Computer Skills for the Workplace (Self-Guided)

1 Overview: The Workplace Technology Solution

Whether you are looking for a new job or looking to improve your position at your current company, computer skills are essential to your success. In the first lesson, you will examine how companies set up and use technology solutions. Then you will take a close look at some of the components of those solutions.

2 Outlook: Email and Scheduling

Your computer has a software program installed on it that's referred to as an "operating system." this lesson, you will learn how this system controls many important parts of the computer and how you use those controls every day for tasks like managing important files and printing hard copies of documents.

3 Word: Creating and Formatting Documents

Next to email, the word processor is probably the most frequently used application software in the workplace. If you have never taken the time to learn the basic features of most word processors, you are not performing to your potential. In this lesson, you will learn and practice the important capabilities of word processors like Microsoft Word.

4 Word: More Advanced Formatting

There are many excellent features in Microsoft Word that can enable you to create and edit very professional-looking documents. This lesson will incorporate some of the more advanced Word functions to create documents that are sure to impress your peers and your supervisor.

5 Excel: Spreadsheet Basics

This lesson covers important fundamental concepts related to spreadsheets, including spreadsheet organization, formatting, basic formulas, and data sorting. Once you discover how to create a basic budget spreadsheet, you will see how the knowledge you gain from this lesson can have a powerful impact on contributions in the workplace.

6 Excel: Formatting, Charts, and Printing

This lesson will discuss more details about the spreadsheet, and how to provide easy-to-understand, accurate data. You will learn how to build graphs that can graphically display numeric information, so you can easily demonstrate trends, analyze past results, and predict future performance.

7 Access: Database Basics

In this lesson, you will examine the components of a database, focusing primarily on the user interface. In your job, you might use this interface to perform a lot of different functions, including data input, data output, and data maintenance.

8 PowerPoint: Creating and Editing a Presentation

PowerPoint is an important tool for creating presentations suitable for the work environment. In this lesson, you will explore the best ways to create an effective presentation that incorporates the right mix of multimedia.

9 Integrating Microsoft Office Programs

The suite of Microsoft Office products includes Excel and Access, which are both very powerful on their own. In this lesson, you are going to learn how to integrate information from one program to the other. You can create data lists with either program and easily transfer the information to the other.

10 Using the Internet

This lesson covers the basics of using the Internet. This is the greatest source of information you will ever have access to-yet it can be confusing and overwhelming if you are not familiar with the basic Internet tools. You will really enjoy seeing how easy it is to find information that specifically meets your needs and interests.

11 Transferring and Protecting Data

In this lesson you will explore various methods for transferring information from one computer to another. You will learn different terms used to describe the volume of information-or size of a file-and then learn how to most effectively and efficiently move that data from place to place.

12 Putting Your Skills to Work

In the last lesson, you will focus on putting all your new knowledge to work! You have three specific goals: The first is to identify ways to use your computer skills to find a new job. The second is to use those same computer skills to get a promotion within your current organization. The final goal is to explore strategies for continued learning in order to support your ever-growing employment goals.