'Life Experience' - most hated phrase of the day.

There was a great article in the Times today (by the fabulous India Knight) about how the unemployed graduates of 2009 view the older generations. She believes that we judge those with established careers who took full advantage of the boom period of the 80s and 90s, and blame their frivolity for the difficult state of affairs that we have been landed with.

But what I found interesting today was the judgement I received from a member of an older generation. The judgement wasn't immediately related to my unemployment, I think it runs deeper than that. I'm sure the comment that was made was entirely off-the-cuff and not meant to cause offence, but it did.

"He's just a young guy, he hasn't even had any life experience yet."

The words are like a paper cut through my conscious - not immediately painful, but definitely felt. I find it incredible that the individual concerned could nullify my recent past and current situation with such a flippant comment, and I'm left wondering whether this was a localised incident. And why? Why have I 'not had ANY life experience' yet? I may be relatively young, but no experience? I have spent 15 years in education in total so far, and in that time I have proved myself intelligent, analytical, able to form lasting relationships with others, able to work professionally and efficiently with others, able to research and understand an incredibly wide range of subjects, I've lived in 4 share-house situations with people from all walks of life, I've traveled independently, I've managed my finances, I've managed to feed myself, I've been published, I have a good degree...the list goes on and all of these skills are transferrable. No experience?

I wonder if the label 'no experience' comes from my age, or from the fact that I am unemployed, the latter leading to a whole other can of worms which brings me back to the bitterness and resentment narrated by India Knight today.

Graduates today have experience coming out of their ears, life experience and otherwise. And to get a job or embark on a career we are expected to prove this, but how can we do that if we are just passed off as inexperienced because of our age or employment experience? And why are we passed off as such? Because we haven't built schools in Third World countries, because we don't have mortgages, kids, marriages, savings, designer clothes, a sodding iPhone?!

I ask: what is 'life experience'? And please. If you can't answer that question don't you dare tell me I don't have any.