Great Career Tip #6 - Update your use of technology

    Hello All,

I hoped that you all have enjoyed this series on the greatest career tips that I ever received. Today is the last installment of the series, and it's all about the importance of using updated technology.

Earlier this week I launched a new series titled Entering the Promise Land: Tips for Executive Women on Breaking the Glass Ceiling. This series will run on Wednesday's for the next few weeks. I hope that it provides you with some valuable information to advance you in your career. 

     Enjoy,

     

   Dr. Cris

 

         Great Career Tip #6 -  Update your use of technology

 

I know some of you still rely on your trusty typewriters to tackle any writing assignments that you may have. Although there are some famous authors and journalists who have and still do crank out their best work by use of a typewriter, these select few are in a league of their own. 

J. K. Rowlings

According to Hilary Magazine, J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel on a typewriter and had to re-type entire chapters if a change was made, and later re-typed the book to make it double spaced. Even best selling author and former journalist for the New York Times Gay Talese transcribed his notes and interviews on his typewriter. One of his more popular books is titled The Silent Season of a Hero: The Sports Writing of Gay Talese.

Although these award - winning writers have accomplished greatness on their typewriters, and Rowling has since begun using a computer to write her other novels, we cannot compare ourselves to them, at least not yet. Consider where you are in your career path and how important it is for you to prepare yourself for the right employer. How important it is to learn how to maximize our technological skills to prepare for our next dream job. 

Start with the basics, and learn your way around a computer and the internet. What computer programs would benefit you most? When considering where you see yourself in the next two or three years, what computer programs could assist you in reaching the next level? Are you familiar with Microsoft Office? Could you use a refresher on Excel? You would be amazed at the online tutorials that can assist you in polishing up your skills and familiarizing yourself with a multitude of programs. 

Once you have the basics under your belt, you can then consider specific technology in your field. For example, for those who work with graphics perhaps Illustrator CS5 may be helpful, or if making movies is part of your forte then Movie Maker could prove to be a valuable technology option. The point is don’t miss out on an employment opportunity that you would be perfect for simply because your technology skills are not up to par.  It’s not too late to do something about it.