The lockdown has proven that you HAVE to get comfortable with new technology Over the course of your job search, how often have you heard someone say, “You really need to upgrade your technology skills”? You know what? They’re right.
A silver lining to how the lockdown is playing itself out is how people are embracing the technology that enables them to work from home and remain connected to their jobs, to co-workers and their employers. This is also true for job seekers who have been pressed into service using platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, et.al.
To maintain contact with people in your network and, in some cases, to experience actual job interviews technology is no longer an option – it’s a must have. While video job interviews have been on the rise over the past several years, over the past few months, despite the lack of any hard data, the consensus seems to be that the practice has absolutely exploded.
This demonstrates how crucial technology is for today’s job seeker – especially older job seekers who are routinely dismissed for gaps in their technological proficiencies. To have any hopes of landing a job anytime soon, one must get comfortable with today’s technology. You really don’t have much of a choice.
Need to update your technology? There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that libraries – once a treasure trove of tech training – are all closed.
The good news is that there is an overwhelming amount technology training available online – some of it is actually accessible through your library even though the physical buildings are closed. Online courses are available through library sources such as lynda.com as well as an avalanche of YouTube videos which offer tutorials on everything from Zoom, to Microsoft Excel, to Windows 10.
And it’s there ready and waiting – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
So you might as well cozy up to your computer, get comfortable with your favorite beverage, so you can get even more comfortable with the latest technology.