Why you should become ICT literate

Why you should become ICT literate

Information and Communication technology is the emerging power that has taken the whole world by surprise. Everything nowadays has literally gotten computerized and you would stand to lose if you get left out in the ICT wagon. You may think that Computers and the related peripherals are only meant for ICT professionals but the truth is, Information Technology is quickly becoming dissolved into the other careers faster than salt would be dissolved in a stirred glass of water.

The fact is, get computer literate and steer your career to a new height that you did not know before. Let us consider some of the major reasons why I encourage all people aspiring to be successful to be computer literate.

A Dell Computer, Computers are nowadays becoming a necessity in this world.

ONE: COMMUNICATION

Like it or not, communication has been taken over by computers in all forms e.g. Mobile phones, Desk tops, Smart Phones etc. The emergence of Electronic-Mail (E-Mail) has made it easier to pass information everywhere in real time. E-mail can only be sent from a computerized gadget and for you to be able to use the handy feature, you must be computer literate. You must know how to log-in into your e-mail account, how to compose a message, attaching and downloading a document, sending simultaneous messages to people etc.

With handheld devices you must know how to follow the procedures of accomplishing tasks like making a call, sending an SMS etc.

You also must be in a position to use the multi-media feature in communication where you can send textual, graphical and sound messages as one component.

TWO: CONFIDENCE

When you are computer literate, there are so many things that you will be able to do on your own without the need of an ICT professional helping you out e.g. typing, drawing, printing, communicating etc. This enhances your confidence in performing your work and this has a real pay off in your career development. You will also be able to work faster and produce more presentable and organized office work. Computers enable us to work faster and when you know that you can deliver faster with your skills, you become more confident that you are a competent worker who has a sense of direction in His / Her career.

THREE: CUTTING DOWN ON COST

Computer knowledge has a nice way of cutting down on cost of doing things in our lives and career. This point has many ways of explaining it e.g. cost of travel, cost of production, cost of storage, cost of learning etc. Computer literacy can save you from having to travel to diverse locations in order to conduct a research since all you have to do is to surf the web and search for the information. Also when you are learning, you can download many free e-books rather than buying hard copies costing to thousands in cash. This would also greatly reduce the cost of storing this information since you need less space to preserve your books as soft-copy compared to storing them in shelves as hard-copy.

When it comes to calculating, the computers and hand held devices all have an inbuilt calculator. This can replace the electronic calculator for once and cut down the expenditures in work places.

FOUR: TIME MANAGEMENT

The modern computer has the wonderful feature called “Multi-programming” that enables you to run more than one program simultaneously. This feature is enhanced by Random Access Memory size, Multi-processing and Co-processing. With these features you can run load more than one program into RAM and multi-task. This will enable you to save on time that would otherwise be spent in other more profitable tasks during the saved time. The power of your computer is determined by Processor speed, RAM size and Storage capacity size.

You simply must know how to make a computer multi-task in order to save time with it.  The other thing is to know the plethora of windows and application shortcuts that could help you save time when accomplishing most of the tasks in the office.

Moreover, being able to buy Via Electronic Money transactions e.g. M-Pesa, Master Cards, etc is not only convenient but safe. Electronic money transfer also saves time a lot.

FIVE: ROMANCE

ICT literate people are also romantic. Feelings that are depicted graphically are better understood and capture imagination more and better than mere written word. You can edit a photo of yourself or with your lover and embed a nice love message that will surely impress your love. There are so many free photo editing software that are very easy to use. Photoscape is one of them. Creativity is what will make you a pro in whatever you are doing but ICT literacy will play part.

A couple Kissing. Graphic can depict emotions when one puts some creativity in the game of romance.

Moreover, dating and relationships hook ups are also happening online and this is made easier if you are ICT literate. There are so many services and websites that do online match making. Some are free and others offer services to registered members.

SIX: SALES AND MARKETING

The power to advertise lies solely on the imaginations and creativity of the people doing it. There is real power in graphics when it comes to advertising. Well crafted captions with images of the product that you are selling can easily capture the mind of a potential customer better than mere words. 

An Image with a political Caption.

It is even better when combined with sound and motion pictures or video. Video editing is a bit complicated but can also be done by almost anyone as long as you have the resources that are needed. Some techniques like Graphic Design, Web Design etc may be needed where you place your own adverts to your dynamic site and update them regularly depending on your preferences.

SEVEN: JOB SEARCH

Job searching has also embraced ICT. Many jobs are advertised over the Electronic Media than before. Subscription services do exist that alert you on the available jobs in the market. Also some websites dedicate their services full time to advertising job openings to potential candidates. It is essential for you to be web literate for you to know how to search for a job online.

Some sites also offer CV hosting services where you place your CV and they match you with the right job that fit into your qualifications. Some also offer CV writing services at a fee to tailor your CV to the current job market. 

EIGHT: TRAVEL AND TOURISM

For those who are willing to travel to a remote location and they do not have sufficient knowledge of the place you can always refer to Google maps for further information of the place. There you may know some information that you need to know before you embark on your journey.

You can also Google for any other information of a place e.g. Capital City, National Language, Currency, Security etc all from the web. ICT literacy is a must.

NINE: EDUCATION

The web has become a major source of knowledge and you can always use your search engine to get any information you wish to know of anything. Computers also help in simulation of scenarios before arriving into conclusion. You can do a financial projection using Ms Excel for your company to know if there is a necessity to increase your annual budget or not.

ICT Literacy cannot be undermined and there are so many ways of using ICT knowledge. There is no limit to using the knowledge, imagination; creativity and enthusiasm are the key to exploring any spectrum of knowledge in this world. I have just given but a few, the rest I leave upon you to explore. Feel free to consult me via E-mail or phone on various ways you can use computers in the general world and also particularly in the career that you are in.

Have a blessed day.