Technology is an important part of most jobs nowadays, even for those not in IT. Businesses use it to speed up their procedures, organise calendars, organise workflow, and with many people still socially distancing, even hold meetings. To get hired for your dream role, therefore, it’s important that you cover the basics. Here are 5 basic tech skills that almost all employers are looking for.
1. Spreadsheets and Word Processors
This may seem like an obvious one, but many people only know the very basics of how to use these programmes. Spreadsheets and word documents form the foundation of most processes in a company, so understanding how to use these effectively and efficiently is important. It’s one thing to be able to type the information into a spreadsheet or document, but learning how to format them to make them effective business tools is an incredibly marketable skill to include on your CV. To take your Excel and Word skills to the next level and help you get hired, here are some helpful spreadsheet tips, and some useful word processing hacks.
2. Slide Shows
Not every company requires their employees to make presentations, but many do and if you are hired, having the skills to make an effective visual aid to go with your presentation may become important. When creating slide shows, do you know what information to have on the screen? How much information should you have on the screen? What’s the ideal length of time per slide? How do you make sure that the content is as visually accessible to as many people as possible? Here are some useful tips for creating effective slide shows.
3. Touch Typing and Keyboard Shortcuts
Touch Typing is one of the easiest ways to speed up your productivity. Not having to think about where the letters are when you type will allow you to type faster and therefore type more in a shorter span of time. To get started or even just improve on your typing skills, try an online typing course such as TypingClub. It’s also helpful to know some basic keyboard shortcuts so that you don’t have to waste time scrolling through multiple menus to complete basic tasks. Here are some listed for both Windows and Apple.
4. Email
All businesses rely on email so being able to communicate effectively over email is vital. Understanding how to email using the correct etiquette and being able to format your emails in such a way that they’re easily understandable at a glance is a huge tick in your favour when hiring managers and potential employers are deciding if you’re the right fit for the role. Here are some emailing best practices to look out for.
5. Social Media Skills
With so many people being on social media nowadays, it’s rare to find a company that isn’t using social media for marketing in one way or another. While it’s not always necessary to know how to create content, understanding how to comment on posts, react to posts, and share posts helps boost the company’s online presence. Understanding how to use the direct messaging features on each social media platform also provides a whole new avenue for keeping in touch with a company’s current and potential clients. To brush up on your social media knowledge, take a look at this article that includes some helpful tips.
There are so many more avenues to explore when it comes to tech, but these are the most used across most industries. Utilising these effectively and being able to highlight these on your CV will make you an extremely marketable candidate and will bring you that much closer to getting hired.
For more helpful advice on what to include on your CV, check out some of our other blog posts:
7 Ways to Keep Positive on a Job Search
The Experts Guide for Job Search: 5 (Five) Tips
9 Tips for Getting The Job in 2021
Forgetting soft skills is your worst job-seeking mistake – here’s why
Want a professional, eye-catching, and recruiter-reviewed CV? Try our CV Revamp Service. Email info@jobcrystal.co.za to find out more.
