Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Do You Need a Tech Refresher

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Do You Need a Tech Refresher According to the 2014Udemy Skills Index, an analysis of trends in American skills development based on data from Udemy’s top 100 paid online courses, technology courses have the highest enrollment numbers of any subject. We get that we need them, and so we’re signing up in droves. But how do you know if you need to upgrade your technical skills, and where do you start? Here are some potential scenarios. Reason #1: You’re competing with younger candidates for the same jobs Let’s face it. If you’re 40+, you grew up â€" and came into the workplace â€" mostly tech-free. The speed with which people adopt new technology can seem intimidating, but you can’t allow more comfortable (and usually younger) candidates to steal your edge when you in fact have more experience. You don’t, however, have to become a whiz at everything overnight. The pros at Udemy suggest that you start with a single new device, site, or software program. Expect that it won’t be immediately intuitive: there will be a learning curve. Fortunately, there are plenty of online forums, courses, sites, and even live people eager to help. Reason #2: Your resume still lists Microsoft Office as the only technical skill While Microsoft Office might give the impression that you’re still working in the 20thcentury, there’s no need to get an additional degree to upgrade your tech skills. Experience in coding, HTML, InDesign and other programs can set you apart, and these are easy to learn in an online environment such as Udemy. Want to show more in-depth expertise? Start a blog about something you’re passionate about â€" preferably but not necessarily related to your field. The process will open up new tech frontiers and show employers you’re not afraid to experiment and canmanage change.Do For more reasons to upgrade your tech skills, head over to the full post at Intuits Fast Track blog.