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`Don't overrate experience'

Namitha Jayanarayanan is waiting to grow old and be recognised

Experience is overrated, especially in jobs that involve creativity. Recently, on a busy day, I got a call from a placement consultant who asked me if I was creative. Everyone believes they are, and I said, "Yes". He then wanted to know how many years of experience I had. I proudly replied "two". "Just two years," he asked. I could sense a smirk, and then heard an unceremonious bang. Two long years of my life reduced to "just two years". If two years' time is enough to get a postgraduate degree, why is it not enough to get experience? Even consultants tend to brush aside those who lack sufficient experience. When it comes to remuneration, they have euphemisms such as "as per industrial standards," which means "peanuts". Those with experience are paid four times more than beginners. Is it not possible to recognise talent? It irritates me when people associate youth with frivolousness. Creativity is about getting new ideas and when you enter a field you are full of them. On the other hand, when you have done it for years, you may come up with safe and therefore jaded ideas. Perhaps, some might sense your talent but deny what is due to you because they don't want you to get it easy. "Let her sweat it out," they feel. Earlier, I used to get furious when people insisted on experience, but today I have reconciled myself to the situation. I am waiting to grow old, when I will understand how the system works and will have safe ideas to sell. It will then be payback time.

As told to ASHA MENON

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AS TOLD TO ASHA MENON

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