How my fave movies and TV shows skewed my perception of a realistic career timeline
I know for myself personally; my career progression is probably my biggest insecurity. It’s something I over-think about way too much, something I tend to avoid talking about in group settings, and something I have even lied about in the past. But why?
I love a good chick-flick, much like many of us do. But when I really analyse the themes and plots in so many of my old favourites, there were some rather obvious, recurring themes. The female characters all have kick-ass careers but they also all seem to be really young.
And in the wise words of Carrie Bradshaw, “it made me wonder,” how far back can I go to uncover all the characters and plot lines that have been silently infiltrating my subconscious? And how old was I when they first hit my career self-esteem?
Jenna Rink
Suddenly 30 / 13 Going on 30
Year: 2004
I was only 8 when this old classic came out. I was probably playing with scoobies and feeding my Tamagotchi, with no future vision past lunch that day, while 13-year-old Jenna Rink was wishing more than anything to be an adult so she could be living her dream life and killing it at her dream job.
Andy Sachs
The Devil Wears Prada
Year: 2006
I was 10 when Andy Sachs was showing me what my life could look like after I finished school. Dressing in designer clothes, traveling the world and working for a major fashion magazine in New York City. I began to care less about my childhood hobbies around this time and started collecting magazines instead... Long live Girlfriend and Dolly!
Kelsey Peters
Younger
Year: 2015
While mid-20-something Kelsey Peters was becoming the “youngest publishing editor in NYC,” my 19-year-old self was desperately searching for her own passion. I was studying Journalism at the time and was close to graduating… The pressure to launch into a “forever career” was rapidly mounting.
Jane Sloane
The Bold Type
Year: 2017
Okay, so at 21, my “forever career” theory wasn’t working out too well. I wasn’t convinced I wanted to be a journalist and ultimately, had no idea what the hell I wanted to do… Meanwhile, The Bold Type was released and while I loved the show, it made me think that maybe I should’ve just been a journalist… If I had just sucked it up and not stuffed around in my uncertainty, I could’ve been killing it in a successful career like Jane Sloan by now… Maybe it wouldn’t have been what I wanted, but at least it would’ve “looked good.”
Emily Cooper
Emily in Paris
Year: 2020
For me, personally, Emily in Paris couldn’t have come at a better or worse time. I’d quit my job, taken a leap of faith and was ready to start something new. Then a global pandemic hit. The show gave us all a much-needed moment of escapism, but it also hit me at my most vulnerable. I was unemployed, the job market was in disarray and Emily Cooper, (whose character was ~apparently~ even younger than me) was living in Paris and slaying her career like it was nobody’s business!
So, there is little wonder the “young career woman” complex is plaguing our generation. We’ve been exposed to these cliché storylines through our favourite silver screen moments for most of our lives. And sometimes it’s hard to remember what real life looks like.
But despite what pop culture might have us believe, our “young career woman” window doesn’t just slam shut by the time you hit 30. Ask a hundred different women if they had it figured out in their 20s and at least 99 of them will probably say no – not only that, they’ll probably say they still don’t!
Life isn’t that black and white. We are human, we second guess, we change our minds and what we want now won’t necessarily be what we want in 5 years, 5 days, or even 5 minutes time. And that’s okay!
We always hear the expression “you don’t need to have it all figured out just yet”. It's a lot easier said than truly believed. But we can make it easier on ourselves by eliminating the time pressures associated with it.
Age is just a number. Trust the process, you incredible human!