Sprucing up one's skills

[rose.winter1980]

I have really good professional academic attainments, but my technical skills could do with some attention.  I can do Word pretty much and quite like PowerPoint.  Excel I think is a tool of the devil and access is something I consider to be a way in to somewhere.  

What sort of courses would you recommend to someone like me to spruce up my computer skills?  I've heard of MOS certification and the European Computer Driving Licence.  Which would you recommend I invest in?  Where could I get that training?  College, Pitmans?

Any advice you could give would be much appreciated.

Many thanks.

Rose Winter

Winter Rose

Laugh long, sing loud and dance when you get the chance

[gee4]

Rose I will let you know what I did and others can add their bit as you get replies.

I completed advanced Word etc attending in-house courses at work.  I decided I needed a formal qualification so enrolled in a night class to do the first of the MOS exams.  I completed 3 in a 15 week term and the following 2 in my own time which my company (at the time) paid for.

Having received MOS Master Certification in Office 2000, I am now contemplating upgrading this to 2007.

I would recommend you work towards this as it will give you a leg up when applying for jobs.  ECDL is more of a basic qualfication so you need to ascertain what level you are at and see where that fits in with your overall plans.

It's up to you if you want to do self-study or be tutor-led.  I found the books and CD ROM very useful and so completing the last 2 disciplines without a tutor was easy enough for me.

Hope that helps.

[rose.winter1980]

Gee,

Thank you very much for your reply and advice.  I will check out MOS certification.  The place where I work now is still using an old version of Microsoft Office, but I hear that the IT people are going to replace all the hardware and software soon with the most up-to-date versions so it's probably as well to learn that.  My company is relatively small so in-house training can be a bit hit-and-miss.

Thanks again for the advice.

Winter Rose

Laugh long, sing loud and dance when you get the chance

[gee4]

No problem.

For info I recently completed a skills test for a job vacancy and the version of Office installed on the pc was 2007, which I am not familiar with.  

So at best if I got offered the job I will work towards this qualification. At worst if unsuccessful, I will still work towards it and be more prepared in the future.

[Dusty *]

Rose, l too have been thinking that I should update my computer skills.  I've been in my current role for the 20+ years and therefore only use MS Office applications which relate to my work.  I can use word, and sometimes use excel but not to its full potential, I don't even know how to use Powerpoint!  I did a course for Access years ago, but not sure if I would remember how to use it now.

I feel as if I am in the stone age as all my qualifications are the old RSA and Pitmans from the 70's


Dusty

[gee4]

Dusty, do think about not only adding to your skills but bringing them up to date.

I'm surprised you haven't had any kind of training in-house, or as part of your personal development plans?

Does your company not offer any training or encourage further development?  

[rose.winter1980]

We have a few very young people (excuse me if that sounds ageist!) who seem to know every computer package under the sun - but have no clue about spelling, document layout, office practice and don't even get me started on the subject of board meetings.  

I'm sort of at the other end of this with formal business training completed many years ago and additional academic study way beyond my first degree and in a different discipline.  Most of what I do could be classed as "admin" when I'm supporting my manager. The remainder is all strategy and delivery of strategy.  So not much in the way of secretarial/PA type of tasks.  In a small company people often have very interesting jobs and costs are held down by staff doing things they wouldn't normally do in a larger company where there are layers and layers of management.  

Our directors can type after a fashion although it is torture to watch them as they use only about two or three fingers at a time.  So I guess we could all do with updating our skills.  

I'm definitely taking myself off to college to upskill myself.  The new skills are tools not the sum of what we can do.  

Winter Rose

Laugh long, sing loud and dance when you get the chance

[gee4]

Rose,

A few years ago, I worked for a global IT company where everything was bang up to date, including the hardware we had installed in the office, as well as software installed on every pc.

I had lots of scope in my job and used various applications, most of which I am not using now and I really miss that.

I agree that not all companies offer training to admins and I have vented about this before.  That is why I decided to complete MOS Certification.  It was something to add to my CV but that my employer benefitted from too.

Personally I couldn't stay in a job where my skills weren't being used.  In fact, with this job, I would go so far as to say, it's not a good fit or a match.

Good for you that you are taking this step.  You will definitely enjoy it and realise how much more you can do with MS Office.

[forfrom]

I just completed an NVQ Level 2 in IT which was a very useful course, I learnt how to get a lot more out of Office 2009 packages like Excel Word and Powerpoint, applications I already considered myself expert in.  It showed me the right way of doing things which actually turned out to be more efficient than my self taught ways. It also fitted in to my daily job as for most of the course work I submitted documents I was working on anyway for my company so it didn't take up any of my own time.

[gee4]

I couldn't agree more.  Some of my co-workers (past and present) who are self-taught and have never attended any courses, really do get their eyes open when you show them more efficient methods of carrying out certain tasks.

That's the time to prove how good you really are.  One of the manager's here used to task me regularly with queries.  The reason?  Because I was able to solve what he asked of me.  Each time he kept saying, I will catch you out next time, I will.

So far he hasn't, but that's what makes my job worthwhile and challenging except it's not in abundance in this company.

[JessW]

Gee

I get it the other way round.  For the most part I am self taught (had to learn to do the job) and my colleagues have the training (continuous training too) and are playing catch-up to me.  I teach them a thing or two when they ask how to type questions!

Jess