How to Write a Summary of Your Computer Proficiency
Think through your computer skills. ', Go back and fill in whose software it is and what versions you know., List any special skills associated with a program, especially a large, complex one that you use professionally., List specific...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Think through your computer skills. '
Start with a blank sheet of paper or blank computer document and start writing down the names of different software you have used.
Focus only on the ones you know how to use with at least some confidence.
Write down which operating systems you know how to use comfortably.
Write down which suite(s) of office tools you use.
Review the list of programs on your computer.
Write down the ones you know.
Write down any specialized software you use on the job, such as accounting, analysis, and enterprise database software. -
Step 2: Go back and fill in whose software it is and what versions you know.
That is, if you have written "Excel"
you might fill in Microsoft Excel
2007.
Include multiple versions if you have used them. , If your advanced spreadsheet skills are important to your job, try listing the skills as well as the software. , Remember that they can go elsewhere in the document, too.
If your computer skills saved time, money, or the day, try writing a sentence about it.
Also try this approach to avoid a "laundry list" effect if you want paragraphs rather than bullet points.
Compare:
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word 98-2007.
Cleaned a 3000-record mailing list database automatically in Excel and performed a mail merge in Word.
Printed custom labels presorted by ZIP code.
Avoided manual retyping and sorting. , Which one(s) are you comfortable using professionally? , Who is reading this summary? Are they looking for an expert or someone with a working knowledge of the basics? Sometimes you may wish to say how well you know a particular program.
Other times, a simple list is enough. , As with other job and application materials, imagine that your reader is very busy and may only glance at that section for a moment.
List your skills in order of importance. , In a cover letter, you may have a choice between paragraphs and a list with bullets, but remember that your cover letter focuses on the future: what you can do for the new company rather than what you have done for the old one.
You may not need to go into detail about your computer skills in the cover letter if it accompanies a resume that tells the rest of the story. -
Step 3: List any special skills associated with a program
-
Step 4: especially a large
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Step 5: complex one that you use professionally.
-
Step 6: List specific accomplishments.
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Step 7: Write down programming languages you know and make a note of how well you know them.
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Step 8: Consider what is relevant to your summary.
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Step 9: Decide what you want your reader to see first
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Step 10: especially if you have a lot to list.
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Step 11: Weave your skills into a paragraph
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Step 12: if that is called for.
Detailed Guide
Start with a blank sheet of paper or blank computer document and start writing down the names of different software you have used.
Focus only on the ones you know how to use with at least some confidence.
Write down which operating systems you know how to use comfortably.
Write down which suite(s) of office tools you use.
Review the list of programs on your computer.
Write down the ones you know.
Write down any specialized software you use on the job, such as accounting, analysis, and enterprise database software.
That is, if you have written "Excel"
you might fill in Microsoft Excel
2007.
Include multiple versions if you have used them. , If your advanced spreadsheet skills are important to your job, try listing the skills as well as the software. , Remember that they can go elsewhere in the document, too.
If your computer skills saved time, money, or the day, try writing a sentence about it.
Also try this approach to avoid a "laundry list" effect if you want paragraphs rather than bullet points.
Compare:
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word 98-2007.
Cleaned a 3000-record mailing list database automatically in Excel and performed a mail merge in Word.
Printed custom labels presorted by ZIP code.
Avoided manual retyping and sorting. , Which one(s) are you comfortable using professionally? , Who is reading this summary? Are they looking for an expert or someone with a working knowledge of the basics? Sometimes you may wish to say how well you know a particular program.
Other times, a simple list is enough. , As with other job and application materials, imagine that your reader is very busy and may only glance at that section for a moment.
List your skills in order of importance. , In a cover letter, you may have a choice between paragraphs and a list with bullets, but remember that your cover letter focuses on the future: what you can do for the new company rather than what you have done for the old one.
You may not need to go into detail about your computer skills in the cover letter if it accompanies a resume that tells the rest of the story.
About the Author
Daniel Moore
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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