“Digital skills” and “digital literacy” are terms you may have heard thrown around a lot lately, but what do they mean? How can I get digital skills, and how will that help me in life? In this article, we’re going to dive into 7 great ways you can work to enhance your digital skills, with concrete examples and great resources along the way. Then, we’ve got a list of the 10 must-have digital skills for the workplace; if you work in the tech or digital industry, you’ll need to know and master these.
What are digital skills, and why are they important?
Digital skills are the abilities necessary to understand, navigate through, and make use of digital technologies and the Internet, with little or no assistance. Possessing digital skills is so important in today’s modern world, having digital skills is essential, both for your personal life, and in the workplace.
We want you to know exactly how you can start gaining digital literacy, enhance your current basic skills, or master your skills if you already know quite a bit. We’ve got 7 ways to do so below, so read on to start becoming a pro now!
7 ways to enhance your digital skills
1. Take free online courses.
Some of the best resources to make use of for increasing your digital skills are websites with free online courses that teach you, especially if they have interactive tools to help you learn. We might be biased, but one of the best out there is TechBoomers, with over 100 free online courses teaching you how to use the most popular websites and apps. It also has helpful blog posts to keep you up-to-date on the most important aspects of the digital world.
We also love GCFLearnFree.org, which has great online tutorials for a variety of computer-related basics. It has mouse and keyboard exercises, Microsoft Office tutorials, lessons for how to use email, and much more. DigitalLearn.org is also an amazing resource for getting started on the computer. If you need tutorials to learn some basic computer skills, they have them. They also provide introductions to topics such as Internet safety and privacy, and even how to find a job online!
2. Make an effort to use tech for your job, for a hobby, or for showcasing your work online.
Enhancing your digital skills can be as simple as integrating some basic skills into your daily routine. For example, you can make a point of browsing the World Wide Web at least once per day at home. Or, in the interest of improving efficiency, you can find ways to integrate digital technologies into your job or personal endeavours. Little actions like these can go a long way towards increasing the level of your digital abilities over time.
Start out with something simple, like creating a new social media profile. Then, work your way up to something like getting all of your notes, tasks, and important documents and information organized in one place with a service like Evernote. The more you make an effort to work digital technologies and the Internet into your life, the faster your skills will improve.
3. Improve your methods of communicating with others online.
Online communication is key today, so make sure you have an email address from an easy-to-use service like Gmail. An email address is required not only to send messages to people, but to sign up for many of the website and app services available today. Also, if you want to up your online communication game, check out a free video conferencing service like Skype. You can collaborate with colleagues, friends, and family in various ways – including free video calls – all over the world!
4. Increase your online presence.
Having an online presence is slowly becoming a key component in how people communicate with one another, including briefing each other on what’s going on in their lives. Developing a social media presence on popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram will help you connect with more people and keep up-to-date on the latest news. Having a social media presence is also very important for businesses; we’ll explain why when we discuss digital skills that you should master for the modern workplace.
5. Teach digital skills to others.
Once you’ve honed your own digital skills, a great way to maintain them and gain a deeper understanding of what you know is to pass them along to others. If you’re serious about spreading your skills and want to give lessons to a larger group of people, you can work on developing your own curriculum. Use TechBoomers to help you, or try a website like Common Sense Education that has dozens of online lessons available for your use.
6. Practice your skills over time.
Learning these skills is great – but if you don’t continue to use them, you won’t be able to keep up with the newest developments in the technology industry. You may even forget how to do basic things such as navigate through a website or app. Check out the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment to evaluate how sharp your skills are currently, and to help maintain them over time.
7. Follow current tech trends on an ongoing basis.
There are many great websites out there that can help you keep up with current tech trends, which is a key component in maintaining your digital skills over time. Check out some of these great websites:
- DigitalTrends.com – contains general technology news, as well as reviews of the latest digital hardware and software.
- Lifewire.com – offers tutorials on how to do various things on computers and other digital devices… including how to solve common problems! It also has guides on which digital products to buy.
- Cnet.com – provides all sorts of digital technology resources: product reviews, instructional guides, the latest technology news, and where to get great deals on gadgets.
