36 in China… Too Old to Work，Too Young to Die

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:01]I thought I got the job.

[00:00:04]But they said I was too old at 36 Here in China, over 35 feels like that awkward spot Too old for a job, too young to die.

[00:00:25]I’m Kobo, navigating this quietly, on my own, in Chengdu.

[00:01:04]Okay, I'm going out now.

[00:01:07]Be good at home 🐱 After submitting many resumes I finally got an interview opportunity.

[00:01:49]It's an advertising planning job which aligns with my previous work experience.

[00:02:02]I'm waiting for HR in the lobby The interview actually went well.

[00:02:18]The manager was smiling the whole time.

[00:02:26]He said my experience matched the role.

[00:02:31]We talked about projects, my past work, even future plans.

[00:02:50]The job sounded… intense.

[00:02:56]One person doing the work of three.

[00:02:59]Frequent overtime.

[00:03:02]A trial period. And six months of probation.

[00:03:09]But at the end, he said: “We’ll get back to you. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

[00:04:33]These are local cherries from Sichuan.

[00:04:37]I remember the last time I ate it was when I was a child.

[00:04:41]very sweet Today's grocery shopping cost a total of 5.91 yuan ($0.86, €0.74).

[00:05:06]The cherries cost 8.1 yuan ($1.19, €1) Two days later, I asked for an update.

[00:05:39]They said: “Considering the workload, we feel you might be a bit too old.”

[00:06:30]Youtube friends first 😋 At this age… it feels like you’re too late for many things.

[00:06:46]Too old to start over. Too old to compete.

[00:06:53]But sometimes, it also feels strange.

[00:06:57]Because when someone passes away, people say: “They were still so young.”

[00:07:13]As people say on social media Too old to work, and too young to die.

[00:07:57]I remember years ago, people used to go to job markets.

[00:08:04]So today I went to Chengdu job market These machines offer a variety of jobs Job seekers can browse them here first.

[00:08:41]There is also some information about recruitment.

[00:08:59]Most of the jobs are in sales, university student internships, and technical positions.

[00:09:07]Interns earn between 4000 and 6000 per month. （$ 586-879 per month）（€ 500-750 per month） You can enter the job fair after registering online.

[00:10:07]There weren't many people.

[00:10:11]Not many companies either.

[00:10:47]There aren't many young people looking for jobs.

[00:10:56]The highly developed internet today is not only impacting offline brick-and-mortar stores The traditional job market has also been affected.

[00:11:52]Soak in salt water It's definitely disappointing not to receive an offer but I was mentally prepared I know finding a satisfactory job is difficult these days, especially in Chengdu.

[00:12:31]Undeniably, there are plenty of job opportunities, as long as you're not too picky.

[00:12:41]However, I still want to be a little selective I want to do a job I enjoy.

[00:12:56]I've always believed that you shouldn't work just for the sake of working.

[00:13:03]If you accept a job that's completely unsuitable for you to alleviate short-term anxiety it may stifle your passion And in the long run, even leave you more confused and lost.

[00:13:45]I don't know what will happen next.

[00:13:50]But for now, I'm still here.

[00:13:55]Trying to live my life one day at a time.