Computational skills are crucial for many different professionals if they want to achieve success. These skills can help anyone, from students to already renowned professionals. It is always great to fine-tune your abilities to become a better employee or leader. However, many people misunderstand what computational skills are. Many believe these abilities only benefit those in STEM fields or that building computational skills is too costly and time-consuming.
However, the benefits of developing these key skills are too significant to ignore. By taking the HIGH5 strengths assessment, you can quickly identify your natural computational abilities and learn how to leverage them effectively. This personalized approach not only saves time but also ensures you’re focusing on the right areas for your unique skill set, making the process of developing computational skills more accessible and efficient for everyone. In this article, we will outline what computational abilities are and how our everyday lives are benefitted from computational.
What is computational thinking?
Computational thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves breaking down complex issues and developing solutions using logical and analytical methods. It helps individuals approach tasks methodically, making it easier to create effective, repeatable strategies for addressing a wide array of challenges in both professional and everyday situations.
The four cornerstones of computational thinking
- Decomposition: Decomposition involves breaking down a complex problem into smaller, more manageable components. This makes it easier to tackle the problem step-by-step and ensures that each aspect is fully understood before proceeding.
- Pattern recognition: Pattern recognition is the process of identifying similarities or trends within a problem or dataset. Recognizing these patterns allows for quicker problem-solving, as familiar solutions can often be applied to similar challenges.
- Abstraction: Abstraction involves filtering out unnecessary details to focus on the most important information. This helps simplify complex problems and concentrate efforts on the core issue without being overwhelmed by irrelevant details.
- Algorithm design: Algorithm design refers to creating a step-by-step procedure to solve a problem. This process is akin to writing a recipe or set of instructions, ensuring that the same approach can be used to solve similar problems repeatedly and efficiently.
What are computational skills?
Computational skills encompass a broad range of abilities that help individuals solve problems using mathematical and logical thinking. These include basic mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as more advanced skills like data analysis, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking. Mastering computational skills allows individuals to approach challenges systematically, making them valuable assets in any professional setting.
Importance and benefits of having computational skills
Computational skills benefit individuals in virtually any field and job role. Whether you’re a new employee or a top industry leader, focusing on building your computational abilities will help you in the long run. The HIGH5 strengths assessment can be a game-changer in this process. By identifying your top strengths, including those related to computational thinking, you can strategically develop these abilities in alignment with your natural talents.
This targeted approach not only accelerates your skill development but also ensures that you’re leveraging your innate capabilities to their fullest potential, giving you a competitive edge in your career journey. If you are someone who focuses on building your future success and developing life skills that can be used throughout your entire career. If you are wondering about which specific benefits you will acquire when building these skills, these are just a few:
- Becoming much more productive and efficient, which leads to increased revenue and profit for your company
- Allows you to quickly find the root cause of problems and boost your problem-solving skills
- Allows you to highlight your skills when you are in an interview or on your resume
- Minimizing your frustration and reducing stress in the workplace
- Helping you become more positive and confident in your abilities, leading to making calculated risks
- Allows you to think more creatively and boost innovation, thus creating a competitive advantage
- Increasing your ability to research and think rationally
- Allows you to harness the power of technology to benefit your entire team
- Helps you take larger tasks by breaking them into simple steps and recognizing patterns
- Boosts your likelihood of acquiring a job you truly desire and thus staying committed to your work long-term
Pro Tip From HIGH5
After identifying your computational strengths through the HIGH5 test, create a personal development plan that aligns these strengths with your career goals. For instance, if ‘analytical thinking’ is a top strength, seek out projects or roles that allow you to dive deep into data analysis and problem-solving.
15 must-have computational skills
Now that you know of the many benefits of acquiring computational abilities, you should realize there are many different types of computation. If you want to truly be the best employee you can be, consider building up many of these skills. It helps you become more well-rounded and efficient. Some of the top computational skills you should focus on building include:
- Data analysis
- Pattern recognition
- Decomposition
- Algorithmic thinking
- Abstraction
- Algorithmic design
- Creativity
- Collaboration
- Curiosity
- Communication
- Accountability
- Independence
- Data presentation
- Software knowledge
- Customer service skills
Data analysis
Analyzing data will benefit your entire team. When you collect data, it can be extremely helpful for evaluating your current strategies and developing new ones. Data analysis can help you find inefficiencies in your business. It can help you overcome challenges, too. Data analysis requires strong math skills, which is what makes it a type of computational skill.
Pattern recognition
Finding patterns in your work ensures that you can become more productive. How so? If you can see patterns and notice what makes you the most efficient, you can continue building upon those patterns. You can also learn more about your patterns if you recognize patterns in their purchasing. Many major companies use pattern recognition to create tailored recommendations for their clients.
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process of breaking down large problems into smaller tasks. It also means taking complex ideas and simplifying them to make them easier for you to understand. For example, if you know you need to be more productive, you may start by removing distractions one by one. Over time, you will overcome your problem.
Algorithmic thinking
Algorithmic thinking as a type of computational skill that allows you to apply the scientific method to your thinking process. It is similar to critical thinking but with an emphasis on applying math to your problem-solving strategies. It requires logical thinking and finding ways to optimize your solutions. Clearly, this will benefit your entire team and boost efficiency.
Abstraction
The concept of abstraction is a bit difficult to understand at first (after all, it is abstract!). Ultimately it is about finding out what is important to your career and focusing on that. The more irrelevant details can be ignored for some time or focused on later. Abstraction allows you to think about the big picture and maintain your focus better.
