In the early 1980s when I was 10, I learnt BASIC computer coding on a chunky black BBC Micro computer at school. For a child with a natural affinity for maths, patterns and languages, this was exciting and, dare I say it, easy! In this article I’m sharing my love of technology over the last 40 years and why our transferrable skills and experience are so important.
By 13, my dad and I were writing computer programs at home to create ‘space invader’ style games and – given his electronics engineering background – a test card program for television screens, complete with colour bars, moving lines and cross hatch.
This early fascination with technology and the skills and experience I’d gained in my teens meant that I was ahead of the game in some of my first jobs. So much so, that I ended up training other team members (of all ages and levels) in my work in a global hotel chain, a large life assurance company and for a patent and trademark company.
As the worldwide web became available in libraries, colleges and homes across the world, I jumped at the chance to buy a domain name, start a website and begin chatting with people in internet forums.
I physically remember the feelings of joy, excitement and infinite possibilities fizzing through my body as invisible connections came to life, creating endless opportunities for the future.
My love for technology and lack of fear around learning new skills in this area means that I’ve passed on a positive learning experience to my daughters who used computer technology (responsibly) from a young age and are now excelling in the adult world, always finding the joy and benefits in improving their skills.
In the last 25 years alone, technology has moved on faster than in any other period of human history. And just in the last 5-10 years we’ve seen a crazy amount of exponential growth.
And each time technology has gone through a shift and upgraded to even faster, smaller products, I’ve embraced the change and immersed myself in the learning process.
As a freelance professional over the last 25+ years, my love of learning and passion for technology has meant that I’ve been able to continuously evolve and keep up with the rapidly changing market.
In this time, I’ve learnt more levels of Microsoft Word than I care to remember (Word 3.0 anyone?!), switched from PC to Mac (and never looked back), created websites in WordPress, Kajabi and Squarespace, learnt numerous CRM programs like Mailchimp and Hubspot, downloaded endless pieces of software to make running a business easier and learnt how to use social media platforms, payment processors, photo and video editing software and so much more….
These skills and experiences, along with an innate love of learning and desire to share information to help others in some way are INCREDIBLY VALUABLE because no one can ever take them away from me.
No matter what happens in the world or in my personal life, those skills and experiences will remain forever – and even if some get a little rusty, they’re easily relearnt and reignited.
In his book, The Diary of a CEO – The 33 Laws of Business and Life, Steven Bartlett talks about the power of expanding your skills and experience and the value these bring to the world. “Those who hoard gold have riches for a moment. Those who hoard knowledge and skills have riches for a lifetime. True prosperity is what you know and what you can do.”
All of the technology skills and love of learning I’ve talked about in this article are transferrable skills: skills that are easily transferred from one job role to another and from one business to another.
I’D LOVE TO KNOW: What transferrable skills do you have that were evident from a very young age? How did you nurture them over the years? Do you still use them in your work or personal life today?
Add your comments here or join the conversation on LinkedIn.
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