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There’s been a lot of talk about thenational skills gap that plagues the country. And while some may think this gap doesn’t impact them, the truth is the skills gap affects everyone and all industries — especially tech.
Jeff Fernandez, CEO of Grovo, an online learning platform, says, “In every business and industry we find workers who benefit and become more productive with just a small brush up on their digital skills.”
The eight core digital skills
This list of core skills created by Grovo can be applied to anyone at any level in any profession. They are not tied to a specific industry and developing these areas will only increase efficiency and open up career opportunities.
This list of core skills created by Grovo can be applied to anyone at any level in any profession. They are not tied to a specific industry and developing these areas will only increase efficiency and open up career opportunities.
- Communication
- Working with documents
- Project collaboration & management
- Attention management (e.g. mindfulness, good workflow habits, etc.)
- Digital etiquette
- Search & research
- Security & privacy
- Platform flexibility (i.e. general fluency with devices, OSs, browsers, and cloud platforms)
Assessing your skills
In the past, skill assessments have been linked to annual employee reviews; however, technology has changed that significantly. With all of the updates and changing trends, it’s recommended to evaluate your skills more often. Fernandez suggests people evaluate their eight core digital skills every three months to stay competitive.
In the past, skill assessments have been linked to annual employee reviews; however, technology has changed that significantly. With all of the updates and changing trends, it’s recommended to evaluate your skills more often. Fernandez suggests people evaluate their eight core digital skills every three months to stay competitive.
Training tools
While taking classes is generally a good idea, technology moves so fast that classwork may not cover latest updates. This is why it’s a great idea to supplement your coursework with other tools. You can find a clip on YouTube on just about anything and there are tons of industry forums and message boards.
“Another strategy,” Fernandez states, “is to observe a top performer in a field, and see what they’re doing day to day and more importantly — how they’re doing it.”
Remember, enhancing your skills will only make you more competitive when applying for a new job or a promotion with your current employer.
Belo Cipriani is an award-winning author, former staffing professional, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University. Learn more at BeloCipriani.com.
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