Being undermined in the workplace
 

At my workplace, my supervisor/boss sits next to me (where there are 4 diagonal desks in a diamond shape..) We get on well, always have a good chat in the morning, go for breakfast together, he has been helping me and training me up in my job for the last year or so.. We even play xbox live together..

But I've began to notice over the last few weeks, I don't seem to be getting the respect I deserve by my colleagues in the workplace.

An example is for a project that I am leading, and we encountered an engineering issue, and my boss decides to call a meeting about it with the relevant people, and doesn't even tell me or invite me..

And also, in our bi-weekly meetings about all projects on the production cell, people seem to want to ignore me and not show me any respect most likely due to the fact they are all older, and I am only 21 (yet probably smarter than them all). I've been at this workplace since I was 17, and the respect I get has grown massively since I started, but I'm sick of being thought of as a child.

I try to be assertive, speak with facts, make informed decisions, get along with everyone, join in with conversations and jokes etc.. Any advice?

TL;DR - Not getting the respect I deserve in the workplace possibly because I'm only 21.. advice?

Hmm.. my post is very ambiguous and you are right..

But I just get this feeling in my gut that people are looking down at me/talking down to me

Will this just vanish with age? Maybe I am paranoid.. I'm not all that assed, just gets annoying when I don't get invited to my own project's meetings

Without being too ego-based here, I think people who are clever can often get treated with suspicion and underlying disrespect becos other peopl dont understand their motivations and actions. It might be a case of going to the boss and asking to be present at the meetings, showing 'pep' and 'proactive positive attitude', 'willingness to help the team' and all that.

Yes I do think you are being paranoid and you come across as a bit of an over think Al_phaD. Fortunately you are on a forum full of people like this (myself included)!

The age thing is probably a huge factor for two reasons.

1) You arrived as the baby and are still been treated as such.

2) If you are doing the same work as other people older than you, these people get insecure about themselves i.e. become jealous of you for doing the same as them much earlier in life. This is then taken out on you by undermining you so they can reassert their alphaness or whatever.

If it is the first. Jut accept it, keep doing a good job keep asking for bigger and better projects. If they don't give you bigger jobs ask why, I did that other one ok etc. I personally wouldn't bring the respect thing up with your boss. The respect should come through experience and actions a lot better than if you just ask for it through words.

I qualified in my field very early and got the second point a bit. I used to worry I was been undermined, but with time I see these comments for what they are and makes me laugh. It's no reflection on you being bad, just insecurities shining through from others.

Finally, I assume you won't be at this place for too long. It is only a job. If you find you don't enjoy it you can always move on to bigger and better things. Get what you can out of a job and move on. Always be moving forward, never be stagnent My MMA instructor said this about learning MMA this week. Quite good advice I thought. Should apply to as much things in possible in life I feel.

Indeed I do over think everything. Sometimes I just wish I was stupid and didn't think about anything. But oh well..

Your two points seem correct..
I'm not going to mention it to anyone at work..
You're probably right, it's them not me

Im due for a meeting with my boss (and his sort of half boss ish thing manager) regarding my future and salary soon.. so I will bring up projects and opportunities there anyway to pave the way for bigger things