For all the Microsoft woes some may spew, there exists a FREE Digital Literacy Certificate via their Corporate Citizenship program. It began in October 2007 and you don’t here much about it in the for profit world. They probably didn’t call it a DSL certificate because Bill didn’t want it confused with connectivity. But, I think that was a mistake because it has everything to do with connectivity and opening doors.

The Digital Literacy Certificate you can earn comes after 12-16 hours of study. It can be completed alone or facilitated by an instructor in those fortunate communities that offer it. The curriculum consists of subject matter you and I could teach in our sleep yet millions of people have no clue about. They are not tapped into the vast knowledge base and resources digital literacy provides. 

One Laptop Per Child is an awesome program I don’t want to stop. Learning and putting an end to digital literacy inequality is a very honorable goal indeed. I want more where I live too though.

The local Area Agency on Aging has a fantastic program that places older workers in non-profit jobs and pays the salary. My place of employment has had a “Senior Aide” for 2 years. When I came on-board in April I wondered who the woman always reading a Romance novel was. I learned she was there to work but in an effort to go green and reduce costs, envelope stuffing had been largely eliminated and there wasn’t much for her to do.

I spoke with our nice reading is fun under utilized office gnome and asked about her computer skills. She was wide-eyed and mortified. I called the Agency and spoke with the placement specialist. He told me something I already knew. Older Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation largely lack in the area of digital literacy. They offer voluntary programs to address it but participation is low.

Could that be due to lack of promotion and incentives for participating, I asked rhetorically? He offered to find a client with basic computer skills. I have yet to hear back.

I’m going to start using DSL in my signature and I’m recommending you do too. Even though we run in the digital world it’s a skill not to be taken for granted.

Karla Porter, DSL

Oh, and since I found that fancy ™ custom character, I’m using it on every original term I coin even if it’s just for tracking purposes and to feel important.

But, the mind doesn’t age at the same rate as body does. My mental age is a sexy 28 (woohoo!) as calculated by CDR. I could have guessed that without taking the test. Wait, we’re not really here to talk about my mind in particular. I’m afraid it would take down the server this is hosted on.

The point is, mental age, aptitude and attitude combined with up to date skills and the desired level of experience should be all that matters when we talk about talent. Instead, lately I have been having requests to talk about 2nd life passions, listened to colleagues talk about being worried about being knocked out going under the limbo stick of 50, and reading about Hard Times for Job Hunting Boomers  and ageism.

AARP, leave me alone…. I’m sure I’ll love you some day but I am SO not there yet!

It’s sad when a 49 year old woman selling real estate in Virginia is doing Hollywood style botox to look younger to stay competitive in the job market and consultants have to suggest older workers mention their use of newer technology in their searches.

The bureau of Labor Statistics  Employee Tenure Study cites 4.1 years as the average time a U.S. worker stays in the same job. A couple of months ago, a colleague of mine, Jeff Lipschultz wrote an interesting blog post on the trend of shorter tenure at jobs, 40 Jobs in 40 Years? Fact or Fiction? While I think 40 might be stretching it, even the government recognizes people are not retiring from their one and only.

So, what’s the big deal? The 49 year old botox queen shouldn’t have to worry about the taut-skinned 20-something sacking her job because regardless of age, the likelihood either one of them is going to last more than 4 years there is unlikely. Everyone is “recareering” not just the people who truly do qualify for an AARP membership with its up to 50% discount on hotels in North America.

My Recruiter friends need not be afraid of mature candidates and my HR buds need to work diligently to educate hiring managers on performance based interview skills. Candidates of every age need to be razor sharp in this acutely competitive war for talent, make it unquestionable in the interview why they are the only one for the job and leave the hiring manager with the clear feeling that if they don’t snap you up it’s their loss.

Thirty isn’t old anymore, the way the Social Security Administration keeps upping retirement age, it’s the new 50.