12 Signs You Are Not Keeping Up In The Digital Age

The easiest way to stay stagnant and make yourself less marketable is to resist change. There is no argument that there has been a lot more to resist in the last few years than I  can remember in my lifetime. The speed at which technology has transformed our lives seems to have gone into overdrive. Trying to keep up with it all can be exhausting, frustrating and seem like a part-time job. But keep up with it you must.  That is, if you want to continue to be a vital contributor to your world.

My exit from corporate life coincided with this shift. I started blogging when it didn’t seem like everyone had a blog. I admit that I was surprised at the number of new friends and business connections  there were to be made through these digital platforms. It was hard at first to put myself out there, but once my toe was in the water, I saw the value and the benefits that followed.

Which is one of the many reasons I’m always amazed when people tell me they are looking for a job and they have not considered using LinkedIn. Or when I meet someone who walks like, talks like, sounds like the savvy entrepreneur or business person and when you Google them, you can’t find anything. Just as disconcerting is when you find the blog they were so passionate about and there hasn’t been a post in six months.

The digital world is an asset to be used in building your personal and professional brand. For the most part, this is free stuff.  Why not keep up?

Yes, I still believe that at the end of the day people want to deal with people. But in order for that to occur, it is increasing important that you become digitally savvy. 

How can you tell if you are letting yourself slip behind in these digital times? 

      Here are 12 signs:

1. You still don’t have a LinkedIn profile
2. You have one but you haven’t updated it in a year. 
3. You have one but refuse to include a picture.
4. You think social networking is a fad and it will pass.
5. You don’t really believe the company you applied for a job with, the one you want so much, is going to  Google you.
6. You’ve never Googled yourself.
7. You think an on-line presence is an invasion of privacy, so you refuse to participate. 
8. You think your refusal to opt-in will make all this social networking go away.
9. Radio is still your primary source of news.
10. You still don’t text.
11. You really believe someone you don’t know will take your phone call.
12. You have an on-line presence but don’t know about privacy controls.