Every era has its new office technologies. In the 1980s and 1990s it was fax machines and email. The 2000s and early 2010s saw the rise of mobile technology and Web 2.0. In the last decade, office work has been impacted by the proliferation of data and artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Wondering what skills you need to succeed if you’re just entering the workforce, changing fields or returning after a break? Here are 7 essential office skills you need right now, from basic skills to more advanced, along with the UW Professional & Continuing Education programs that can help you learn them.
1. Communication and Collaboration
Since the pandemic, office work has become more collaborative and likely to be conducted remotely. This has increased the importance of tools like email (especially Gmail and Outlook), communications and messaging platforms (like Microsoft Teams and Slack), and virtual meeting apps like Zoom. You should know how to:
- Configure your basic email settings (signature, formatting, views, etc.)
- Set up folders and rules for sorting your incoming email
- Manage your calendar
- Create meeting invites
- Manage a live video call/meeting in Teams or Zoom
- Navigate a Slack or Teams workspace
“So much of our work today is done in collaboration, and technology is all about making that process easier,” says Julian Peterson, instructor for UW’s new Business Technology Essentials course, which can help you get comfortable with these tools.
▸ Learn This: Business Technology Essentials
2. Cloud Computing and File Management
Many workplaces today keep their files and other data in the cloud, and everyone needs to understand how to access their organization’s network. Whether your office uses Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or another cloud storage service, you’ll need to know how to:
- Organize files and folders
- Share files and set permissions
- Sync files and access them remotely
For technology-focused organizations, such as software companies, knowing how to create a GitHub repository to store, manage and share code is another valuable skill.
▸ Learn This: Business Technology Essentials
3. Word Processing Software
The widespread adoption of tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Word (now part of the online Microsoft 365 service) has made document coauthoring and collaboration easier. But, to work seamlessly with others to produce quality content — everything from social-media posts to high-level strategic plans — you should understand how to:
- Create and format a document
- Leverage document templates for consistency and efficiency
- Track edits and comments
- Identify and address accessibility issues
▸ Learn This: Business Technology Essentials
4. Data Analysis
When an organization faces a decision today — anything from evaluating the prospects for a new product to judging the effectiveness of a recent marketing campaign — it takes a close look at the data before deciding on next steps. To participate in such decision-making, you should be comfortable using data-processing programs such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. You should know how to:
- Input and format data
- Use formulas to do basic calculations
- Sort and filter your data
- Create simple graphs and tables
If you’re looking to build intermediate skills, it can be helpful to know techniques for cleaning and processing data, how to use pivot tables to aggregate data, and how to use SQL to help generate dynamic reports and visualizations.
“So many businesses have become data-driven, and it’s important to at least grasp the terminology and have a conversational understanding of data analysis,” says Tim Mudd, instructor for UW’s Foundations of Data Analysis course. “Many workers, including late-career professionals, need to upskill in this area.”
▸ Learn This: Foundations of Data Analysis
5. Generative AI
AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini have changed how many creative business functions are carried out, especially in marketing and communications. Employers will increasingly expect office workers to know how to get the most out of generative AI tools. For instance, you should know how to:
- Craft effective prompts (also known as “prompt engineering”)
- Understand the strengths and weaknesses of different AI tools
- Generate images and designs using generative AI
- Interact with and implement AI chatbots
- Grasp the potential pitfalls and ethical issues involved in using AI in the workplace
“This technology is so new, exciting and creative,” says Paul Fabretti, a Microsoft communications director and instructor for the new UW Generative AI for Business course. “Anyone who can find ways to introduce these AI tools into their everyday work will be at a major advantage in the workplace and job market.”
▸ Learn This: Empowering Marketing & Communications With AI; Generative AI for Business
6. Data Visualization
Anyone who can take data and tell a compelling story using that data to make an impact or change in the world has a skill needed in every corporation and industry.
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Lisa Carlson, instructor for the UW Certificate in Data Visualization With Tableau
Understanding your organization’s data is one thing — turning it into interactive dashboards and visuals that can tell a compelling story is the next big step. Getting familiar with data visualization applications like Tableau and Power BI can pay dividends as employers increasingly look for workers with these skills. You’ll be more valuable at work if you can:
- Locate, prepare, model and analyze data
- Understand the fundamental principles of data visualization
- Design different types of data dashboards
- Apply storytelling skills to your data visualizations
- Use highlighting, animations and multimedia effects to enhance visualizations
“Anyone who can take data and tell a compelling story using that data to make an impact or change in the world has a skill needed in every corporation and industry,” says Lisa Carlson, an instructor for the UW Certificate in Data Visualization With Tableau.
▸ Learn This: Data Visualization Essentials With Power BI; Certificate in Data Visualization With Tableau
7. Project Management
Much of modern office work revolves around the concepts of project management. Even if you aren’t in a formal project management role, your job will often involve different aspects of this discipline. At a minimum, you should understand how to:
- Gauge the scope of a project
- Create a basic project schedule using industry-standard software
- Develop a project budget
- Manage risk and other dependencies
“Project management skills are critical,” says Luke Panezich, instructor for the UW Certificate in Project Management. “And they're fungible, meaning they can be taken anywhere, into any particular context.”
▸ Learn This: Foundations of Project Management; Certificate in Project Management
Getting Office-Ready
Need to build your professional skills to get started at or return to the office? The Business Technology Essentials course can get you up to speed in many areas on the above list, especially if you’ve been out of the workforce for a while or are feeling a little daunted by all the new tools.
“Technology is moving at such a fast pace, and sometimes there’s a resistance to learning something new,” says Peterson, the course instructor. “Our course focuses on breaking down that barrier and empowering people to feel confident in engaging with a new technology, so they can get back to accomplishing their work.”
Beyond specific skills, one of the most important things you can develop in the modern workplace is a willingness to keep learning, sometimes called a “growth mindset.” If you can remain open to the latest technology tools and quickly adapt your workflows to incorporate these new methods and applications, you are much more likely to thrive in your role and be ready for what the future holds for your field.
Keep Learning
Looking for more ways to build your skills? Check out our foundations courses in tech, data, business, marketing and more.