How did you learn how to use computer fluently?

[mumtumsillybilly]

What I mean is I have always worked in a shop so I've never really had to be very good at using computers but I'm only 43. I'd like eventually to be able to get a basic office type job but without taking a course I'm not sure how did make that move. I know this is going to sound absurd to 99% of people on here but I'm just not very good I mean I can send emails from my phone and shop on line but if I was set in an office chair I just wouldn't really have an idea how to fluently use the computer in front of me. Am I totally alone?

There used to be adult learning classes for this kind of thing.

Short answer is I was in BASIC classes in 1983. That's not going to help you, though.

I really appreciate your answer. Thankyou. So can you just work away completely competently on a computer ?

I learned on the job in the 90s.

local councils often have adult beginner classes

also this might be useful for you, it's free

skillsforlife.campaign.gov.uk/courses/essential-skills-digital/

I think there are still sometimes classes in local libraries and local colleges. I'm only in my 30s so I was just always exposed to computers throughout the years. I spent many a night trying to "code" to put a cool song on my myspace and Bebo page. So I wasn't so much explicitly taught as just learned through exposure and use. Do you have a laptop? So many online resources are available now to help you learn any skill. That's how I still learn. If I don't know how to do something in excel I just google it or watch a youtube video.

I did a Pitman course 20 years ago straight out of uni and it taught me all Microsoft office programmes and touch typing. It was worth the money at the time. There are free online courses you could find - Future Learn sometimes have them. Some libraries used to offer adult education type courses on this too.

Learn on the job really, self taught I suppose.

Thanks all! Can I just ask ( if it's ok) what does an office job entail... what specifically would you be doing on a computer?

There are still adult learner courses where I live. I learnt at school - mid 80s and picked up the rest as i went along. I learnt to touch type at uni as everything had to be written up on an electronic typewriter.

I'd imagine now you'd need word processing and spreadsheet knowledge as well as being able to send emails etc.

It would all depend on the role. Microsoft products tend to be standard so Outlook for email, word for documents, PowerPoint for presentations and Excel for number stuff. But nowadays there are all sorts of products out there depending on the role. A lot of jobs would offer training for specific packages. Familiarity with the Microsoft packages would be a good start.

I kind of have always known how to use a computer, straight from school to using them for college and then univeristy. But all my Excel fluency came from watching YouTube videos. I think you just need to used them to get used to them and the natural shortcuts you pick up! Lots of people don’t have desktops or even laptops on their homes anymore and I can tell when new members of my team start if they haven’t used them very often but would never hold it against someone!

I was sort of volunteered to run an exhibition where the artists came from all around Britain. Emailing was just becoming popular and so all the artists were using it.
So I bought a desktop, set it up, and just used the email only at first. Graduating to Word, photo attachments etc.

Exhibition was a great success too!

I learned as I went along, learning what I needed when I needed it. Spent the last 14 years of my teaching career as an IT specialist. Never taken a computer course..

To answer the original question, I used Microsoft Word and made a poster. I searched the internet for images and copied and pasted them in and changed the layout, added clipart, played with fonts and lettering sizes. I searched on the help to find out how to do things and looked through the menus and symbols and right clicked on everything to see what I could do. When I felt confident on word I did similar on excel and played around making a simple spreadsheet.

I’d suggest you start with Microsoft word, excel and PowerPoint. A lot of companies then use custom or customised products for things like billing, invoicing, HR systems etc or software that’s specific to certain roles. Across our office we’d all have Microsoft office as standard and then whatever additional software you use for your role.

Sat down in front of one, having bluffed my way into a temping job because I was broke, and thought 'OK, I guess I'd better work this out quickly'.

They told me afterwards that they realised I'd never done it before, but as I seemed to be doing OK, they'd keep me on for the rest of the contract.

Computers are a lot easier to use these days - and I have trained people very quickly from only ever used their phones to being confident users in a very short time.

You can do it - it's less stressful to see if there's a basic skills course available through your local adult education centre or through the job centre (they're often free because it's so important these days). And you're already ahead because you know how to use your phone.

Microsoft have tutorials on their website for their Office products e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. I used some of them to update my 90s high school computer skills while doing the alternative WFH role I was chucked into during the lockdowns. Also Google is your friend when you get stuck on something! I now spend the majority of my working time doing office based work and no one has complained about my skills lacking yet, so I must be doing something right!

I've used a computer my whole life (well from about 8) and I'm older than you. The best way to get competent is to simply use one and look up things as and when you need to

I have done office jobs all my life. We had a home PC and used PCs when I did my a levels which was 2002/3. You will need to know how to use the Microsoft Office packages. Most companies have an in house database system which normally has a training package to complete. Office work generally entails sending/receiving emails (outlook) diary management for you or team (outlook/teams) formatting letters, typing up documents/letters (word) creating presentations (PowerPoint) and working on spreadsheets (excel). There use to be s training called a Microsoft drive licence (or there abouts) that might be useful to have.

I changed career and the first day as a temp I was told to monitor emails, I had never opened or sent an email before. As you become happier to use a computer you become competent with different tasks. Phones are now mini computers and you will quickly pick things up. Always ask for help to ensure you are using the correct package the way work does and if you get in a bit of trouble hit Google help

If you know how to look things up then you can figure it out.
Many entry level office jobs include data entry, just being able to do the same thing over and over without making too many mistakes is a skill in itself.

Anything of use here ?

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/find-a-course/the-skills-toolkit

Stuff I done on poota this morning for work:

Expenses claim for trip last week (which involved turning receipts into pdfs & jpegs & uploading them to claims platform & using project codes...)

emailing a junior colleague (with lack of life skills that astounds me) that his problem is not my problem here is how to someone else how to RTFM

researching someone's linkedin (weirdo scammer cold-emailed me with nonsense)

culling other spam emails

rewriting a project plan into right template (copied template from online)

tracking my hours on different projects (spreadsheet)

Tweeting, some social media for employer, takes ages to tag right organisations/write a good tweet

Sorting thru someone's dataset (Excel, pivot tables): basically just planning a cross-tabulation, they did it wrong, I am trying to politely ask questions about WTF did you do

Sending or reading emails about some of the above

Planning other project time. I spend a lot of time making notes about the tiny bits of progress I make on small projects then waiting for engagement from others

I spent years doing retail, customer service, managing stock, tills. If you can do all that well you can learn basic spreadsheet skills.

Youtube is a great mention.
There are videos that show how to do everything on there now.

I also learnt on the job with my first office job. Mainly emails and Word. Some Excel stuff. Hubby bought me an Excel for Dummies book which I had on my desk (now I just google stuff). I bet there’s lots of YouTube videos.

When I was on maternity leave I d8d an ECDL qualification which was emails, word, excel, PowerPoint. I whizzed through it fine as I pretty much knew it by then but it was good to have the formal qualification. Your local college migh5 do something similar and it might be free.

Get yourself a laptop and have a go. Go on YouTube to learn more. You can do it.