Wanted: Basic Computer Skills

Computers are an integral part of almost any work environment today. As such, employers expect employees and prospective employees to be proficient in basic computer skills. For those returning to the workforce or transitioning from manual labor into new and different roles, learning basic computer skills may seem daunting. The good news is that basic computer training resources are available in most communities—often at no charge. Look for these in local and regional public workforce offices and public libraries. Also, computer courses are usually offered for a reasonable fee through community education programs and community colleges.

The Basics

To get an idea of what many employers perceive as basic computer skills, review the list below.

• Turning on and off a computer
• Navigating with a mouse, including clicking and scrolling
• Typing on a keyboard
• Using email, including opening, sending, and deleting email, as well as pasting text from another document into the body of an email
• Starting a program
• Opening, downloading, and saving electronic files
• Using a word processing program, like Microsoft Word, to create a new document or edit an existing one and to perform basic formatting tasks
• Launching an Internet browser and performing a search with keywords
• Typing or copying an Internet web address (aka: a URL) into a web browser address bar

Advanced Computer Skills

Once you have mastered basic skills, you may want to continue developing your computer skills. Learn to reboot a computer and to distinguish between various file formats, like JPEG, PDF, and GIF files. Venture beyond word processing and e-mails in getting familiar with other popular computer programs used for the following business purposes:

• Creating spreadsheets
• Developing presentations
• Managing calendars and contacts

Of course, specialized occupations may have their own computer requirements. If you’re interested in a specialized field, learn what the computer requirements are and look for training opportunities before you start your job search.