Whether you are a techie by profession or just a self-styled one, there is a particular skill set you should have, or at least be developing if you want to fit the part. These include both mobile, laptop and desktop skills, software and hardware know-how. If you are committed to the techie identity, below are the top skills you need to have in your arsenal.
Advanced Microsoft Excel Skills
Anyone who has worked in an office setting would likely consider themselves proficient with Microsoft Excel. This would include knowledge of basic formulas, an ability to convert raw data into a variety of graphs, and several other Excel fundamentals. These are the bare minimum and they are not even scratching the surface of the program’s complexity and versatility.
Someone with a deep understanding of and affinity for all things technology, however, is going to want to have a much more in-depth understanding of one of the most widely used office software out there. Once you start to really hone your ability to make use of the more sophisticated functions and toolbox features, you set yourself apart from the average user. Consider investing in an Excel course taught by a real Microsoft Pro
App Design Basics
Our daily lives run on apps and the pace of this trend will only pick up as the internet of things and 5G wireless become increasingly integrated into everything we do and everywhere we go. Apps are developed for almost every piece of consumer hardware you can think of and even small businesses are upping their digital commerce game with app development.
A basic understanding of app development, and especially mobile app development, means a working knowledge of a number of different popular mobile app development programming languages. These include JavaScript, C++, Python, PHP, Swift and others. You don’t need a masters-level understanding to consider yourself a true techie, but strong foundational knowledge that makes future learning, and potentially even app creation so much easier is a techie must-have.
Know Your Way Around All of Major Operating Systems
If you are the “tech” guy or girl in your family, among your friends or at your workplace, you are probably everyone’s first call when there is a tech-related issue that a simple Google search can’t solve. You are adept at troubleshooting software, settings and navigational issues in Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.
You acquire these skills by owning and using a wide range of different hardware and software, by reading and following industry blogs, forums and magazines, and through trial and error. While this might seem painfully dry to the non-techie, the true techie loves the intricacies of different operating systems and prides themselves on knowing how to adapt, fix, and change hardware and software settings at will.
A Strong Understanding of Internet Protocol
Most everyone uses the internet, but a very small minority actually understands how the internet works. That is to say, most people are painfully unaware of the ins and outs of internet protocol (IP)–the standardized configurations and communication rules that exist around the world which let different internet-connected computers talk to one another.
A techie understands and has a deep reverence for the beauty of IP, and the path that digitized data takes as it goes from point A to point B. Without this standardized protocol, there would be no internet, and knowing how it works allows those who are tech-oriented to better manage and understand the flow of data online, including how to protect it.
Conclusion
The term “techie,” in its best sense, is simply shorthand for a person who loves and is intrigued by human technological invention. The modern techie would likely include a great many more skills and interests in their techie profile than what is listed above, but they would most certainly count the previous 4 among their cornerstones.
