Admin Etcetera

Tech Skills You Still Need To Know

by:  Amy Beekley

I was impressed the day my kindergartener came home and showed me the Power Point presentation he had created at school.  It contained mostly school bus clip art, rainbow stars, and WordArt, but he still had a sound understanding of how the program worked and was proud of what he had created.

Two years later I was appalled when I realized that my same son had no idea how to type correctly.  With fingers and thumbs, he would search and peck at a snails pace.  Those Power Point presentations were produced on a traditional desk top computer, on a traditional keyboard, with home keys!  Shouldn’t typing skills be taught at school?

Technology is ever changing and the administrative skills I once needed to succeed in school and at work may be becoming a thing of the past.  In the midst of changing technologies, though, there are several tech skills that we all still need to master.

1.  Typing:  Most of the technology my children use today is of the handheld sort, which definitely requires a different typing technique.  However, qwerty keyboards are still the standard and traditional typing skills go a long way to increase speed and accuracy.

2.  Basic etiquette:  Business composition classes used to emphasize format.  Email may be the great equalizer, where formats are standardized and addresses are public  In a new era of accessible technology, it becomes paramount that we use good grammar, careful editing, and a voice of professionalism.

3.   Social networking skills:  Social media is about so much more than personal relationships.  All online communications are potentially public and permanent.  We should only email or post information that we wouldn’t mind sharing with a potential employer.

4.  Respect for the Internet:  The Internet is a constantly changing record of online communications.  When researching, sources should be evaluated and information checked – carefully.

5.  Internet safety:   With more and more applications moving all online, it is important to safeguard our own information as well as any proprietary information.  Passwords should be safeguarded and changed frequently.  Mobile technologies should be locked and kept on the body when possible.  Access to shared databases and technologies should be carefully monitored.

Technology is an ever evolving landscape, but these basic skills will continue to be a foundation for all regular technology usage.  If you feel that your tech skills are lacking, there are many online tutorials and classes available to build or refresh your skills

Amy Beekley is a Virtual Assistant with over ten years of administrative experience. Amy has worked within the healthcare and home care fields for much of her career serving in administrative and recruiting positions. Based out of Mooresville, North Carolina, Amy enjoys exploring with her three boys and writing about their adventures at the blog, One Great Backyard.

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