You’re only as Old as You Tweet!

You're only as Old as You Tweet!.

You’re only as Old as You Tweet!

I just read a fascinating little article on age discrimination.  The article spoke about subtle ways in which  older applicants might be discriminated against during the job interview process.  Many of them were references to social media.  For example employers might only communicate with you on Twitter because Twitter is seen as the medium for younger people, whereas older people tend to be more comfortable with Facebook and Email.  Who knew – right?  

But it is important to know.  The world is changing quickly and people who don’t change with it may seem dated and out of touch.  As the article suggested something as small as not using the latest social medium may lose you a job.   It may also hold you back on the job.  So are you up to speed with what’s new and current?  Are you comfortable using the latest social media?  If you aren’t, then it’s time to get busy.  

Luckily it’s a relatively painless transition to learn how to use most types of social media, and there’s always help available online for the clueless!  I should know – in the space of a few months I’ve ramped up my own social media profile and added Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to my portfolio.  In every case I was starting at ground zero but in a few minutes i was up and running.  

What’s that?  You don’t have time.  Indeed finding time can be a problem because many of us are already stretched thin, but we can manage social media  in the same way as we manage everything else in our life.  And there are many tools to help us.  For example, I have two twitter accounts (a business and a personal one), but found a wonderful online tool that allows me to view them at the same time.  That way I can tweet and read from one page.  I can decide whether a tweet should be sent from my business account, my personal account or both. Scheduling can also save time.  It allows you to post to Facebook or tweet when you have time and schedule it for the time that you want it to appear.  You can schedule fifteen minutes every few days and do as many posts and tweets as you can during that time and like magic they will appear whenever you want.  Another concern is security. It is a valid concern but it can be handled in the same way that you manage your physical security. There are ways of protecting yourself. Discover those ways and use them. My final little hint is that Twitter and Facebook are on my smartphone so that I can respond and update while I’m waiting in supermarket or bank lines.  Helps to pass the time as well!  

Of course there are downsides to social media but with age comes wisdom, so use that wisdom to avoid posting pictures, jokes or stories that may later come back to haunt you.  Remember that employers do google potential employees and if you don’t want them to see certain things then you should avoid posting or tweeting them.  Some people worry about getting addicted. That’s very unlikely especially if you are a busy person.  As I said, fifteen minutes a day is plenty for the average person.  

On the other hand do use social media to improve your professional profile and expertise.  Pick an area and tweet about that, or develop a pinterest board or blog about it for example.  In no time you can become the ‘go to’ person in that area. A bonus is that because you are on the worldwide web you are attracting people from all over the world.  There is lots of information on the web about how to boost the number of people who follow you, so take advantage of that information to get yourself known by the right people.  

Finally, watch your mouth!  Yes, we’re talking about social media but manage the way you talk about it, and in fact any new technology.  Don’t for example shudder when someone mentions  Facebook or Twitter and say “Oh, I don’t use those things’.  You will sound dated!  Also, if you’re just catching up let that be your secret!  Recently I heard a colleague loudly proclaiming that he was just going to start using his tablet because a board that he sat on was requiring members to bring their own devices.  He mentioned that he had had it for over a year and was finally taking it out of the box.  That was too much information and it showed him to be way behind the curve.  If people mention a new form of technology or social media that you’re not familiar with, make a note and do your homework later.  If it seems worthwhile then get up to speed!  

So, there you go, get busy.  See you online! 

 

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