SEPTEMBER
2008
Career Transition
Center
George P. Shultz
National Foreign Affairs
Training Center
U.S. Department of State
“Get over the
idea that only
children should
spend their time
in study.
Be a student so
long as you still
have something
to learn — and
this will mean all
your life.”
~ Henry L. Doherty
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER SKILLS
Whatever your career goals for this next chapter — cash-
ier at WalMart or executive at Lockheed Martin — com-
puter skills will probably be essential job skills. Informa-
tion management skills appear in most „Top Ten Lists‟ of
most essential job skills. The U.S. Department of Labor‟s
list definitely includes them:
Problem-solving
Vocational-technical
Human relations
Computer programming
Teaching-training
Science and math
Money management
Information management
Foreign language
Business management
Mature workers like ourselves need to show that we are
computer literate and ready to compete in today‟s job
market. Monster.com advises workers wanting to be-
come computer-literate to focus on:
“Basic skills to operate a computer, such as handling
a computer mouse, typing on a keyboard, and navi-
gating file systems and menus.
“Microsoft Office programs, with particular attention to
Word, Excel and PowerPoint -- roughly in that order.
“Essential Internet skills, such as email, Web browsing
and searching.”
(“Get Computer Skills as an Older Worker” by Allan Hoff-
man, http://career-advice.monster.com/technology-skills/
career-changers/older-workers/Get-Computer-Skills-As-
an-Older-Wor/home.aspx)
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Essential Computer
Skills
1
Expatriate Favorites
3
New Editor
4
JSP Grad Info
5
To take your knowledge a step further,
make sure you know how to:
Format text and titles; create headers
and footers; insert tables, charts, and
graphics
Organize files on your hard drive for
easy access
Maintain a detailed address book in your
MS Outlook or other e-m