- Thewirecutter.com – brought to you by The New York Times, lists the best new digital technology gadgets and gives you advice on which ones to buy – or not.
10 digital skills you should master for the workplace
In the digital technology industry, there are certain core skills that are often requirements for many jobs. The more you work to develop them, the more luck you’ll have with getting a job. In the least, reading to learn more about each of these skills and abilities will help you stay in-the-know in your current industry. They may even help you think of some ways to improve practices at your current business. Here are ten key in-demand digital skills.
1. Social media management
Social media management has become such a big part of the normal business of many companies – especially any large company. Most companies have social media profiles set up for their brand, and often have specialized employees who manage them. Sometimes they post weekly updates, and other times post multiple times throughout the day.
The core social media websites you’ll definitely need to know how to use are Facebook and Twitter. If you really want to get ahead of the curve, though, make sure you check out Hootsuite.com.It allows you to manage and schedule posts for all of your social media accounts, all in one place. And if you really want to get complex, check out IFTTT.com (If This, Then That).With this tool, you can create rules for your social media posts to follow when certain conditions are met.For example, you could back up all posts to Dropbox after they go live, or automatically re-post any Instagram upload to Twitter instantly.
2. Web traffic analytics
The ability to analyze the user traffic on a website is a key component in understanding who your target audience is, when to post on and update the site, and many other things that help a website become successful. One of the most important tools used in the industry is Google Analytics, which can tell you so much about the traffic on your website. Learn about the many demographics related to your web traffic, including the day and time when people visit your site, the ages of those who come, what kind of web browser they use, and whether they are a new or returning user.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Search Engine Optimization (or, more commonly, SEO) is the process by which those who work with websites (web designers, developers, coders, writers, and others) optimize their web content for search engines (usually Google Search). This helps their website be high on the list of results returned when a user searches for something.
For example, if your business was to sell flowers in New York City, you would optimize the content on your website so that people searching “flowers for sale New York City” – or other variations of that – would see your website at the top of the list of websites a search engine showed the user.
There are some great tools out there that can help you learn SEO tactics and determine how well your website has currently been optimized. SEMrush can help analyze your site and its search result positioning, give you ideas for improving your search rankings, and help manage your social media engagement. Another great website that can simply help give you information about SEO is Moz.com. It has tons of blog posts, information articles, and helpful videos that can give you great tips about SEO. Some SEO tools require a paid subscription, but they typically offer a free trial or limited free services as well.
4. Digital design and image editing
For years, images have been one of the core components of marketing. Since digital imaging has become popular, the Internet has been overwhelmed with images of all kinds. Whether it’s photography, image editing, or the many components of creating digital images, this field is an increasingly important component of most websites and apps. The ability to use image editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop, is an impressive trait to list on your resume when job-searching.
5. Coding and programming: HTML/CSS and more
Coding and programming is not just for computer science majors anymore. There are many courses available for introductory coding, and even a basic knowledge can really help with some aspects of web development. Even if you don’t have the knowledge to create a website from scratch, you may be able to edit minor aspects of your company’s website or contribute to future updates in some way.
A great place to learn some introductory coding is Codecademy.com. This website has interactive lessons on HTML coding, and as you work, it teaches about what different codes mean and how to create them. If you’re brand new to coding, you can also check out this introductory article on HTML coding.
6. CMS like WordPress
A CMS or “content management system” is an application or website that helps create and update digital content. Essentially, it can be as simple as starting your own web log (or “blog”), or as complex as a drag-and-drop website editor that allows you to edit code.
One of the most popular sites of this kind is WordPress.com. You can create and totally customize your own blog, make your content totally accessible to those all over the Internet, and much more. Some other well-reviewed CMS that you may want to check out include Magento (for e-commerce) and Joomla (if you already have basic coding experience). Learning to use a CMS may help your current business improve its outreach.
7. Video development and editing
Video content currently takes up a significant portion of what people are looking at on the Internet, and many companies project that it could account for up to 80% of Internet traffic in the near future. Knowing how to create video content is a key skill that could help you land great jobs for web-based companies. Having the equipment to create videos is also a great thing to note on your resume or in a cover letter.
