(NC) There’s no denying that we increasingly live – and work – in a digital world. We use video conferencing to stay in touch with friends and family, websites to pay our bills and stay on top of the news, and various social media platforms for entertainment and education. Here are some key tools that you should have in your digital skillset.
Job-specific tools
More jobs than ever are using some sort of technology – whether you’re a mechanic, server or office worker. The specific tech tools that you’ll use at work will largely be dependent on the type of work you do. If you’re in a communications role, you will likely be creating Word documents and making social media posts. If you’re making presentations to clients or internal teams, you might need to master Excel or PowerPoint. Others can be job or employer-specific, such as the type of program a restaurant uses to enter orders, or the system used to scan product bar codes. Many jobs will require that you are well-versed in these tools to be hired.
Social media
Social media has become part of our daily lives to connect with friends and family, stay on top of current events and be entertained. But social media is no longer a new trend used just by 20-year-olds – it’s changed the way we work and live and can be used (sparingly) to improve our day-to-day lives. In addition to staying connected with people, it can help us find a job, learn new things and even grow a business.
If you’re self-employed or own a small business, social media can be used as an impactful marketing tool. These can include messages about upcoming sales, images of new products you’re carrying or videos of your team being active in the community.
Video conferencing
One of the many lessons learned during the COVID pandemic was how to use video conference platforms. There are dozens of options to choose from. When it comes to staying in touch with family and friends, find the one or two that most people are comfortable with and stick to those. A new employer, on the other hand, might use a platform that you’re not as familiar with. If that happens, there will be free online tutorials you can take to learn how the program works.
Password protection
In order to protect yourself from hackers, you should use a unique password for every app or website that requires one. Passwords should include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Another option is to use passphrases. These are a mix of four or more random words that only you know and are virtually impossible for a hacker or algorithm to guess. Whichever option you choose, you should register for a password manager. This is a tool that securely stores all of your various passwords and automatically fills them in for you. That way you don’t have to remember them or write them on a digital or paper document that that someone else could find.
The digital world can be intimidating, particularly for those who haven’t grown up with tech tools constantly at our fingertips. However, there are free digital literacy programs, such as those offered by ABC Life Literacy Canada, that you can take to help you successfully navigate the online world. Mastering these skills can help you in your personal and professional life.
Learn more at abcconnectforlearning.ca.
