Mastering Keyboard Basics
You and Your Keyboard
You are a resume writer (or about to be). Notice that the second part of that job title is ‘writer.’
Writing is what we do.
And that means you need to have better than average keyboard skills if you want to succeed in the long term.
Let’s face it, if you still use the one or two-finger hunt-and-peck typing method, odds are your efficiency level is nowhere near what it should be.
Your keyboard is your greatest tool in this business (other than your brain!). This doesn’t mean you have to be a speed typist, but multi-finger typing abilities and a knowledge of where the keys are is pretty much a basic requirement.
How do you know if your typing skills are below average?
Visit this webpage for a simple test of typing speed (words per minute): http://www.calculatorcat.com/typing_test/
Below the test are also some helpful tips to improve your typing, including how to best position your keyboard, the best posture for typing, and not hitting the keys too forcefully.
If you are keyboard challenged, it might be a good idea to invest in a typing or word processing class.
Microsoft Office – Shortcuts and Commands
There are a lot of different word processing systems out there, but Microsoft Word still remains as the number one system. Not only is it the one most professionals use, but Word files are the preferred file types in most Human Resources offices.
Hopefully, if you’re in the business of writing resumes you already have a decent command of MS Word. But there are always tricks and shortcuts even the most seasoned writer can benefit from.
Some of my favorites are:
1. The Toolbar.
I like to set up the Quick Access Toolbar at the top of the screen so that it not only contains all the most command commands I use, but they are grouped in categories (print commands, text formatting commands, paragraph formatting commands, save and open commands, etc.).
By always keeping my commands in the same exact places, even when I get a new computer or new version of MS Office, I can quickly access the commands I need without searching for them.
2. Memorize short cuts.
Need to use Bold or Underline or Italics?
You can save time by using keyboard commands such as Control+I (for italics) rather than taking your hand off the keys to swing the mouse to the Toolbar.
Also, remember that if you highlight a word or sentence and then let the mouse arrow hover over the highlighted area, a box with all the most common formatting and text commands will appear.
3. Font Familiarity.
In the font Command box, set up your Recently Used Fonts section with all the most common fonts you use for your resumes.
4. Remember Word has excellent research tools.
Repetition in a resume is a real problem, especially when it comes to using action verbs in bullets. I like to keep my Thesaurus open all the time so I can quickly find synonyms when I need them.
5. Save your work!
A lot of time can be lost if your computer crashes while you’re working on a document, or if you accidentally close something without saving.
To minimize the possibility that this can happen, go into Word’s properties and set up the automatic save option. I have mine set up to save every minute, so even if there’s a crash, the most I’ll lose will be a couple of sentences in a document.
This list is nowhere near as comprehensive as it could be.
Entire books have been written describing all the tools and commands in MS Word.
While such a book might not be necessary to improve your resume creation speed, it is a fact that the more you know about your word processing system, the better off you’ll be.
For more tips on how to get the most out of MS Word, visit this website: http://word.tips.net/