If you have these skills, make sure that you start your own Youtube channel (or an account on another video-sharing service, such as Vimeo) to showcase your talents and demonstrate what you can do. Giving an employer a URL to your video account is a great way to prove your ability, and will significantly increase your chances of being hired for a video editing/creating position. If you want to learn more, check out our step-by-step article on how to create a YouTube channel.
8. Cloud-based storage management
Data storage is a key component of every business that uses any form of digital technology. To organize and securely store data is a very important skill to have, and understanding how to use cloud-based storage systems is fundamental. Two of the most popular services for this are Google Drive and Dropbox. Both tools have desktop and Internet-based platforms, can help you recover lost files, and have ways of letting you collaborate with your colleagues easily.
9. Showcasing a portfolio of your work
The ability to show a prospective employer what you’ve accomplished in the past will help them easily picture what you can do for their company. Thus, this skill is especially important if you are seeking a job, and can be an excellent addition to your resume. Consider creating your own blog with a website like WordPress.com and getting your content out on the Internet.
If what you do is a little more complex than that, think about starting your own website with a drag-and-drop web editor like Wix or Weebly. You can create as many pages of content as you want, and customize every little detail. Both sites even have free plans that, if you’re using them to showcase your content, would most likely suit your needs!
10. Digital marketing
Having many of the skills listed above is a great way to improve the website of your employer. However, without the skills required to enhance your company’s digital marketing, you may not reach any additional audiences, regardless of how great your content is. Unfortunately, concrete examples of your skills only come with experience.
Try coming up with some strategies about how to better showcase your company’s content online. Also, think about how to reach greater numbers and/or types (i.e. demographics) of people. Make sure to track your progress using web traffic analytics and SEO practices, as well as a number of the other skills we’ve mentioned.
When you develop these great digital skills, be sure that you include them on your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a profile yet, you should sign up for one; it’s a huge help if you want work in the digital technology industry, or simply want to bring a little more of the digital world to your current position.
Remember that a commitment to lifelong learning is the best way to develop your digital skills over time. Therefore, always stay up-to-date on current trends, and try to maintain an interest in learning new technological skills.
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FAQs
17 Ways to Enhance Your Digital Skills at Home and in the Workplace? ›
In a business context, you'll need to be able to access appropriate data, work with data, find meaning in the numbers, communicate insights to others, and question the data when necessary.
What are the ways to enhance digital skills? ›- Communicating via email.
- Researching information online.
- Handling sensitive information in virtual ecosystems.
- Using cloud-based collaboration tools (like Google Drive, DropBox, and Microsoft Teams) responsibly.
- Creating and managing spreadsheets and online documents.
- use devices like a computer, tablet or mobile phone for simple, personal and work tasks.
- find and use information on the internet.
- understand how to be safe and responsible online.
- communicate socially and professionally using email, messaging and social media.
- Communicating.
- Handling information.
- Transacting.
- Problem solving.
- Being safe and compliant online.
In a business context, you'll need to be able to access appropriate data, work with data, find meaning in the numbers, communicate insights to others, and question the data when necessary.
What are the six digital skills? ›- ICT Proficiency.
- Information, data and media literacies.
- Digital creation, problem solving and innovation.
- Digital communication, collaboration and participation.
- Digital learning and development.
- Digital identity and wellbeing.
There are three main types of skills within digital literacy. These are consuming skills, creating skills, and communicating skills.
What are examples of digital literacy in the workplace? ›For example, catching up with a friend via video call, rather than text message, may help familiarise an employee with the apps they'll use at work; using social media can help them acclimatise to the more informal forms of communication they may encounter through workplace collaboration tools.
What are three 3 advantages provided by digital tools in workplace communication? ›There are many benefits of digital communication, including the ability to reach a large audience with minimal effort, the ability to communicate more effectively and efficiently, and the ability to connect with people from all over the world.
What are four benefits of using digital communication in the workplace? ›- More efficient internal communication. ...
- Easier knowledge transfer across your business. ...
- Adoption of new ways of working. ...
- Enhanced employee experience for different groups. ...
- Improved workplace resilience.
