You can't escape technology

I like technology for the most part - particularly when it works. I know some folks my age or older stay clear of anything related to computers and can't even craft an e-mail. But I generally find technology to be just another creative tool at my disposal. Another way to communicate or receive information. As practical as a toaster in a sense.

Though I am far from the engineering type, I am fortunate to have always had an intuitive understanding of new software and various gadgets. While my budget doesn't allow me to buy every new thing that comes down the pike, my curiosity helps prevent me from feeling like I am ready for the glue factory and saves me some time when executing every-day tasks like job searching.

If, however, your comfort level with gadgets is limited to old 45-adapters (pictured), you probably aren't in a field that requires you to paginate a page or convert documents to PDFs. Or at least you shouldn't be.

There continues to be an ongoing struggle in many workplaces where older workers are resisting new technologies. That bothers me because folks over 50 are being painted with a broad brush as technical illiterates by young whipper-snappers who grew up with Nintendo controllers in their hands. In some cases, it's a deserving label. Everyone knows of someone who seemingly is always at war with their laptop or the printer. Usually, it's the old guy or gal in the corner cubicle, next to the coffee machine, with the foot-long calculator on their desk.

While technology can raise frustrations, it is also a huge time saver when used properly. That is very important in an age where companies need greater efficiencies with fewer employees. Unfortunately, some people never learn to use the scanner or the web cam. These folks tend to bog down operations because they insist on using "Stickies" rather than Instant Messaging. They want to scribble something you can't read on a faded message pad rather than send you an e-mail. And it gives all of us "baby boomers" a bad rep when it seemingly is always the people over a certain age. It's even worse when it's your boss! They don't seem to understand that their reluctance to enter the 21st century is making your work life miserable.

In an time when companies are looking for technical skills, it's good to know what an MP3 is or a JPEG. Having a skill like digital photo or video editing can open doors and it can also provide you with some pretty cool images of your grandchildren or your dream vacation. And all of this stuff is available to the "average Joe" on any home computer.

There really is no excuse not to be technically proficient. It doesn't mean you have to give up your vinyl records, but you should know what a Podcast is and how an iPod works if you want to stay relevant. These aren't cultural things like movies and clothing and other passing fads, which change with each generation. These are essentials of the workplace and items becoming as common as a 45-adapter was in 1965.

Now, some may ask, "What is a 45-adapter?"