In a world that’s increasingly reliant on technology, tech professionals aren’t the only ones who need IT skills. From marketing to healthcare, law to architecture, nearly every profession interacts with computers and other digital devices. You probably use them extensively in your personal life — you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t rely on their smartphone for far more than just calls and texts.
It’s expensive and inconvenient to run to an IT staff every time a glitch occurs, and let’s face it, that can happen fairly often. That’s why knowing basic computer and IT skills is essential for managing your professional and personal life. Looking for ways to boost those all-important skills? Here’s how to do it.
Take stock of your weaknesses
What are your most pressing computer needs? Analyze your technical skills and consider where the biggest holes are. It’s important to know what skills you already have and which ones will improve your life. For example, if you do a lot of data entry, understanding the inner workings of Excel is essential, since it will streamline your workload tenfold. A marketing professional, meanwhile, should be familiar with various social media tools, such as Hootsuite.
Take a course
There are plenty of courses you can take to learn important IT skills. Some cover the basics, while others delve into more advanced knowledge of certain topics. You can learn about topics such as search engine optimization (SEO), app development, troubleshooting techniques, programs like Adobe Suite, and many others.
There is a wide range of in-person and online courses, both paid and free. Try looking at:
- Local schools, community centers, and colleges
- Lynda
- CourseHorse
- Khan Academy
- Coursera
- Udemy
- EdX
- Codecademy
Learn how to code
One particularly helpful skill is coding. This is the magic behind building apps, websites, and software in general. Even if you’re not a software developer, coding can be useful for your career, even helping you land new roles and promotions. The above resources often offer many coding courses, including particular languages. You can also look for alternatives, such as attending a coding bootcamp or even teach yourself some programming skills.
Read
There are plenty of books, magazines, and blogs that will give you a brief or more thorough overview of IT concepts. For example, there are hundreds of books dedicated to learning individual programming languages or hardware-related concepts. Consider taking a programming skills test to assess your level of knowledge after reading the books. You should also participate in forums to engage with other technology enthusiasts, as well as software developers and information technologists. You’ll find large communities to ask questions or help others troubleshoot. Remember that teaching others is a great way to solidify your own skills.
Reading the news is also an important way of learning about the latest trends and tools in IT, so be sure to look to up-to-date resources like Wired and other technology news outlets.
Find free resources
You’ll find plenty of other resources aside from reading materials online, too. Look for podcasts, webinars, and videos on places like YouTube or Vimeo. Often, these resources appeal to technology professionals and laypeople alike, so there’s sure to be something for you, no matter what your skill level or area of interest.
Get a side hustle
Finding a side job that uses specific IT skills is a great way to increase your knowledge fast. For example, perhaps you’re taking on a role as a blogger, which will require you to know how to use WordPress. Or maybe you’re working on a project remotely and will need to communicate with other team members, which means you’ll spend a fair amount of time using Zoom and Slack.
You can even motivate yourself to work on your own independent projects to flex your tech muscles, from building a website to filming and editing videos to post on YouTube. You never know: this could even be the start of a new, fulfilling career.
Talk to others with strong IT skills
Discussing IT with other people is a great way to nurture your skills and interest in the field. Ask your tech genius friend if you can pick their brain or just bounce ideas off them. Alternatively, if you know people who are also trying to bolster their skill set, think about studying and talking over ideas together.
Don’t have any friends who are interested in computers? Try looking at meetups, conferences, and local groups and clubs. You’ll find plenty of people to connect with and discuss tech concepts of all types.
Strong computer skills aren’t just important for IT professionals. Now, they matter for everyone, no matter what you do or who you are. They touch your work life and your personal life, and taking the time to hone and improve your knowledge is sure to pay off.