What are the 8 essential digital literacy skills? ›
Digital literacy's 8 elements are: Cognitive, Confident, Cultural, Constructive, Communicative, Civic, Critical, and Creative. They define the many cyber literacy facets, including comprehension, expectations, the digital culture, netiquette, and more. They're based on Dr. Doug Belshaw's model and thesis.
What are the 4 C's of digital learning? ›What are learning skills? The 21st century learning skills are often called the 4 C's: critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating, and collaborating. These skills help students learn, and so they are vital to success in school and beyond.
What are strong digital skills? ›Digital skills in the workplace can include original content creation, e-commerce, network and information security, UX/UI design, digital marketing, social media marketing, and data analytics. Advanced digital skills range from data visualization and basic programming skills to data engineering.
What are the 5 elements of successful digital transformation? ›- Define clear objectives. ...
- Create an integrated strategy. ...
- Inspire a change in culture through leadership. ...
- Embrace adaptability and agility. ...
- Invest in upskilling.
"There are 3 technical elements in digital transformation. They are AI/ML, Data Science, and Automation. However, they should not be your focus as there is only one focus - that is PEOPLE.
What are the 5 keys to digital transformation? ›- Uncover your needs.
- Develop the strategy.
- Execute the strategy.
- Evaluate and optimize.
- Seize the opportunities.
Use connectedness, conversation, curiosity, consideration, and community and culture to create a successful learning environment.
What are the 7 varied forms of digital literacy? ›Digital literacies include data literacy, information literacy, visual literacy, media literacy, and metaliteracy, as well as related capacities for assessing social and ethical issues in our digital world.
What are 21st century digital skills list? ›- confidently navigate new technologies and social media; identify, select, critically read, and manage different sources of information;
- combine basic knowledge with problem-solving skills to complete online tasks and develop online products;
“There are 4 pillars of digital literacy, i.e security, skills, culture and ethics.
What 2 sets of skills should a digitally literate person have? ›
- Independent research. ...
- Familiarity with terms and common platforms. ...
- Collaboration. ...
- Adapting to new technology. ...
- Teaching or explaining technologies you use.
The identified 21st-century digital skills are technical, information, communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving (Van Laar et al., 2017).
How do I become more digitally literate? ›- You shouldn't be afraid of trying new things using technology. When you experiment with digital tools you build confidence in your abilities.
- Take an online course. ...
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Having digital proficiency can involve several different aspects of technology, including having an understanding of the operating system on a computer, being able to work collaboratively using digital tools, and having the ability to choose the best software for a task.
What are the four C's of the 21st century skills? ›The Granite School District Educational Technology Department seeks to leverage the power of technology to support the “Four Cs” of 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity.
What are 4 ways of using digital communication technologies? ›- Email.
- Websites.
- Blogs.
- Social media.
- Live chat.
- Chatbots.
- Video chat.
- Web calling.
Digital workplace solutions can integrate any number of devices, software, and hardware. A digital workplace can be as simple as email and instant messaging, virtual meeting tools, cloud resources like storage and processing, and shared social media or business applications.
What are 3 examples of the ways you use digital forms of communication? ›These include email, phone calls, video conferencing, and many types of instant messaging like SMS and web chats. Even blogs, podcasts, and videos are considered forms of digital communication.
What are 4 advantages of digital system? ›Although many original communication systems used analog signaling (telephones), recent technologies use digital signals because of their advantages with noise immunity, encryption, bandwidth efficiency, and the ability to use repeaters for long-distance transmission.
What are the 7 C's of literacy? ›The seven skills are: • Collaboration • Communication • Creativity • Critical Thinking • Character • Citizenship • Computational Thinking If we believe our work as teachers is mainly to prepare students for successful futures, then we should give opportunities for students to strengthen these skills.
What are the 10 media literacy skills? ›
- Recognizing Fake News. ...
- Using Multiple Sources. ...
- Gauging Tone and Language. ...
- Questioning Numbers and Figures. ...
- Understanding Images and the Brain. ...
- Developing Multimedia Skills. ...
- Recognizing Bias. ...
- Shaping the Media Ourselves.
These qualifications are designed to meet digital knowledge gaps and provide vital skills for life. What are Essential Digital skills? Using devices and handling information. Creating and editing. Communicating.
