Job description saying "you must have excellent IT skills"

Pawnless Endgame · 18 Jun 2013 at 17:21

Does this irk any others on here?

This is aimed at office jobs, where some job forms say that you must have excellent IT skills. The wording continues along the lines of - being able to use a word processor, accessing a shared Outlook calendar, accurate inputting of data and using search engines on the web. That reads out as patronising to me and it doesn't take an overclocker to know that those are everyday activities on a computer, even on a home computer apart from perhaps the Outlook shared calendar bit. I'm not saying that you have to be a 1st or 2nd-line support technician, but "excellent IT skills" to me would be knowing more than just MS Office and Internet Explorer. Things like using art packages, CAD / 3D modelling, desktop publishing, sound recording and knowing that your PC specs are up for the job of running those programs. Plus, knowing your way around Windows a bit.

Oh, and don't get me started on "ICT". It's IT

GravyMonster · 18 Jun 2013 at 17:28

'Excellent IT skills' on most job specs simply means 'applicant must not be a hunt and peck typist'.

Destination · 18 Jun 2013 at 17:33

Monserrat said:
Things like using art packages, CAD / 3D modelling, desktop publishing, sound recording and knowing that your PC specs are up for the job of running those programs.

Why?
Those are role specific application, excellent IT skills is a modern way of stating excellent secretarial/PA skills. As the mode of operation has changed as has the name of the skill set.

What you envisage is more, IT support skills, rather than IT skills.
The software packages you list are specific to roles and departments, rather than an IT skill as such.

Madamoiselle · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:18

I try and keep a lid on the fact I know more than your average bear about computers, as it inevitably leads to being sat in some stuffy living room being fed sugary weak tea and soggy sandwiches whilst waiting for the problem laptop to churn it's way through 8 million pieces of spyware and load up half a dozen crap search toolbars before the bloody mouse will even move.

My CV does say I have excellent IT skills though

Joshct · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:19

What you think 'excellent IT skills' means, is something different to what they mean.
I've learnt that really, there is a LOT of people who don't know extreme basics of pc usage.

Down to being able to copy and paste. Or navigating files.

Hard to imagine if you're someone who frequents a forum such as this, but unless you're applying for an IT support job, being 'skilled' enough to log into a forum and post a thread puts you ahead of the curve.

So yes it will seem patronizing,...... but it's not aimed at people like you.

Feek · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:28

Madamoiselle said:
I try and keep a lid on the fact I know more than your average bear about computers, as it inevitably leads to being sat in some stuffy living room being fed sugary weak tea and soggy sandwiches whilst waiting for the problem laptop to churn it's way through 8 million pieces of spyware and load up half a dozen crap search toolbars before the bloody mouse will even move.

Just say no.

Phate · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:28

Well Mr OP you would be amazed at the amount of people that do not know how to do even though.

Me: ok sir please go to www.logmein123.com
Them: how do I do that?
Me: on the Internet?
Them: ah yes...right hang on...which one do i pick?
Me: I'm sorry?
Them: well there's lots of them under Bing
Me: nope don't search for it, just type it in the address bar
Them: ok hang on, ill need to put the phone down to use both hands for that
*ka-thunk*

Sigh....

Cosimo · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:41

If you can navigate through windows to send an email, write a few lines in a word document and open a spreadsheet then you have the right skills.

4T5 · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:41

Have you turned it Off then On again ?

Madamoiselle · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:46

Feek said:
Just say no.

I'm a sucker for helping people :mad:

brendy · 18 Jun 2013 at 18:52

Reply stating that 'going by your description, I seem to have awesome IT skills. Would I be over qualified?'

Saundie · 18 Jun 2013 at 19:07

Phate said:
Them: ok hang on, ill need to put the phone down to use both hands for that
*ka-thunk*

Followed by "okay, I'm there, which one do I click? Free, central, rescue? Oh wait, I see it, sign in. Okay, what's the email address and password?"

I did try to get people to go to support.me for a while, but I gave up quite quickly when I realised they were always going to go to support.me.com instead. So frustrating

Calgar117 · 18 Jun 2013 at 19:17

LordSplodge · 18 Jun 2013 at 19:23

Madamoiselle said:
I'm a sucker for helping people

Fine if it earns you a crust.

Phate · 18 Jun 2013 at 19:27

Saundie said:
Followed by "okay, I'm there, which one do I click? Free, central, rescue? Oh wait, I see it, sign in. Okay, what's the email address and password?"

I did try to get people to go to support.me for a while, but I gave up quite quickly when I realised they were always going to go to support.me.com instead. So frustrating

Genuinely took a guy 7 attempts the other day to get to logmein123.com

I was gobsmacked.

Deleted member 77746 · 18 Jun 2013 at 19:28

OP doesn't have awesome IT skills as they had to ask the question about awesome IT skills.

oh boy.

Amp34 · 18 Jun 2013 at 23:20

It's only truly "excellent" IT skills when you CV breaks it down to the programs you can use IMO. That doesn't include word and excel!

[FnG]magnolia · 18 Jun 2013 at 23:38

Imagine if a SKY engineer also had excellent IT skills.

You guys would combust.

FoxEye · 18 Jun 2013 at 23:50

The people who write these job descriptions would probably be impressed by an ECDL.

Like someone else said, it's the modern equivalent of being a a good filer, or a good typist.

If you can make a multi-coloured spreadsheet, or do a mail-merge in Word, then you have 'excellent IT skills'

cypto · 19 Jun 2013 at 00:09

Phate said:
Genuinely took a guy 7 attempts the other day to get to logmein123.com

I was gobsmacked.

Think that was bad, Doing some tech support for the family... Sigh..

He rang up mentioning that his computer wasn't working. After a lengthy conversation, he meant it wasn't turning on. After checking it was indeed plugged In at the wall I then asked him to turn it on. I got the response "Ok pressed that a blinking light has come on, but it is still not working" .."Ok where is the blinking light". He replies "next to the screen, its just flashing yellow"

Racking my brains trying to think what he is really doing on the other end of the phone. I ask the question which button are you pressing to turn the PC on. "The one on the computer next to the screen"

Turns out since dell installed his PC he had never turned it on assuming the on button for his computer was in-fact the monitor power button. Now I understand not everyone understands computers so well but I had at least hoped he knew how to turn it on, even the lovely IT Crowd "have you tried turning it off and on again" wouldn't be much use here.