I'm not a fan of change for the sake of change. Some changes are necessary, but that doesn't mean I have to like them, either.
We went live with a new email system at work today. We're also switching from a Google platform to a Microsoft Office 365 platform, so many of us are lost. I had to have help creating my Outlook account last week. Then today, I had to have help logging in. By this afternoon, I had to have IT take over my computer to set up my drives. It is a mess.
I have used Outlook in the past, but it's been several years. Back then, it looked nothing like it does now. The new version doesn't even resemble what I used fifteen years ago. And One Drive is confusing as all get out.
The main problem is that mentally I'm still back in the early 2000s. I'm actually still a Windows 95 fan. I loved Internet Explorer. Dial up internet didn't bother me at all. However, time marches on, and we must adapt. I'm doing my best to keep up.
Years ago, when I worked for a grocery store, the manager explained to me that he never hired anyone over the age of thirty. I thought that was a terrible practice, even though I was still in my twenties. When I asked him why, he told me that the older someone gets, the more difficult it is for them to learn to new things.
He preferred training college kids and young adults to spending the time training an older person. Before you ask, he was an older fellow, himself. I'd say he was in his sixties at the time and had some old-fashioned ideas. He wasn't a bad guy by any means, so please don't think ill of him. He was set in his ways, and I still disagree with his age policy.
Thirty is pretty far in my rearview mirror now, but I must admit that manager was right about one thing. The older I get, the more difficult it is for me to pick up new skills. That should never be a roadblock in an older adult being hired for a job, but I'm extremely grateful I'm not job hunting right now. I can't image how long it would take me to learn a whole new position.
I'm happy to say that I've been gainfully employed by the same company for the past fifteen years. The reason they're making all of the updates is to increase cyber security and keep everything updated. Out IT department is trying to do what's best for all of us. There are just a few people like me who need extra help.
Do you have trouble with change? Is it difficult for you to keep up with new technology, too? I would far rather read a book.
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