Importance of Computer Skills

If you are longing to move up the corporate ladder or if you are interested in moving into a new career, you may be wondering what career training you will need to accomplish these goals. Well, as computers become more and more important in most workplaces, computer skills are often the greatest asset a worker can possess. And though you may be able to get your work done with basic computer know-how, in order to really succeed in the workforce it is important to have some proven computer skills. Here are some of the best computer skills that you can have when it comes to finding your dream job!

Why are Computer Skills Important?
Computer skills are a basic fact of life for most workers. Even if you don’t work with computers in order to complete your primary work duties, it is likely that you run into them from time to time. In fact, most jobs, from supermarket management to restaurant service, require basic computer knowledge. And more and more jobs are demanding that workers become increasingly familiar with and comfortable using a wide range of computer applications.

By enhancing your computer know-how, you can not only help to make your day go easier at work, but you can actually improve your employability now and for the future. Computer skills can help you:

• engage in a greater number of tasks at your current job
• complete tasks more quickly and accurately
• become a candidate for a wider-range of job opportunities
• help you access additional resources and information, and upgrade your education more easily
• develop better earning potential

What Computer Skills Do You Need?

Depending upon the kind of job you are looking for, you may need different types of career education and computer skills. Here are some of the best computer skills to master if you want to succeed in a certain industry.

Administration
There are thousands of administrative jobs out there just waiting to be filled. And though you may think it’s as easy as picking up a phone and typing a few letters, administrative assistants, including secretaries, file clerks, and database personnel, need to be quite familiar with some of the more basic software applications. Applications to know include:

• Microsoft Word: Microsoft word is a word processing application that runs off of Microsoft Office. It is the most widely used word processor in North America and worldwide. Microsoft Word enables you to create a wide variety of documents, ranging from letters and faxes, to labels and envelopes. Microsoft Word can also be used to format text and graphics, to add a professional appearance to any document.
• Microsoft Excel: Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet tool that also comes with Microsoft Office. Excel allows users to enter large amounts of numerical data into rows and columns. You can then perform calculations using the data, or convert the data into graphs or charts for statistical analysis.

Sales and Marketing
The world of sales and marketing is highly competitive, so you need to be sure that you have the right skills to succeed. Computer skills are becoming increasingly important in this field, so you may want to look into adding these applications to your resume:

• Microsoft PowerPoint: Microsoft PowerPoint is a computer program that allows you to develop interesting, interactive, and dynamic presentations. The program lets you incorporate text, graphics, and audio into your presentations. You can also create slide shows and other unique types of presentations.
• Adobe Photoshop: Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing software that can help you to create designs when it comes to marketing products. Photoshop allows you to create images or manipulate existing images. It can also be used to manipulate photographs taken on a digital camera. Photoshop gives users the ability to paint, retouch, and add drawings to existing images.

Web and Media Design
Almost all media providers, even newspaper and print magazines, rely on computer applications to help design and distribute information to clients. By having a firm knowledge in these computer applications, you can work more efficiently to get any job done in this field.

• Quark XPress: Quark XPress is a desktop publisher that can be used on both MAC and Windows-operated computers. It is used to design flyers, newspapers, magazines and other types of media. It can be used to create fonts and images as well as to create layouts for different types of documents.
• DreamWeaver: DreamWeaver is a program used to design and build websites. It combines editing support along with a variety of visual layout tools to help you create a dazzling website design. DreamWeaver is a graphics-based program, which translates images into text-based commands that your computer can understand. Knowledge of DreamWeaver is especially important if you aren’t familiar with HTML.

Computer Programming and Administration
Computer programming and administration has been taking off in the past ten years or so. There are now hundreds of jobs available for those with the right skills. If you are intent on becoming a more qualified IT technician or programmer, concentrate on learning:

• JavaScript: JavaScript is a type of programming language that allows you to make your website components interactive. JavaScript enables you to make drop-down menus, slide shows, or popups on any web page. It can also be used to create animation, which helps to make websites more attractive.
• PHP: PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor, is a programming language that allows you to create web pages with dynamic content. PHP is embedded within HTML tags, and allows programmers to create web pages that can interface with databases.