A
female
age
26-29,
anonymous
writes:My sister is 23 and everyone is going on about how amazing her success is, please help me see why it's so impressive!!?She left home at 20, and moved to Paris to work in fashion, since she felt this is where her career was and would benefit her. From working there she met so many people and from that she has been working across Europe and living in different cities, Rome, Prague, Berlin and another city I don't remember the name of. Point is her job has been great and working for these different companies has allowed her to have the opportunity to live in these cities. Well now, she has just been offered a job at the New York offices starting later this year. And I am aware how incredible this is and amazing she has done to get this far especially since she left home and did this all on her own. But since telling everyone she's just been offered the job in New York, all everyone has said more than anything is 'it's impressive she's so successful at only 23', 'she's achieved so much and she's 23' 'how has she done all this at 23'.People keep going on about how she's only 23 and making it to be this unbelievable thing. It's incredible as I said I'm aware of this and so happy she's done this, but why is it so shocking and impressive that someone who's 23 has done this? Why is her age such a big deal in her achievement and success!!? Reply to this Question
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (10 August 2014): It's not what she does but HOW she does what she does, that will be the deciding factor, you can fall very very quickly from the top and because she is so young needs to be aware of this. Well done to her hard work, luck,destiny,what ever got her to a wonderland so young. Yes 23 is young to land right at the top without not much sweat. You sound very proud of your sister and that is so nice and'rare' to hear. Infact in this post this is the most 'striking'point that stands out, such a young person who holds no bitter words of jealousy for her siblings success. This makes you very special in my eyes so well done to both of you and remember your quality is quite unusual and refreshing. You will always be successful in life's adventure because of your kind nature. Good to let sis fly high it's her pathway,we all have different roles in life to play.I think New York is great and looks very exciting 'I have never been' hope your sis shares her success and invites you to travel and of course maybe some clobber from the wardrobe dept.
A
female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (9 August 2014):
 I am like the female anon, I don't get impressed easily :) and as for living in cool places,just that does not make you successful per se ( otherwise I'd be a stellar success )- it all depends how you live there, doing what and on how much money.
What's your sister's job exactly? " Fashion " is a bit vague. Remember " The Devil wears Prada " ? ... There's lots of menial jobs in fashion too, and if one is xeroxing designer's sketches and fetching doughnuts for the boss, I 'd hesitate calling that impressive at any age( although, it is still a foot inside the door for someone ambitious and hardworking ).
Assuning that she has a lucrative,established position of some responsibility at age 23, well, yes, OP, what kind of question is yours, tbh. To answer it, you just need to have a look around yourself ! What is the average of 23 y.o. people doing nowadays ( not that it is their fault, poor kids, with the economy and all ). Many will still be completing their graduate or post graduate education. Many will be living with their parents and / or off their parents. Many will be unemployed , or sub-employed in part time jobs at minimal wages. The most fortunate will be elbowing and kicking to climb the FIRST rung in the corporate ladder. Several others will still be choosing a career and deciding what they want ( and can realistically ) do when they grow up. Others do OK moneywise... in fields totally different from what they have trained / studied for, and it will take time and patience before they find an opening.
If your sister at 23 is already out of this loop, and free of the financial shackles of having to accept " a " job, any unglamorous job, not their dream job, just that distinguishes her. If then, at age 23, she managed to make something out of herself in a competitive field like fashion, and to live in NY , which is very expensive, at a certain level of comfort , that's certainly impressive, because she is at a point which most people will reach 10 or 15 years later , if they ever reach it.
P.S. being the passionate New York lover that I am, I disagree with the anon female :) . Of course it's a matter of tastes , too ... but , as hinted before, NY it's the typical place which only feels too big and too dirty .. when you do not have the income to live there :).
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A
female
reader, Honeypie  + ♥, writes (9 August 2014):
 It IS a big feat at 23. I think your sister must be very tenacious, hardworking and focussed. And that IS a big deal at 23. MOST people don't really know WHAT they want to "be" when they grow up - some don't figure that out till mid-late 20's.
Most of us do college/uni and then "flounder" about a big trying on a few jobs and career paths before we find what we truly shine at.
Just be proud of her. If she was my sis, I would be.
Are you worried that people will have the same expectations of you? If so, don't sweat it, you will find YOUR niche too.
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A
male
reader, Mark1978 +, writes (9 August 2014):
 im 36 and I look back on me and my friends, girlfriends and family at 23 and realize how young we were back then. A lot of people at 23 are still finding their feet in the world of week after being at university and still quite naïve and inexperienced in that respect.
Yes your sister is an adult but true adulthood, where we are fully mature and have finished our major development, is more like 26 in most people. At 23 to have achieved what she has in incredible. Very few 23 year olds have a decent job, even those whoa re intelligent, highly qualified and driven to succeed take well into their 20s or 30s to gain the wages and success they want.
