The Pros and Cons of Experience: Does it Help or Hinder You?

Digital Insights

Let’s talk about experience. I have a lot of it - 30 years of working with websites and web-based apps. But how useful is all that experience actually? More broadly, how much should we consider experience when hiring staff or working with a particular agency? Does sector experience matter?

We presume that more experience is better, but is that actually true?

Experience Has Its Advantages

Experience certainly has its advantages. When you've worked on web projects for as long as I have, little surprises you anymore. I've encountered and worked out solutions for the majority of related challenges.

I also have enormous experience across a huge range of sectors, from government and charities to luxury brands and startups. I understand many of the nuances of these sectors. I can see challenges or opportunities that a less experienced professional might miss.

But I'm not here to blow my own trumpet, because I also believe that experience can carry with it large downsides.

Experience Can Lead to Apathy

For a start, I've met many people who have decades of experience and yet they suck at their jobs. Doing something for years does not always equate to competence. To succeed in any job, you need more than experience. You need a strong work ethic, a passion for the role, and consistently produce results. I have encountered many people who have been doing their job for too long and don’t care anymore.

Experience Can Result in Blinkered Thinking

Also, it's easy to become entrenched in certain ways of thinking. You know what works and you stick with it. Unfortunately, the world isn’t static and what once worked may well no longer do so.

I see this from those who have worked in a particular sector for a long time. I will suggest something, and they will reject it because they've tried it before. Of course, that's no guarantee it won’t work today.

Not that I am any better. I have my ways of working that have proved reliable, and other techniques that haven't worked for me. And despite knowing things change, I have a tendency to rely on what has worked in the past and avoid things that haven't.

Experience Brings Complexity

Experience also brings with it complexity. You understand the nuances of a situation. So, you may overcomplicate things or get bogged down in details instead of focusing on the core issues.

Experience Can Make Somebody Inflexible

Baggage like this can make those with experience hard to work with when they are unable to adapt to the approaches used by different teams. If you're hiring, there's something to be said for hiring somebody with potential, but not a lot of experience. That way, you can shape them to fit your organization.

Equally, when hiring an agency or freelancer, asking for someone with sector experience isn't always the best move. It's useful to have a supplier who understands the sector's challenges. But, it reduces the chance of unique solutions that will set you apart from your competitors.

Those With Experience Need to Be Self-Aware

But let me be clear. I'm not suggesting you avoid people with experience. I'm just pointing out that it is a two-edged sword. If you are hiring somebody with a lot of experience, make sure they are flexible, adaptive, and self-aware. Their experience should not become a drawback, but an advantage.

As for those of us with a lot of experience, well we need to nurture that self-awareness. We need to realize we may well be stuck in our ways or not as open to giving things a go and seeing what happens.

If You're Inexperienced Take Heart!

And finally, if you're reading this and lack a lot of experience, I'm hoping this will prove an encouragement. Experience isn’t everything, and I'd suggest you ignore those years of experience requirements found in job ads. Instead, show enthusiasm and commitment. Make those with more experience look stale, unenthusiastic, and inflexible by comparison.