For some of us it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the technological advancements in life and the office is one area where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep with the ever quicker rate of change. But we cannot avoid it entirely so we need to be able to get on board with the new ways of working or we’ll be left behind entirely.

Traditional Computer Use

Now it’s likely that we are used to using a PC if we have been continually employed over the last couple of decades then there is no way you will have not been using these computers. But there are those of us that have been out of work or have been in offices where computer use is lighter than others. If you start a new job then be sure to check what software is expected to be used and get some practice before beginning. You can always find adult IT classes if you find it’s an issue.

Smart-Phones

The one area that has seen the most rapid increase in technology is our mobile phones, so much so that it could be seen as a challenge to go without using one for a single hour. It’s not too long ago that all we would use a phone for as talking on, sending texts and maybe a game of snake if we were particularly high-tech. But these days a phone can be a Sat-Nav, an organizer, file storage and so much more.

Messaging

We need to be aware that modern messaging systems in offices go beyond just email. There are so many different platforms and types of communication that we might use, from highly digital work-flow apps or the other end where many doctors still use faxes and we need to be able to send these from our computers.

Multimedia Presentations

One area that’s definitely taken a change in direction is the giving of presentations and for the technophobes amongst us this can be very daunting to have to do. It is expected that you will give visually stimulating displays and this will require the use of pictures, and video content, so as a bare minimum the use of a presentation package such as Microsoft Powerpoint will be required. There are plenty of resources online to be able to master using such software and if you are still struggling then there will be plenty of organizations that offer IT skills courses.

Remote Working

Working from home (or anywhere else for that matter) is becoming more and more popular as high -speed internet connections are becoming commonplace. Now although this gives some great advantages for you, such as the lack of a noisy and expensive commute and saves money for your employer such as office resources etc. It is also not without its downside as you will need to do all of your communication online or on the phone, and if you encounter any IT problems there will not be on-site support available.