What are critical thinking skills? ›Critical thinking is the ability to analyze facts and form a judgment. It is a form of emotional intelligence. Someone with critical thinking skills can think clearly and rationally when the situation demands it. It allows them to perform problem-solving and decision-making more effectively.
What are the skills for learning? ›The skills for learning can be broken down into 'the 4 C's': critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration. All four of those skills cross and intermingle.
What are the fastest growing digital skills? ›Digital skills are in high demand
For example, one of the fastest growing digital skills is data visualization, which mirrors increased interest in data literacy among employers. According to Harvard Business Review, “Data skills are now essential for almost every role in every organization.”
Examples of digital upskilling include proper computer use, learning new software, digital marketing, programming skills, or social media use. Leadership – Effective leadership skills can help managers and supervisors improve team operations and increase output.
What are the most sought after digital skills? ›One of the most in-demand digital skills is coding and programming. The ability to create, maintain, and troubleshoot software and applications is highly valued in industries such as tech, finance, healthcare, and more. Some of the most popular programming languages to learn include Python, Java, and JavaScript.
What are the 6 D's of digital transformation? ›This growth cycle takes place in six key steps, which Peter Diamandis calls the Six Ds of Exponentials: digitization, deception, disruption, demonetization, dematerialization, and democratization.
What are the 4 D's of digital transformation? ›Journeys in transformation - The 4 Ds of a data-driven culture. Data maturity, data literacy, data leadership, and data process are crucial components of a data-driven culture.
What are the 6 pillars of digital transformation? ›The six pillars of digital transformation are experiences, people, change, innovation, leadership, and culture. Let's take a look at each pillar and to understand the backbone of the digital transformation.
What are the three 3 stages of digital innovation? ›
- Digitization. The first stage is all about simplifying and digitizing the already existing processes and functions for each department. ...
- Enterprise-wide Transformation. ...
- New Business Creation.
- Get an orientation. ...
- Receive blessings from the leadership. ...
- Gather the team. ...
- Spot the weak links. ...
- Introduce agile and lean principles. ...
- Measure business value and reiterate. ...
- Bonus: Keeping up to date.
- Optimizing key processes. Choosing a system such as an ERP or CRM is often very risky. ...
- Cultural change. A successful digital transformation also involves a philosophical change for the business. ...
- Information integration.
Expertise is the most important factor in a company's ability to successfully implement digital change.
How can digital learning be improved? ›Use the chat function for students to respond to questions. Use physical whiteboards for students to show their thinking. Allow students to share their screen to showcase their work and explain how they solved a problem. Use virtual whiteboards for increased engagement.
How does digital enhance learning? ›One of the greatest benefits of digital learning is that it can help to enhance student accountability. By giving students more control over their own education, what they are studying, and how they are studying it, they will also have more accountability over their progress.
How did you improve your digital literacy? ›Use digital devices, software, and applications with confidence. Communicate, collaborate and share information with others via digital tools like Google Docs or Zoom. Handle data in an appropriate, effective and secure way. Stay safe online.
How can I improve my learning experience? ›- Good Practice Encourages Student – Instructor Contact. ...
- Good Practice Encourages Cooperation Among Students. ...
- Good Practice Encourages Active Learning. ...
- Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback.
- Vary your learning routine, locations and material. ...
- Get a good night's sleep. ...
- Space your study time. ...
- "Cramming" for an exam can work…. ...
- Use self testing. ...
- Take notes in class and review them. ...
- Don't worry about short breaks or distractions while you're studying.
This means that online courses, conducting internet research, even watching online videos, or using digital tools and devices face-to-face with their teacher in a traditional classroom are all considered digital learning.
What is digital learning tools? ›
Digital learning tools include a wide variety of applications, websites, and learning platforms that facilitate learning by connecting students, teachers, and sometimes even parents. Digital Learning Tools can assist teachers and students with teaching, learning, and communication.
What are digital tools? ›What Are Digital Tools? Digital tools (DT) can be defined as programs, websites, applications, and other internet and computerized resources that facilitate, enhance and execute digital processes and overall digitization efforts.