Several years ago, I had a student who (loudly) declaimed that they would not need to learn Word in order to get a job. (They were further rude about it, but we won’t get into that). And while I did try to convince him otherwise, he would not be moved: he never needed computers before, and he would not need them now (sweetie).
Well.
It’s now 2022 and in the Covid era, computer skills have become even more important due to the increasing prevalence of remote working and the saturation of things like smartphones, laptops, trackers and more. Where once computers were basically the realm of offices and Silicon Valley, now you can find them in your vehicle, your healthcare, and certainly in a variety of workplaces. Just how necessary are computer skills in the working world today?
Well, they are important enough that the Canadian government listed Digital (skills) as one of the core skills that employees need to have in the world today. But let’s dig a little beyond that today.
Understanding Computer Skills
When some people think of computer skills, they tend to think about coding, webwork, cybersecurity, or other higher end skills which often require degrees. But computer skills are a good deal broader than that – odds are you, have been using computer skills without realizing it! For example, cars, smartphone, cash registers, self-serve kiosks, and ATMs all use computers and require even a small level of computer literacy.
Broadly speaking, there are two different categories of computers skills: hardware and software. Hardware skills refer to your ability to use and understand the physical parts of your computer: connecting devices, diagnosing hardware issues, fixing broken devices, and doing set-up. Software computer skills refer to your ability to use the actual programs such as Microsoft Office, Adobe, internet browsers and so on. Hardware skills are less commonly needed by employers (though often appreciated when they pop up), whereas basic software skills are an extremely common requirement. For example, many companies want their employees to be able to use email and a word processor at the very minimum.
The Importance of Computer Skills
Computers are utterly ubiquitous in the workplace now. They help make work more efficient and often safer and faster. They also let you do a greater amount of storage of information without needing as much space and they allow for communication to happen fast and globally. Regardless of the industry now, computers are going to be a part of it, from tracking inventor and supply chains to ringing up customers.
Even before you get the job, computers are important! After all, you usually must type up your resumes and cover letters, conduct job research which is far more often done online, email your resumes and even conduct interviews over video software. Without the ability to do these basic things, it becomes very difficult to even get noticed for a job, let alone land it.
Once you’re on the job, having good digital literacy is useful because it’s a skill set that lets you get cross trained more easily and if you have a specialty skill, it’s a little harder to get rid of you out of hand. Job security is much easier to get when you have a diverse skill set that makes you more indispensable.
Good Computer Skills to Learn
You do not have to run out and learn how to do coding or software engineering or anything ridiculous like that! There are about nine solid computer skills to learn and most of them blend into each other and can be used daily. They are:
- Understanding the basics of an Operating system (we recommend Windows just cause it’s everywhere)
- Productivity software like Microsoft Office. (Specifically Word, Outlook, and Excel which seem to be the most commonly used ones.) You don’t need to master them, just have a basic understanding of how to make things and save your work.
- Communication tools such as Zoom, Skype, Teams, etc. With more workers going remote, communication and collaboration tools are more important than ever
- Social media. Most businesses have a social media presence but many of them don’t know how to use it very well! If you can show that you are savvy with things like Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, LinkedIn or others, you could shine out among other candidates
More specific computer skills include:
- Cybersecurity, knowing how to use software for virus protection and data encryption
- Computer programming like Java, C++ or Python. (Only if you’re going for programmer jobs though.)
- Graphic design: While this can include Adobe Photoshop or Indesign, if you can make cool stuff in PowerPoint, Publisher or be able to use basic photo editing software, you’re going to look pretty good.
- Accounting software like Sage, QuickBooks or Xero
- Presentation software like PowerPoint, Google Slide or others to create presentations.
If you’re not looking at computer jobs though, you only need to know the first four enough to do your daily work. There are plenty of resources to learn the basics of these tools (including this very blog which has Microsoft blogs scattered throughout!)
It’s easy for many people to try to ignore computers in the hopes of avoiding them at work, but this is really sabotaging your chances at finding good work and keeping it. Invest in your own skills and yourself: learn some computer skills!
Did you know that every single one of our programs teaches you, at the very least, Microsoft Word and some basic computer skills like file management, online research, and help you improve your typing skills? It’s true! Check out our programs! We have taught even the most computer illiterate people how to use Microsoft Word and manage their computer. Contact us if you want to learn more!
