Equipping yourself with digital skills

THE world around us is drastically changing and so is the job market. When Covid hit, some workers were compelled to work remotely, and this in turn has seen a rise in digital skills and jobs.

According to the job search engine, Indeed, having a strong digital skill set and being confident in your abilities to keep up with the changing digital environment is important for your career. By learning how to improve your digital skills, you can boost your employability and even increase your earnings.

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They explain that digital skills refer to the ability to use digital devices, communication applications and networks to access, create and share content.

“These skills help people to communicate with one another, work together on projects and solve problems.”

Here are the five essential digital skills suggested by Indeed that will make you a valuable employee across different industries: 

Conduct research online

Performing research has become a common task required in different jobs, such as teaching, financial analysis and content writing. With the abundance of information online, employers expect that professionals can source accurate and credible information. This skill entails being able to judge which websites are reliable.

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For example, you’re more likely to find trustworthy information from websites run by government agencies and established news sites. You can also gauge the reliability of the source from the quality of the writing, website design and domain name. Having digital literacy also means knowing how to compare a piece of information across various sources to check its validity.

Create spreadsheets

Creating and managing spreadsheets is an essential skill as many companies across different industries use them. Spreadsheets are common because they’re beneficial in organising administrative and financial data. Professionals can use spreadsheets to create many sets of data, such as budgets, customer information, employee contact details, sales-tracking reports and financial statements. The knowledge of formulas is also vital as companies use spreadsheets to do business calculations. This saves a lot of time as opposed to manual calculations.

Communicate online

Another basic skill would be knowing how to communicate using email and social media. This includes knowing how to compose emails in the right tone, selecting a suitable font and clear subject line and using appropriate salutations and sign-offs according to the recipient. It’s also necessary to have knowledge of how to attach files and photos, understand the difference between CC and BCC and use them correctly. Many companies also use messaging apps as it speeds up the communication process.

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Use cloud

Cloud refers to a storage space to store data on remote servers, and professionals can only access these servers from the internet. The company usually pays a monthly or annual fee to store, manage and back up this data. Professionals know how to use cloud-based collaboration tools safely to access company documents and share reports or online files with their colleagues.

Use video-conferencing tools

Video-conferencing has become more common with businesses increasing connections with clients or partners in other parts of the world. Employers value the skill of setting up video-conference meetings and hosting them professionally. Important details to know include accepting the correct people into the meeting, setting passwords, spotlighting the speaker and sharing a presentation during the meeting. Employers also expect that employees have knowledge of video-conferencing etiquette such as knowing the distance to sit from the camera, choosing a suitable background, muting oneself when not speaking and framing the camera correctly.

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