When you get older you will appreciate how young 23 actually is.
Mark
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (9 August 2014): You never told us what exactly she is doing in fashion industry. is she a model? Assistant to some big shot? She works in office, doing paperwork?
While others may tell you it's empressive, nothing impresses me anymore.
Not everything you see on a surface is like it is in real life.
I am meeting lots of people too in my life because I travel, and own a fine jewelry store. Everyone have their story to tell. I talked to a retired business woman who lived like your sister in all big cities and made good money, and she was telling how hard it was for her as she hated being away from home, she was always tired and now all she wants to do is play. I met a businessman who said he hates his job because of travelings and looks for another job where he can spend most of his time not in airports.
Your sister's career might sound glamorous but if she is just doing some office work sittings all day in front of the computer, and then going home at nightlife like the Rest of us, tired and only wanting to rest to start again in a morning the same routine.
At 23 she has a job, well, that's nice, but no one knows whats behind it. She lived in all these big cities, so what, people travel for work all the time.
NYC is a big dirty city where life is very expensive. It's nice to visit but I would never live there.
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A
female
reader, jls022 +, writes (9 August 2014):
Because many other people have been working for over 10, 15 or even 20 years to be offered opportunities like that, particularly in the fashion industry which is fiercely competitive. It's hard to even get an assistant job in some of those companies without a degree and lots of unpaid experience. If you look at the fact that most people in the UK leave uni at 22, and struggle for a few years after that to get their first 'degree related' opportunity, your sister has done incredibly well!
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A
female
reader, jls022 +, writes (9 August 2014):
Because many other people have been working for over 10, 15 or even 20 years to be offered opportunities like that, particularly in the fashion industry which is fiercely competitive. It's hard to even get an assistant job in some of those companies without a degree and lots of unpaid experience. If you look at the fact that most people in the UK leave uni at 22, and struggle for a few years after that to get their first 'degree related' opportunity, your sister has done incredibly well!
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (9 August 2014): Every now and again in Fashion some very young person gets selected to be 'fast-tracked' - it honestly is not any sign at all that they are better than or more talented than anyone else. What this boils down to is one established person, in the beginning, 'spotting' something in the young person that reminds them of themself at that age. After that, it's like a chain reaction, or like a snowball that grows quite quickly over time - the 'word' of the older, established person, gets accredited by another person and so on and so on. This is honestly usually down to luck - the person involved can't be completely talentless, but at the same time it's almost random who gets selected to be the next 'up and coming' one.Think about it - what this fuels is the myth that people can 'make it' in the fashion world and that myth has a HUGE amount of power just in itself - word gets around and the more that word gets around the more that this acts as a form of advertising for the fashion industry generally AND for those people who 'spotted' the 'talent'. The myth MUST be perpetuated at all costs, a bit like The American Dream - because if it isn't then the who lure and fantasy of the fashion industry goes.The fashion industry is THE most fickle place in the world. People are shallow, cut throat, and incredibly self-centred and narcissistic. It is ALL about what's on the surface and glamour and MONEY. You don't say what you're sister is doing exactly, but in the longer term she'll either become a total addict of that world - and it is highly addictive - or she'll have a breakdown of some sort and realise what a shallow place it is - think of the designers who've committed suicide because they've no real friends and think of the countless anorexic models that get churned through the fashion machine. Your sister is young, yes, and that perpetuates the myth - it also pretty much guarantees that someone that age will be completely lured into giving everything to that world without any questions asked and in full belief that it is amazing and transformative.So yes, her age is a key factor - but it means she can be used and exploited far more easily and also will become addicted far more readily - if you say that to her, she'll defend it to the hilt, that's what people in fashion do.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (9 August 2014): You're younger than her, so you'll realise in a couple of years that 23 is still insanely young. I'd venture out to say that most 23 year olds have a job in a random field but go out clubbing and don't have much desire to work on their ambitions for another couple of years. To have achieved all of this in only 3 years AND when she was only really starting out as an adult (at 20) is, as you say, incredible. That's why her age matters; she's still really young and the majority of people her age don't bother trying to achieve their aspirations yet.
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A
female
reader, Sweety Pie +, writes (9 August 2014):
 You come across quite bitter.
23 is relatively young age to achieve such success, thats all there is to it, really. She's done extremely well.
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A
female
reader, Dionee'  +, writes (9 August 2014):
 Believe me, it's impressive. Especially since at her age, she's making it in fashion! The fashion industry is incredibly difficult to make it in. Most people don't make it in this field because it's so demanding and there are so many other people you're up against, baring in mind that all those other people you are up against are just as, if not more talented than you are. Judging from all the work that she has put in, it's admirable that she's made it at her age. That is the significance of her achievements.
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