Perhaps you know my cranky Uncle Frank.
He hates technology, constantly railing against social media. He can’t operate a smart phone. Don’t get him started about texting. He still has an AOL email address!
In actuality, Uncle Frank can be any age. But technology is here to stay. We all must have a working knowledge of technology to be relevant in the workforce today.
No LinkedIn profile? Then you must be old and uncomfortable with technology. An AOL email address? You must be ancient since everyone who is anyone has a Gmail account. Put a (C) after one phone number and a (H) after another phone number on your resume? Who does that anymore? Only old folks have landlines.
Stereotypes? Yes. Unfair? Maybe. But why get labeled?
We must learn to text so we can communicate with folks who communicate via text. That means we must learn to handle a smart phone without the aid of a twelve year old. We must be active in at least one social media venue. Pick one that younger people enjoy and you can stay relevant to them. If you are in business, it is very hard to find a job without a decent LinkedIn profile. Employers look at your social media footprint before hiring to assure themselves that you will fit in with their workforce. They draw conclusions about you based on your social media foot print.
If you want to fit in to the modern workplace you have to be up to date on technology. Stop resisting. Ask a younger person for advice. Get a smart phone and learn to use it. Practice texting until it becomes comfortable. Select a social media platform that sounds interesting and learn to use it to communicate with younger people. At work, participate in social media used by younger co-workers and get involved. Share ideas and information via social media to boost your credibility.
What are you doing to demonstrate you are relevant in a high-tech work world?