Computer skills are any abilities that are related to the exceptional usage of computers. It can range from using an email to writing code and even assembling motherboards.
60% of jobs in the world today require that you have not just a basic understanding of computers but also intermediate to advanced computer skills. This can include knowledge of specific software, applications, or devices.
It is said that technology is the future. Many people are becoming self-employed and creating beautiful wonders because of computer skills.
Due to the high demand for computer skills in society, I have put this together so you can know the top 20 computer skills which would make you stand out, improve your employability level and also get you into doors.
Table of contents
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What are Computer Skills?
Computer skills are abilities and knowledge which allow you to use computers and computer-related technology.
With computer skills, you can use word processing software, access the internet, manage files, create presentations, use spreadsheets, and Access databases.
Such skills are divided into hardware skills and software skills.
Hardware skills are skills that allow you to physically operate a computer. Hardware skills can be as simple as knowing how to turn devices on and off.
They might also involve more complex tasks like connecting machines to networks, changing parts, or fixing broken devices. For these complex tasks, many employers hire trained technicians with advanced computer skills.
Software skills help you to efficiently use computer programs and applications. There are some software skills that employers may consider as prerequisites to employment.
Employers may not include some software skills on job posts under the assumption they are universally understood. These software skills are skills that most employers require before employing people.
Basic knowledge of word processing programs, like Microsoft Word is an important skill to possess.
Read Also: 10 Must-Have Administrative Assistant Skills In 2023
Why Do I Need Computer Skills?
In this time and age, computer skills are one of the prerequisites to a successful career.
Most jobs now require the use of computers, mobile devices, or software applications in some capacity.
Some employers will require prior knowledge or experience with specific applications before you get employed.
No matter the field in you are employed in, whether, in customer care, food service, or tech, a level of computer skill would be required of you to properly execute your job.
Job applicants with computer skills are highly sought-after due to the increase of technology in the workplace. It goes to show that computer skills are abilities you should have at your fingertips.
How Do I Learn Computer Skills for my Resume?
Depending on your preference, you can learn computer skills from the comfort of your home on the internet, you can also attend school and get certifications in these computer skills.
Either choice you make, you would get the required computer skills needed. However, here are the best tips towards learning computer skills at the cheapest rate.
- The first step is to take stock of your current capabilities. By doing this, you can know the skills which you already possess and then know which ones to add to the list. It is possible to add several new skills to your resume by earning the right IT certifications.
- Identify what you need to learn. After you have taken note of the skills you currently have, go through the list below of the 20 computer skills fir a resume and pick a skill which suits your taste. Whether you’re looking to pivot your career or level up within your current field, analyzing the job description of your ideal position is a great way to identify what skills employers are looking for, as well as the tools you should know how to use.
- Start with the basics. First step toward this is to ensure you know how to use a computer. Ensure that the skill you are about getting would be valuable to you in the nearest future. If you’re working in an office role, consider getting certified in Microsoft Office to improve your skills and add value to your resume.
- Take a free online or-in personal computer course. There are many free resources available, both offline and online. If you live in Los Angeles, New York City or Chicago, Course Horse is another excellent resource. If you’d rather learn tech skills for free online, there are plenty of ways to do so. You should be able to search on YouTube for pretty much anything you want to know. If you’re looking for a more formal learning experience, you can find tons of free college-level courses online on sites like Coursera, EdX and Class-Central. You can also find free, introductory courses on sites like Khan Academy, Codecademy, and Free Code Camp.
- Apply the knowledge and get hands-on practice. If you have started taking classes for your computer skills, you should try to see if there’s a way to get hands-on experience.
How Long Does it Take to Learn a Computer Skill?
Most people say that learning a computer skill takes between 4 months to 1 year.
However, this depends on the particular skill as most skills take more time than others.
Other skills require you to perfect the job for you to get really good at it. anything can be done within 1 year if you buckle down, focus, and throw your all at it.
Why Do I Need Computer Skills in my Resume?
Computer skills are one of the most sought-after skills worldwide. Here are a few reasons why you should really think about having a computer skill in your resume-
- For innovation- If you learn computer skills such as programming skills then you will be able to create and work on innovative and creative software, apps, and web development projects. You will be able to create new mobile apps, new web applications, and software that can solve thousands of problems that people are facing around the globe. This skill can make you stand out. If you are doing it right, you could really earn a lot of money from this. Really cool right?
