Hi Reader,

I was 17 when I first started working making me the youngest and the only illegal worker in the office (acc. to Nepal’s Labor Act). But why am I telling you this?

Being the youngest taught me many things and made me aware of things that I wouldn’t have realized before and I want to share them with you.

So what exactly did I learn?

I learned the Power of Starting Early. The power of starting early translates into several benefits, making it even more essential in today’s world. It

• Increases your Risk Appetite – Someone framed it so well “Take risks early in life, you won’t have many responsibilities and even if you fail, your parents are your safety net.” This holds true when you factor in getting older or getting married then the only thing you want is stability, decreasing your risk appetite significantly.
• Amazing Networking Opportunity – Being the youngest gave me an unfair advantage to reach out to anyone, be it the CEO of a Conglomerate or The Delegation of the EU. Heck, I can now proudly say I worked as an Intern for one of the Top 50 Influential Women in Nepal. Nowadays, companies truly value youths and give them all they want, SO BETTER USE IT.
• Learn from the best – When you are surrounded by people 10-20 years older than even double your age you are getting a repository of some amazing experiences, life lessons, and mistakes giving you an advantage in planning your life ahead.
• Your Interest might change – Not everyone has a perfect career understanding and I was no different. I loved everything that came to me and found it hard to narrow down those interests. I joined the company as a graphics designer but ended up leaving with a passion for climate entrepreneurship. Had I not started early I wouldn’t have discovered my passion (per se).
• You won’t be left out – Just imagine yourself as a web developer and a younger kid comes in and knows more tech stack than you. Your job is going to be obsolete and that possibility is increasing day by day, especially in the tech sector with more younger generations coming in.

Although I am 18 now and have a long way to go, Imposter syndrome still lurks around when I see kids aged 13, and 14 on Linked In posting about their tech projects or building a startup. So better to start early to ride alongside them than get left out.

I am not instilling fear into you but I want you to be aware of the current market scenario, where it’s heading, and how each day someone is doing something big.

The traditional days of getting a job are now over, you have to make an effort from yourself to excel and not just rely on getting a degree to get a job.

Whether you’re in tech, medicine, or any other field, there are always ways to accelerate your development. Online resources, workshops, and professional communities offer a wealth of knowledge and opportunities to stay ahead of the curve.

It’s never too late to take charge of your career growth. Forget every bad decision you’ve made, forget all the procrastination you did, just forget everything and RESTART.

Thank you for reading the article.

If you feel that this article helped you in any way. Please email me back at sumit@sumitsah.com, that would make my day.

Have a good day ahead.

I will see you around 😉

– Sumit