When this writer graduated from college in 2008, she was frightfully unlearned when it came to most operational systems, platforms, devices, and programs. (As an English major, you can get by pretty well using just Microsoft (News - Alert) Word on a coffee-stained Mac.) Even since that year, there have been such significant changes in the way technology plays a role in our professional lives that it is imperative now more than ever before for college graduates to have a basic understanding of how some technological elements work. Here are the three most important ones, for starters:
Social Platforms: Resign yourself. You’re going to have to learn how to use Twitter and LinkedIn (News - Alert). Those graduates who already have a grasp on what a hash tag is and what it means to “mention” someone are leagues ahead of those who don’t. These skills are not necessarily vital for life or the professional environment, but they are vital for creating an extremely valued concept today: the digital presence. While companies and brands are looking to create digital presences for themselves in the marketplace, recent graduates should be concerned with creating ones for their own agendas. Are you looking to move up in the world of business marketing? Then read about it and share it publicly with your friends. Make a name for yourself online – social platforms are the way to do that. All social activity recorded on the World Wide Web is now up for grabs for potential employers. The more you understand about how the various platforms work, the bigger the advantage you will have over those in the job market.
Microsoft Office: If you graduated with any degree that required you to work with numbers, you’re most likely familiar with Excel. If you were in a Business school, you’ve most likely done presentations using Power Point. And you can’t exactly graduate college today without having written something, which means everyone is probably familiar with Word, but what about all three? What about Outlook? What about the latest versions? Too often, graduates are familiar with one program and not the rest. Too often, that one program you never bothered to learn is the one your potential employer wants to know if you know how to use. (And we have all lied about our knowledge of Excel, please.) So spend some time with your friend who got a degree in accounting to learn how to make a spreadsheet. Sit down with Bobby Business to find out what PPT is all about. That way you won’t have to lie anymore. (Also it wouldn’t hurt to learn how to operate Google (News - Alert) Docs, since more businesses are using this program now.)
Typing: I mean the kind of typing using both hands, and all of your fingers. Not the index-finger-punch method. Typing with one or two fingers only makes you look like a dinosaur. (Literally, using only your index fingers for typing makes your arms scrunch up in a way similar to that of a T-Rex.) While there are a ton of online typing courses you can take, and some of them are free, you can even start with a typing game to get you going. The options are endless because typing skills have been around since before you were born, and they’re not just relegated to secretaries anymore.