This article was published on the Monster website, one of the largest recruitment sites in the world, under the title: “Acquiring Computer Skills as an Older Worker.” We have borrowed it for you. Many older professionals are taking on new career challenges. We know several at Kaleta who would like to pursue a consulting career after retirement. This publication is aimed at them. Having computer skills nowadays can be an essential asset to stand out.

Gigabyte and Google have entered popular vocabulary, but not everyone uses these terms with the ease of Bill Gates or the creator of Facebook. Older workers, in particular, may find their careers hindered by a lack of computer knowledge, just as they may with English in certain fields.

A wide range of sectors now consider computer skills an essential prerequisite for any office employee, from a simple receptionist to senior executives. While many workers have embraced the computer revolution, others have not taken the time to acquire these skills and find themselves facing a disrupted job market. After a layoff or when trying to re-enter the job market, these skills become indispensable.

“People who lack these skills are shooting themselves in the foot,” explains Linsey Levine, a career advisor at CareerCounsel.

“Older workers who admit to being ‘afraid of computers’ or say they are ‘old school’ are asking for trouble,” adds Don Sutaria, founder and president of CareerQuest, a professional coaching firm. “It sounds like the end of their career,” he warns.

So, this is bad news for older workers who flee at the sight of a mouse, at least a computer mouse in this case.

On a positive note, computers are easier to use nowadays. It is possible to access a multitude of training courses on the subject, and there is no need to become a computer genius to thrive in today’s job market.

Overcoming Fear

“The first thing to do is to get rid of your fears,” advises Sutaria.

According to Linsey Levine, a person’s attitude toward acquiring new professional skills often constitutes a major obstacle. Some older workers, especially those who have worked for a company for many years, may indeed think that it is the employer’s responsibility to provide training.

“I sometimes see in older workers an attitude of ‘I didn’t need to know this before, I don’t see why I should train now,'” explains Levine. “If they want to continue working, that is not the right attitude to adopt. It is their own responsibility to update their skills.”

Which Skills to Acquire?

Workers wishing to acquire computer knowledge should focus on:

• Basic skills, such as using a mouse, typing on a keyboard, and navigating file systems and menus.
• Programs in the Microsoft Office suite, with particular attention to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, more or less in that order.
• Essential internet skills, such as writing and sending emails, browsing, and searching online.

Where to Start?

Recruiting a son, daughter, grandson, or friend to take you to a library or any place with free computer access is a solution. At this stage, the idea is not necessarily to become an expert in specific tasks, but to learn that you will not break a computer by using it, as Sutaria emphasizes, thereby overcoming the fear associated with these machines.

Jenna Gausman, a career advisor at Kerwin and Associates, recommends that workers unsure of their skills visit a temp agency to take a computer skills assessment. “It’s a great way to determine which skills you have and which ones you lack, just to get an idea of your level,” she explains.

Career advisors will point you to the impressive number of resources you can turn to for developing your computer skills, many of which are free.

Source: Monster