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?

@lljkk very interesting post thank you. I do so many things in work that obviously I'm really good at that other people wouldn't enjoy so I guess anything is learnt. I suppose it would be great for an employer to take me on and train me before throwing me in deep in lol

I might have a wee play about on my dh laptop and see how I get on. I'm sure even I could learn new tricks at my age lol

I did business studies, IT and pitman gcse's, then learnt at work. Usually trial and error. Then by googling how to do what I wanted to do.

Your local college should do evening ‘introduction to computing’ courses, OP, that would be a good place to start from, then you can move on from there. Check out their website.

I learned in my 50s when I moved to Australia, where every teacher is loaned a laptop and is expected to use it. In the UK there was a PC in every Core subject classroom, but naturally this did not develop skills much as you need to use it constantly.

I mostly learned on a need to know basis rather than formal training. Other staff were always helpful in sharing shortcuts, etc. Excellent tech support. My skills were massively increased over lockdown and online teaching, so much new.

My typing speeds never got to the lightning-fast levels of the young 'uns though.

Think of20 tasks you'd like to learn to do, then do it for your daily life at home.

There are also courses but sometimes it's great you learn for necessity.

Examples:

• log the next three shopping receipts, max 5 items (type in descriptions, do totals, tax)
• for your next three in invitations, manage aspects via a calendar app (plan out doing your hair, buying the gift) all in the calendar
• find ways of managing your everyday life using apps

Of course you can, there are probably websites that teach you how to do things for free.

Or Microsoft help. Who remembers clippy or whatever it was called, the paperclip that gave you pointers 😂

It's practice. My mum is in her 50s we run a business together, 3 years ago she was very unconfident but now there is loads she can do. You just need a patient teacher or lots of YouTube videos! You can get a tutorial on anything.

Start with the functionality in Outlook and Gmail as if you get an office job those would be the two main email providers you'd like encounter.

Then I'd do the Microsoft Office suite mainly word, Excel then PowerPoint. Google have a version of these which are quite similar if you don't want to pay (Google sheets instead of Excel)

Just keep making yourself little tasks and you'll soon get confident.

Canva is also a great site to learn to use.

I did the same job for 10 years so was really used to the systems
Then I changed job. Sat there watching someone else show me the systems and I honestly thought "can't do this. It's too complicated"
That was 5 years ago and it's fine

You're only 43 what do you mean at your age?! 😆

Also try Typing.com to learn how to type more efficiently even if you never get to touch typing standard.

If you are ready for a career change perhaps look to see if there are any admin apprenticeships near you. You might be able to keep your retail job for the weekends too for a bit of extra cash.

We always had computers at home, and I was encouraged to learn to use them - there are photos of both DH and I (separately!) aged about 7 learning to code. And we're older than you (but geeky!).

Google and YouTube are your friend when it comes to learning to do things - I use Microsoft Office (among other things) at work, and every so often I want to do something I don't know how to. The advantage of watching a tutorial on YouTube is that someone will show you exactly where the button you need is - and despite my experience with computers, I still need that regularly, so don't think you're stupid if you do!

My dad was a programmer and he introduced us to computers when we were kids. We used to spend hours writing lines of code to make a robot run around the screen for about 10 seconds!

I started using PCs for office work in the 80s when I was in my teens so I got to grips with technology quite early.

I now work in a role where tech knowledge is required but a lot of the people I work with are older and don’t know how to do basic IT. You need someone patient and knowledgable to show you the basics. Once you know those, you can pick up everything else by yourself - I was never trained in word processing packages, I worked out how to do most stuff myself.

I just kept playing with the operating system. It was Windows 98 and eventually I had the tower open and in bits on my sitting room floor........haha those were the days! Then I left my job with the NHS and got a job on a helpline dealing with hardware and it all evolved from there.

Self taught, I’m great with anything MS - even PowerPoints and am probably intermediate excel.
I’m nearly 59.
Starting using a basic word processor mid 90s.

Think about all the things that have to happen to allow you to work in retail.

Someone has to buy the stock, and keep track of it, know what's been sold and what needs to be bought to replace it, someone works out your wages, etc.

I'm self-taught and find the easiest way to learn is to have a problem to solve and then figure out how. Such as writing a letter. Or using a spreadsheet to plan a meal and shopping list. The more you learn, the more complex the problems you can tackle.

MS office has tutorials online. Further eductIon colleges run ECDL classes, some will offer distance learning, some recruitment agencies run courses in specific packages or there may be drop in sessions at the library. As to what "office work" entails it is impossible to generalise. For example Financial roles might use spreadsheets like excel or a bespoke package relevant to accounting or entering/monitoring transactions, running reports. Some environments use a recognised standard package like SIMS in schools. Documents, reports, newsletters and minutes might be written in Word. Admin covers a mixture of IT and paperwork skills, face to face and virtual interactions with contacts (internal and external) , organising meetings and events, setting up contracts, inputting data etc

I use the following applications daily.

Outlook (email). I read forward or respond to emails. These are constantly pinging into my inbox - probably about 100 a day. Each individual workplace will have it's own email etiquette and you will soon pick this up. My diary is also managed via outlook and meetings are sent, requested and logged through this.

Microsoft Teams. I use this to manage my team remotely and in the office. I can use it to collaborate and work on documents/spreadsheet/slides alongside others. Most of our meetings are conducted through this as well (unless face to face).

Microsoft Word. I do a lot of project and governance work and most documents/reports will be written up using this function. I always QA a lot of reports, so I use it to make track changes or notes on other people's work.

PowerPoint. When giving a presentation I use this to produce slides which I can share of a projector or on a screen in a team/zooms meeting. These are quite easy to produce with lots of templates, but there is a skill to getting the right amount of content on the slide. I prob do at least 1-2 a week.

Excel. I use this for all sorts - projects plans, budget monitoring, time sheets. It looks a bit dull and complicated but it is very clever. There are loads of tutorials online.

Adobe - I use this for creating pdf, graphic stuff, making my work look more professional ect.

In house web-publisher. I use this to publish reports online, create Web libraries etc.

Self serve - internal hr systems. Logging leave, staff sickness, payroll stuff.

I am really sorry, the above had paragraphs when I wrote it out.

This is great advice - set up a spreadsheet to manage your bank account transactions etc. I think once the “data” is meaningful to you a lot of the rest is logical

University and learning on the job. I think that's the same.for most people that are comfortable using computers. If you haven't come that route I think you need to do a specific course. There are lots of online ones. And get a laptop at home if you don't have one.

If I were you I would learn to touch-type first, you can teach yourself with free apps, you just have to practice. The app will set your pace and will give you tasks every day. Then I would take a Microsoft Office course which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc…

Left click on mouse for all programmes, word, excel, emails, my personal favourite paint

And if computer not working
Turn it on and off

That's all I know and get by in work on computers

Don't overthink it

ECDL.
I'd been using computers for most of my life, but always felt that I was just muddling through. No more.

The course is fucking boring though.

But you will be confident using Microsoft office, which makes the dullness eventually worth it, imo.

I have an 'office job'. I use the following software daily:

Outlook email
Outlook calendar
Microsoft teams (to chat and hold video meetings)
Smartsheets (fancy version of excel)
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Confluence
Jira
One note
Some bits of software we made ourselves (we're a software company)

If you can navigate YouTube and watch a video online you can learn to use all of those with a bit of practice. I still find myself thinking,'How the hell do I do X thing in Excel?' Google and YouTube invariably have the answer.