If you are having trouble getting interviews, it could be that your computer skills are lacking. Do you list things like Windows XP or Yahoo among your computer skills? Is the operating system and software at your current job over a decade old? It’s time to update your computer skills to land a job and add some new ones as well. Why? Employers expect you to have a certain level of computer skills regardless of the position for which you are applying.
What Computer Skills Do I Need on My Resume?
What computer skills do you need on your resume? The short answer is those that are relevant. If you are applying for a job in banking, listing medical software skills makes no sense. How do you know which software is relevant to most positions? The list of computer skills below is relevant to most jobs today. Having any of these skills on your resume will increase your chance of getting hired.
Microsoft Office
You may have used Microsoft office years ago, so make sure you are familiar with the most current versions of the software below.
- Excel
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Access
Most companies use Windows, so it is natural that they would also use Microsoft software. If you haven’t used the latest versions of the above programs, it would be worth the investment to purchase them and practice.
Google (G-Suite)
If you haven’t used any of the G-Suite, you are behind the times. Google has pulled even with Microsoft as the most commonly used software. Employers expect you to know G-Suite in the same way that it was expected you would know Microsoft Products. The good news is that most of the G-suite products are free for individuals, so there is no reason not to use them. Google Drive gives you 15 gigabytes of storage for free, but additional storage costs money. Here are the core programs in G-suite:
- Google Calandra
- Google Docs
- Google Forms
- Google Drive
- Google Sheets
- Google Slides
- Google Trends
- Google Chat
- Google Hangouts
If you want to get a leg up on other candidates, you can get a subscription to Google Workspace for $6 a month to learn other Google products like Jamboard or Keep without having to pay a hefty subscription. Many companies are migrating to Google Workspace, so it would be a wise investment for you to make.
There are really only two choices that most companies use when it comes to email: G-Mail and Outlook. If you use one of these email programs but not the other, it is a good idea to learn the one you don’t use. As we already stated, most companies use one or the other, and the more you know about them, and how to get the most out of their use, the more likely a potential employer will see you as an asset. Email is still a vital tool in business, and having detailed knowledge about it as a computer skill will give you an advantage over your fellow job candidates.
Social Media
If you think MySpace is still a viable social media platform, then you are defiantly out of the loop. The popularity of a specific social media platform may be fleeting. Here are the social media platforms with staying power:
- YouTube
Here are some of the platforms either on their way out or in the dustbin of social media history:
- Myspace
- Google Plus
- Vine
- Friendster
Listing knowledge of the former group of social media platforms as part of your computer skills is good; using the latter is not.
The Bottom Line
If you want to be valuable to a prospective employer having up to date skills with the most popular software and social media platforms is the way to go.