- Learning a computer skill ensures you understand business automation. Computer and Internet technologies made it possible to automate complicated or complex business operations. Manufacturing, selling, advertising, data analysis, data storage and many other things are automatic and reduce the cost and increase productivity. Now, if you are applying for a job that offers any of these services, guess what? If you have any of the computer skills required for the job, you already have a clean edge over all others.
- With computer skills, you can start an online business. You can start this business from home and you would find you would pull in an amount of cash similar to those who work regular jobs.
- With computer skills, you can educate others and even get paid for it. You can teach computer skills online and also offline to kids who are not able to afford private schools or computer education for the kids. You can also teach these skills to your own kids as well. You can also create an online course, start a blog, start a YouTube Channel, sell yourself and not just make tons of money but also impact people positively.
- Getting jobs today can be difficult especially if you are new in industries and many places prefer people with prior work experience. Knowing how to navigate your way around the internet can help you find freelance positions online that can help you gain experience within your industry. If you find ways to promote projects, you worked on you may find yourself having recruiters coming to you for job opportunities.
- Knowledge of correct email etiquette and when it is appropriate to communicate via social media are invaluable “soft” skills that employers look for. Computer-based communication can even be in the form of multimedia where you can compile your different thoughts and ideas into slideshow presentations and videos. Effective communication is directly related to your computer skills.
Top 20 Computer Skills for a Resume in 2023
The top #20 skills you can consider getting in 2023 are-
#1. UX Design Skills–
Ranked #1, this is one of the skills that is highly sought after by employers. They are aware that a UX Design skills can help in boosting business productivity, decrease support costs and boost customer retention and acquisition.
Especially if you are seeking employment in an IT parastatal, having this computer skill on your resume can give you higher odds of being employed.
#2. Microsoft Office–
This is one of the collaboration skills that is highly required as one of the computer skills for a resume.
This is one of the top skills required in many jobs, as you will often need to use Microsoft Word to create written digital documents.
Having this computer skill in your resume can give you higher odds of being employed.
#3. Business Analysis Skills-
Business analysis is one of the most important computer skills in demand this year. It is ranked #3 amongst the computer skills for a resume.
There are many skills related to business analysis, including interpersonal and consultative skills, stakeholder analysis skills, and organizational and problem-solving skills.
You need this computer skill for your resume especially if you are going to be working in a place that needs it.
#4. Social Media Skills–
The Internet has a culture of its own thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Companies are using social media to help grow their businesses.
The need for influencers, hashtags, and blogs has currently been blown over the roof.
In applying for a position that requires you to have access the social media, being familiar with digital marketing and social media is key.
#5. Presentation Software Skills-
Recently, business parastatals require that for you to be employed, you must have basic knowledge of presentation and software skills.
This includes presentation skills that would allow you to create slides with images and texts as part of a presentation.
Knowing how to use this software can also give you an edge in getting employed. Presentation and software skills are computer skills for your resume.
#6. Software Development Skills–
New software is being developed rapidly to meet the changing needs of companies and their customers.
In applying for a position where this is necessary, having this computer skill for your resume can place you at a high rank with very good pay.
Having this skill means having skills in programming, user experience (UX), and DevOps skills, as well as the ability to design secure databases.
#7. Virtual Reality Skills-
Virtual Reality skills are another computer skill you should have on your resume. This skill has had spontaneous growth recently, and it is predicted that the demand for it would grow more.
This skill includes having software engineering skills and knowledge of 3D tools and sound design.
Having this computer skill in your resume, not only assures you of employment, it also guarantees you are paid a reasonable amount of money.
#8. Graphics and Writing Skills-
These days, more employers are looking to create content for digital marketing campaigns.
Being able to use Adobe Photoshop and graphic design programs like InDesign are computer skills worth adding to your resume when applying for a position.
They are easy to learn if you have a passion for them.
#9. Data Analytics Skills-
This computer skill entails the ability to examine raw data and reach conclusions that enable companies to get better business results.
Having this skill would ultimately make you a high-income earner as data analysts are in high demand.
