4 must-have tech tools for boomers

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By Andrea Coombes

You’ve got a smartphone, tablet and active Twitter account? This story is not for you. But if you’re a boomer job seeker or someone who just wants to stay connected to their career—and you’re feeling just a twinge of tech fear or uncertainty—read on.

First, find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone.

Fully 55% of boomers—the generation that counts among its members Steve Jobs and Bill Gates—said they don’t use the Internet when not at home or work, according to a November 2012 survey by consulting firm Deloitte of more than 2,100 U.S. consumers. (The survey defines boomers as those born 1947 through 1965.)

This result seemed to surprise the Deloitte researchers, who wrote in their report: “Are boomers really not accessing the Internet while mobile, or are they just not aware that many apps require mobile connectivity?”

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The survey also found that among people who own a cellphone, 71% of boomers and 90% of those born 1947 said they value their phone most for making calls.

That figure dropped to 39% among Generation X—in this survey, those born from 1966 through 1982; and it was even lower, 26%, for leading millennials, born between 1983 and 1988.

Meanwhile, about a third of GenXers and 36% of leading millennials said they most value their phone for data, versus 12% of boomers and 5% of older folks.

Thirty-four percent of boomers said they check email on their phone and 24% said they compose emails, compared with 63% and 49%, respectively, of the GenX survey respondents.

Why it matters

Sure, you say, the generations communicate differently. So what?

If you’re a job seeker, an entrepreneur—competing against younger people and battling the stereotype of tech dinosaur—then you should consider improving your tech skills.

“From what I’m reading in the tea leaves from our work,” said Alma Derricks, a director of Deloitte Consulting LLP in Boston, some boomers demonstrate “a lack of exploration around what’s out there.”

“You don’t necessarily have to adopt every new thing that comes down the line, but in terms of staying current, it’s important to check it out…and determine whether it’s important to you,” she said.

Others put it more strongly. “It’s absolutely crucial to have a comfort level and a capacity to use technology and also to embrace social media, and I don’t mean going on Facebook and saying, ‘This is what I had for dinner,’” said Helen Dennis, a columnist and consultant focusing on aging and employment.

Dennis is co-author of “Project Renewment: The First Retirement Model for Career Women.” Read: 10 tips for boomers to become entrepreneurs.

Here are four tech tools you shouldn’t be without:

1. Social media

You know about Twitter. You’re on Facebook. You’ve got a skeleton of a LinkedIn profile.

Bloomberg News/Landov

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It’s not enough.

“You have absolutely got to have an online profile and an online footprint,” said Kerry Hannon, a Washington-based career expert and author of “Great Jobs for Everyone 50+.”

“Everyone seems to understand that they need to do these things, but there is still a keeping-it-at-arm’s-length wariness,” she said. Read: Make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

Others agreed. “They need to learn how to use a tool like LinkedIn strategically as opposed to just posting a portfolio and thinking, ‘Now they’ll come and find me,’” said Andrea Kay, career consultant and author of “This Is How to Get Your Next Job.”