The word "experience" can hurt you during job search. I say this to candidates of all ages.

How so?

1. The word "experience" can get in the way of other, clearer words that are more specific to your successes.

2. People just don't "see" it any more. It's lost its punch, its meaning.

Saying "I have all this experience" means nothing to the listener, especially if that listener is a networking contact or an interviewer. You'll get ...

It gets so comfortable to use a computer and its software. You get to know all the quirks of each program, the pluses and minuses of the operating system, and so on. It becomes like a comfortable shoe. Why change it? I was "all set".

So when I upgraded my MacBrook Pro over the holidays to the latest operating system, thinking it wouldn't be a huge change, I was surprised: There were a few glitches that caused me to visit the Apple Store Genius Bar two days in a row. I could no longer use some things, like any of the MS Office programs. The changes upset my whole way of working with my computer, the main tool I use in my business. Simply put: Trying to make things better only seemed to make them worse. I was not happy!

But the pain, although sharp, was only temporary. The Apple experts did, indeed, solve the problems. The new operating system is very good, with some great backup features ("the cloud"). I had to get a new version of MS Office -- it was a budget hit I hadn't planned for -- but it performs better and lets me open the latest Word documents without having to use a converter.

What feels the best? I'm proud I left my comfort zone to make changes AND of having adjusted to the changes. Also, I am not being left behind with all that old stuff. And you know, it's the same in your career: You get comfortable. You think you're "all set". The thought of change is painful, even when you know it will be good for you. Yet you don't do it until you have to. Whether you realize it or not, staying still means you are letting yourself get obsolete.

So yes, getting and staying current means some temporary pain. It means taking a course, attending a class, learning something new that's not easy to learn. It means inconvenience and time.

You're never "all set". Especially as the new year begins, commit to new learning, to continually changing, and YOU won't get left behind.

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