Research has also shown that Data Analysts earn an average salary of at least $98,812 which is a lot of money for simply enjoying working with numbers and patterns. It is a great computer skill for your resume.
#10. Career-Specific Software Skills-
Most careers will require that you use specific software to help do your job.
This ranges from computer programmers who use coding languages like HTML editors to movie scriptwriters who use software like Final Draft or data analysis experts who use Data Analytics.
If you are applying for a position that requires that you use these computer skills, having them in your resume is a way forward for you.
#11. Machine Learning Skills-
This skill includes writing algorithms that can search, sort, and optimize familiarity with approximate algorithms.
You can improve this skill by studying learning curves. It is a computer skill which is highly sought after and if you have it, it should be included in your resume.
#12. Artificial Intelligence Skills-
As time goes on; it is found that the interest in artificial intelligence keeps growing. It has grown by more than 150% annually for the last few years, and it will keep pace with that rate for the foreseeable future.
In getting the skill of artificial intelligence, you have to know the basics of being a data scientist or a machine learning Engineer.
This computer skill would be helpful if you want to add weight to your resume.
#13. Cloud Computing Skills-
This skill entails data storage and computing power.
Cloud computing skills, such as configuration, deployment, security for cloud services, management, and troubleshooting will be essential to are essential skills to all businesses since cloud computing can help reduce capital expenditures by 38%.
If you have cloud computing skills, it is a computer skill for your resume.
#14. Data Science Skills-
Data science skills entail the interpreting of raw data and transformation of the same data into the fed back which can help any organization in the creation of better products and services.
Most organizations need this data science skill to enable them to maximize profits.
If you have this computer skill, it is an unspoken advantage for you and should be added to your resume.
#15. Programming Language Skills–
The relevance of the programming language skill largely depends on the position and organization you are applying to work for.
Asides from the purpose of employability, it is really worth having on your resume. It involves understanding programming languages, such as Java, JavaScript, C++, and Python.
Programming language skills are an impressive computer skill for your resume.
#16. Cybersecurity Skills-
The prevalence of cyber crimes has made companies, organizations, and even individuals wary and looking for means to adopt cybersecurity.
If you have cybersecurity skills, it means that you can help keep organizations’ sensitive data safe.
People highly sought this skill and should be one of the computer skills added to your resume.
#17. Big Data Skills-
This computer skill should definitely be included in your resume if you have the intention to work with companies that analyze huge amounts of data.
You would stand a higher chance because you would be seen to help the organizations make better decisions and help in effective problem-solving, data handling, and understanding programming languages.
This computer skill is necessary for your resume.
#18. Soft Skills-
Soft skills entail adaptability, teamwork, and communication skills that have to do with using a computer.
It entails being able to use collaboration tools like zoom. With that in mind, building and strengthening soft skills should be a top priority for you in your resume.
#19. Automation Skills-
Automation boosts efficiency, which is exactly what many companies need in the wake of the current global health crisis.
A few automation-related skills tech specialists should seek to include virtualization skills, cybersecurity skills, and troubleshooting skills.
Having automation skills is a computer skill for your resume.
#20. Structured Query Language (SQL) Skills-
SQL is the standard programming language for relational databases, and it is important that you know how to structure and manage these databases.
Before you add this computer skill to your resume, ensure that you have gotten very familiar with SQL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Computer technology (Microsoft Office Suite, social media, HTML), Data analysis (resource management, data engineering, database management), Marketing hard skills (SEO, SEM, Google Analytics, email marketing, content management systems) and Project management (scrum, Trello, Zoho).
Front end developer, Java developer, Software engineer pays most according to research from 2022.
Payscale’s 2019 College Salary Report listed that people with computer skills earned an average salary of $68,600 and a mid-career salary of $114,700.
Math is an essential component of computer science that underpins computing and programming concepts. Without it, you would find it challenging to make sense of abstract language, algorithms, data structures, or differential equations. All of which are necessary to fully appreciate how computers work.
Yes. Much like any other skill, learning how computer skills require time and persistence.
Conclusion
Computer skills in your resume can ensure you get the job. It can also ensure you would not go broke because you can get self-employed, work from your home and still pay your bills.
Computer skills are a must-have in this digital age; if you have none, it is advised you find at least one from the list above and adds it to your resume.
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