Accelerate Your Job Skills

State Street in Madison, Wisconsin with a sign that says Find A New StartIt happens all the time. You find a job that has the potential to be a perfect fit for the responsibilities you are ready to take on in an office position. As your eyes scan the list of requirements, you find defeat when you do not posses one of the skills the employer has listed for the job you want.

Some applicants will apply for the position anyway hoping the employer will decide that one skill is not really all that important to the job. Other applicants will sigh and return to searching for another office position with different qualifications.

Other than the “apply and hope” method or giving up all together, what is a better route job seekers can take when applying for a new job? Luckily for job applicants, they have the power to improve some of the most common job skills needed by office staff right at their fingertips.

The top qualifications for employers who need office personnel tend to involve Microsoft Office skills. Employers want to know if a job candidate can handle Excel spreadsheets, create copy in a Word document or put together a PowerPoint presentation. If a job seeker does not currently have those skills or hasn’t used them in awhile, help is near.

Microsoft offers free online Microsoft Office training for programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and SharePoint. Additionally, Microsoft offers certifications for those who want to advance skills and set themselves apart from other applicants.

For those who thrive in a more hands-on learning environment, job seekers can take advantage of continuing education classes from local community colleges. These classes are designed for those who wish to either brush up on general computer and Microsoft Office skills, or further their knowledge base with more advanced techniques.

Drake & Company Staffing Solutions also has the ability to connect job applicants with online assessments to improve the skills needed by today’s employers. Assessments include programs such as Microsoft Office, plus other programs for accounting and legal software.

To learn more about the type of assessments offered through Drake & Company to help you prepare for the job market, contact our office at (608) 257-2411. One of our recruiters is also on hand to help you find a new start with a better job in the Madison area.

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Stephanie Beirne Leuer is the Marketing Coordinator at Drake & Company Staffing Solutions, a staffing firm based in Madison, Wisconsin. Drake & Company specializes in temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire administrative, clerical and legal placements. Since 1978, Drake has reached beyond skills and qualifications to match candidate personalities with a company’s culture. You can connect with Stephanie by email, and you can find Drake & Company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.