I have been trying not to talk about the negative aspects happening in Indonesia for years. Not because I don’t care, but because some people see it as unprofessional.

Let me tell you, if people feel that something is not right and stay silent, change won’t happen.

Quarter-Life Crisis

This started when I was almost 25. As people commonly know, this is when most individuals feel conflicted about their life, career, and everything in between.

Growing up idealistic, I was faced with a difficult position: succumb to “dirty” practices to get a steady job, or find a job I wouldn’t feel guilty about, even if it’s a bit unstable.

I won’t talk about the former; it’s an open secret.

Regardless, I chose the latter and forced myself to hunt for a job. That’s when I realized reality was never as beautiful as I had imagined as a kid.

There were numerous jobs that required people to be under a certain age. I remember the first job I applied for had an under-29 criterion. I was lucky to be included in that criterion, but I know it’s not going to be long. Once I reach that age, applying for jobs will be much harder.

Age Limitation

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know the reason behind such age limitations on job applications.

People say it’s due to salary budgets, but I am not certain that is the reason.

From today’s perspective, working in a foreign company, that was not the case.

Several months ago, my colleague just celebrated their 50th birthday. They are 50 and still working.

Turns out it is common; looking around, there are a lot of colleagues who are much more senior than me. They bring wisdom and expertise that no greener hires will have.

How come?

I did not realize that fair labor standards are a thing.

Discrimination against people of a certain age applying for jobs is prohibited in some countries.

Political Influence

When talking about laws, it’s down to politics.

I was furious in light of recent events, where the Constitutional Court tampered with laws to allow for certain individuals to get a specific position - source. This almost happened again through the Supreme Court for the upcoming election - source.

At the same time, they deny that age requirements in job applications are discriminatory - source.

To this day, people still live in this country with the fear of not getting a job once they reach a certain age.

The Future

To stay one step ahead, I really hope that in the coming years, they will realize that the current workforce is not easily replaced. And at that time, I hope they start by forbidding age discrimination in job applications.

I believe that everyone should have an equal standing when they want to support themselves and their family, not forgetting that these are the same people who will contribute to the country through their income tax.

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