Computer Skills Everyone Should Know

This article is made to help out older and younger amateurs get around to digitalization and what is valued, especially with the pandemic practically forcing us to work/study from home. It’s also a good read for the intermediate in order to fix some holes in their knowledge. Knowing these skills will also give you an edge in the job market in comparison to people who can’t get around to using PCs properly.

Navigating the Web

Regardless if you hold sensitive data on your accounts or device, you should always be careful when navigating the web. Anti-virus software is not a 100% guarantee that you will never get a virus, so surf smart.rnSoftware Installation and UninstallationrnKnowing how to install vital programs like MC Office and Photoshop is a must. Hiring a person to install and uninstall all of your programs for you will result in a never-ending money sink.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Most of us start out using the copy mechanic by using the mouse and manually clicking several times. This process does not work for all apps nor is it time-efficient. With that being said, you don’t need to learn every shortcut, but some essentials are important. “Ctrl + C” for copying and “Ctrl + V” for pastingrn“Ctrl + X” for cuttingrn“Alt + Tab” for swapping appsrn“Alt + F4” for closing appsrn“Ctrl + Alt + Del” and pressing “Task Manager” to open the same

Task Manager

Checking the task manager periodically is normally used for performance checks as well as keeping tabs on how much strain is each app putting on your PC. Make a habit out of checking it to see what is causing you performance troubles.

Data Management

Just like in real life, you want to avoid making your PC too messy. Having clear and organized folders makes it so much easier to navigate, especially if you use your PC for work. Deleting old folders that you don’t need also boosts performance and speed. Don’t be a hoarder.

Browser Management

When browsers like google have been almost perfect, you should take advantage of the many functions that it has to offer. Bookmark important links, make folders for said important links, browse your history (and write down keywords that you are digging for) to find what you are looking for.

Microsoft Office Package

The Microsoft Office package is almost unavoidable at this point. You need to know how to use most of its programs in most lines of work nowadays. The most important one is Microsoft Word and it should be your priority when learning the programs, as it's the main way of making documents.

Google Drive

Mastering google drive allows you to work more efficiently as a unit with your coworkers and friends for a team project and faster transfer of data overall.

Video Meeting Applications

Chances are that if you are working and didn’t need to deal with Zoom or Microsoft Teams in the past, you do now. The world isn’t stopping. Knowing how to handle these applications is essential knowledge during the pandemic in order to keep going.

Sound Settings

Likewise, with video applications, you need to be able to manipulate sound. Nobody will want to hear one member of the team practically screaming over Zoom. God forbid that you’re holding a meeting and your sound goes off and you don’t know how to fix it...

Proper Hardware Maintenance

Just like with data management, you want to avoid the physical aspects of your PC from getting too messy, it can shorten the life expectancy of the machine, as well as leading to extremely slow processing speed. Proper maintenance is done not to fix problems, but to avoid them from appearing in the first place! If the elementary things aren’t fixing anything, then call an expert for computer repairs.

Proper Writing Skills

This one is subjective and can the end goal can be adapted by your ambitions. There are massive differences between casual, content, academic writing skills. So set your goals depending on what you want to master. For casual writing, you should follow the basic rules in order to not seem illiterate. Always press “Space” after most punctuation marks: Commas, periods, bullet points, exclamation marks, etc. (Quotation marks are an exception and the characters that go inside of them should not have space in between them). Proper spelling and grammar will always make you seem more serious and professional. Aside from this, use correcting applications like Grammarly, which come in handy when proofreading to avoid mistakes (because there will always be a few that escape your sight).