BasstheBear

Business Development Representative

Older Team Members

I joined a fast growing start up company about a half a year ago as the second BDR on the team.

It's been amazing and frustrating and fantastic but one thing that surprised me is that the Go-to-Market team's average age is actually pretty old. I'm the youngest person on the team and one of the youngest people in the company (I'm 24 btw). Not saying this is a bad thing, everyone on the team is a killer and has been for years which is encouraging. I get great advice from them, they are super friendly and overall everyone has a positive/ friendly if not down right casual demeanor with each other.

That being said... I've struggled to get past the initial layer of relationship building with this team. At my old company I made a couple live long friends that I still see all the time. I don't really envision this happening with this team...

Is this a bad thing? Should I change my expectation for these relationships?

✌️ Growing Pains

🤘 Personal Growth

💼 Office Life

7

12 comments

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funcoupons

WR Officer

8

👑

It sounds like it's a positive atmosphere with good people and everyone gets along...what more are you hoping for? Be happy the team is friendly and good at their jobs - that's all you can really hope for in a team.

The older you get, the less likely it will be for you to become close or "outside of work" friends with your colleagues. Work is for making money, not making friends. If you do end up making friends, that's just a bonus.

CaneWolf

Politicker

3

Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract

Yep, the woman said it well as always. You really can't actually manage making lifelong friends at every job you work in sales because you're not going to be really be able to keep up with 60+ people. Make the money. Life isn't about work anyway.

BasstheBear

Opinionated

1

Business Development Representative

Appreciate the advice!

BmajoR

Arsonist

4

Account Executive

Yes, adjust your expectations 100%. Their interests are likely far different than yours. For example, I have some coworkers that I really enjoy working with but I don't care to form friendships with them outside of work because they are younger and at a different stage of life.

Leverage their age and gain as much wisdom as you can from them.

BasstheBear

Opinionated

0

Business Development Representative

I appreciate it! Just a tough go especially with WFH forcing most of your interactions to be with your coworkers.

funcoupons

WR Officer

3

👑

It's certainly tough out there right now, so I feel ya. I used to work with people much older than me (like 20+ years and the only person close to my age was married with a kid,) and although we all got along and even had some happy hours together, it was not as fun as working with my current co workers who are all pretty similar in age and lifestyle. And this was in non-pandemic times.

I suggest looking into some social hobbies such as recreational team sports, a hiking club, or even checking out Meetup. I've heard it's good in larger cities especially as there are Meetups for everything from book clubs to groups of people who try out restaurants together.

Kinonez

Celebrated Contributor

4

War Room Enthusiast

That's a great team right there, experience is the most important aspect in sales! The age gap could be an issue, perhaps these will be different type of friends. They are bein friendly as you mentioned but perhaps, they just want to go to their families after a hard day of work or find different things appealing than you.

It's great that you want to hang out more, have you tried bringing this up? Invite some over for a drink or two and see how they respond!

CuriousFox

WR Officer

4

🦊

Dream. Team. 💯

You could be the "block" keeping you from forming a relationship. Might be something to think about. You could try a different approach. Maybe they feel like you have a wall built up?

BasstheBear

Opinionated

1

Business Development Representative

Never thought about it like that. Will definitely see if a change in perspective helps

Incognito

WR Officer

1

Master of Disaster

…….. what do you consider “old”?

I’m probably “old”, but that doesn’t mean I’m dead. I hate the whole notion that people retire from having a social life at a certain age. I still go to clubs, look hotter than what you’re currently banging and can probably bench press YOU.

Wait, does that mean I’m old and grumpy?

GDO

Politicker

0

BDM

Expect a pure professional relationship. Everything extra is extra.

remember you’re there to do a job.

Anker

Opinionated

0

SAE (Senior Account Executive)

And a lot of the reason you made life long friends was that you were all young and unencumbered with kids, spouses, mortgage payments, etc. That goes away. You’re all going to be 30,40,50 someday. You’ll have a lot more going on outside of work. A bunch of 22 year olds working together is going to be a blast, it’s just how being young works.

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