They are so much more into the technology than I am, e.g. social media (as mentioned by James). In the lectures I’m taking notes on paper, many of them are using Evernote oder Google Docs. I feel very old fashioned and some times I think “Am I in there right place here? Shouldn’t I also live more digital?” but then we are doing workshops and presentations and I notice my experience of life. I notice, I can do things my way and I know what I can do and my design skills. I know my self, the way I learn and what works for me and what doesn’t. The younger ones seem more self-confident job wise, but then again they are still on the search in life and on a personal level.

Also they are very concentrated on their career like working in fancy agencies, whereas I’m more focused on growing where my skills and interest are and working in a great team and being able to have a job compatible with having a still young family. And I know it might be a plus applying for jobs already being over the age of motherhood (sad as that is) or having proofed my of being very self organised by managing a family and self employment.

I will see how it goes when I’ll apply for jobs. I have send an application on friday and the reaction was positive so far…

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    Nicola

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    Nicola