What are the minimal computer skills needed for employability in any field?
If you are looking for what computer skills to list on your resume, the more the better, I think. As long as it does not turn into a novel, of course. If you have experience in tech support, this can be a good thing to highlight, except that you run the risk of becoming the “computer guy” in the office and be expected to help very stupid people with stupid computer-related problems. This can be a real pain in the proverbial, but also makes you more valuable to the company if you are the only one that can keep things running. As a minimum, you should be familiar with the MS Office suite and list the applications separately (most people don’t know what exactly MS Office is). If you are familiar with a large number of apps, it may be good to list them under different categories or provide some differentiation as to your skill level with each one. If you have skills (even basic ones) with apps that most people know about but don’t use, like Photoshop, these can be good to include, even if
We’re working on basic-level skills for library staff to have, though I don’t do hiring, I’ve been working on a list. – We expect staff to know how to turn a computer on and off, start a program from the desktop or start menu, use Find to find a file. – Turn on a browser and locate a web page from a Favorite or by typing the address into the address bar. Use Google or Yahoo to find a web page they don’t have bookmarked. – Use Word to type a document: save, print, edit, re-open, basic formatting, selecting text, cut/paste/repaste – Open a document by clicking on it from the desktop or by using the File Open command and using the open dialog box, know how to use the file manager – Reboot a frozen computer [ctrl-alt-del] and do basic troubleshooting along the lines of “My monitor went dark” “Oh, did you turn it off by accident?” – Computer vocabulary: knowing how to differentiate the Internet from a browser from a web page. Knowing what the different mouse buttons do, know how to scroll,
We’re in the hiring process at the small law firm where I work and applicants have to at the very least know how to use Word, have a very good understanding of Windows directory structure, have good web search skills, and know how to use email. And the last three things jessamyn listed as well, because the position being vacated is mine and right now, I’m the only one in the office who knows how to do all of those things.