basically just be polite and friendly. you’ll be fine.
Bump…simply because someone brought it up in another thread.
I’m in that position everyday too. In my industry, the youngest people are generally in their mid 30’s and are women who are married with kids. I wouldn’t say that I put on a fake face, but I remain polite when I have to hear about their 5 kids, a dog named max and about how much they hate their husbands. Needless to say, I cant relate at all.
I’m not fake and I never even try to relate. I just cant. I just hear people out when they want to chat. Ive been told that I’m really quiet, but it’s only because I dont know what the hell to say when they talk about how their weekend was spent taking care of the kids, shopping and arguing with their husband. Luckily the people I work with are nice, otherwise I think I would go mad!
To be promoted means to show like you are, “one of boys”, so to speak and that’s not something I can really do. My work must speak for itself otherwise I have no chance for advancement. I’m an oddity in the office. More than anything because I’m a guy. I always get weird looks when I drink a protein shake or when I have a huge lunch consisting mostly of meat.
I’m not one for the obvious “fakeness” of it all. When someone gives me a fake good morning, I ususally just casually lift my eye brows up in recognition and leave it at that.
It’s hard feeling so alone in the industry you work in.lol