Algorithmic design
Computational skills include not only algorithmic thinking but also algorithmic design. This skill is not only helpful to designers, though. Knowing how to design algorithms can help individuals in the technology field, too. And, since everyone will deal with technology during their work, it is wise to learn some of the basic principles behind algorithmic design.
Creativity
Computational skills also focus on being creative. You need to think outside of the box sometimes to find the best solutions. Creativity and a willingness to take risks will help you with this part of your job. When you think creatively, your algorithms may become more efficient. This leads to an increased ability to solve problems and meet your goals.
Collaboration
Another key soft skill for those interested in computational abilities, collaboration is necessary to truly harness your computation skills. You will never know everything, and having others to help you and teach you is almost always great. They can help you discover new ways to approach problems, thus boosting efficiency and creative thinking.
Curiosity
Individuals who focus on computational abilities are naturally curious. Learn to ask “why?” and look for the root cause of problems. Curiosity can help you uncover solutions to problems you never knew even existed. The spirit of curiosity can also make work more fun and energizing. After all, it helps you embrace your questions and dig deeper to find answers to them.
Communication
Communication is a skill that is needed in virtually any industry. You can collect data in the most precise and efficient manner, but if you cannot communicate why it is meaningful, your customers will not be impressed. Communication also comes in handy when working to become a better team player and improving your collaborative skills.
Accountability
There is no such thing as perfect. When you make a mistake, the responsible thing to do is clearly to own up to it. When you are in a STEM field or focused on your computation, it can be easy to overlook the importance of morality. You are so focused on efficiency that these soft skills seem less important. But, not being accountable can sabotage your career and reputation. So, take the time to say sorry when appropriate.
Independence
If you are interested in a career that revolves around computation, you will probably also need to be independent. While collaboration is key, too, knowing how to work by yourself is also crucial. If you want to be respected and known as productive, you have to be efficient even when working alone. If you can master both collaboration and independent skills, your employer will be impressed.
Data presentation
Data presentation is a key part of communication for anyone interested in boosting computational skills. As previously stated, knowing and collecting data is only part of the equation for winning over customers and being efficient. You must also present it effectively. This means knowing what your customer is interested in and how to highlight the key parts of your data.
Software knowledge
Collecting data and analyzing it requires software knowledge. If you do not know how to effectively harness the power of software, you will be far less efficient. The software can simplify the process of data collection, automate burdensome tasks, and save you time as well as frustration. Look for the most commonly used software in your industry and begin learning about them (especially prior to starting a new job).
Customer service skills
Knowing how to communicate with customers and make them satisfied will be a crucial skill for you. If all you focus on are technical skills, and you ignore key soft skills like this one, many customers will become uninterested in your products. On the other hand, building both strong soft and hard computational skills will set you apart from many other individuals in STEM, as many individuals overlook soft skills.
How do you identify computational skills?
Knowing your strengths is absolutely crucial, regardless of the type of job you are interested in and which industry you will ultimately go into. However, actually understanding your strengths and growing them seems quite challenging to most people. Many do not even know where to start. To find your existing computational skills, you do not need to spend an immense of time reading books or searching for expensive strength-building classes. Instead, there are free resources that nearly anyone can access which give you high-quality strength insights. For one, you could take an online assessment.
The HIGH5 test stands out as one of the most trusted and comprehensive assessments available for identifying your computational skills and overall strengths profile. What sets it apart is its focus on not just identifying your abilities, but also providing actionable insights on how to apply them in your professional life. For instance, if the test reveals a strength in pattern recognition, it will offer specific strategies to leverage this skill in data analysis or problem-solving scenarios.
This practical approach ensures that you’re not just aware of your computational abilities, but also equipped to use them effectively in your work. And the best part? This valuable tool is free and takes just 20 minutes to complete, making it an efficient first step in your computational skill development journey. There are a few other methods to find your current computing strengths, too. You could analyze your prior success with computational skill building.
When you got promoted or had immense success, ask yourself: what technology did I use to acquire this success? How did I harness it? Did I work well with others, or stay independent? This strategy can work, but it will take more time and energy than simply taking a HIGH5 assessment, though.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Don’t stop at just identifying your strengths. Use the insights from your HIGH5 assessment to actively seek out opportunities that allow you to apply these strengths daily. This consistent application will naturally improve your computational skills over time.
How to improve computational skills?
If you now know what your existing skills are, you are probably interested in growing upon them. Improving your skills takes time and effort, but the long-term benefits you acquire are truly worth it. There are many approaches you could use to build your skills. While a common approach to skill building is focusing on weaknesses, this method can be counterproductive, decreasing confidence and efficiency.
Instead, the strengths-based approach, as advocated by HIGH5, recommends building upon your existing strengths. By taking the HIGH5 assessment, you can identify your natural computational abilities and focus on enhancing these. For example, if the test reveals a strength in algorithmic thinking, you can concentrate on developing this further through targeted exercises and projects. This approach not only boosts your confidence but also leads to faster skill development and greater job satisfaction. Remember, it’s easier to excel by maximizing your strengths rather than trying to overcome weaknesses.
To begin the process of strength building, begin by analyzing your technical skills. These skills are typically easier to acquire than soft skills. Do you know how to use commonly used software? If yes, consider learning how to use some more complicated algorithms and how to interpret more complicated data. You can take courses online or learn from other coworkers. In general, keep your mind open to learning from others, whether it be coworkers, networking partners, or even your boss. See what makes them efficient and try incorporating some of their strategies. Ask questions when you do not understand how to do something.
And, try to take calculated risks. Your strengths do not grow in your comfort zone. Instead, you must challenge yourself. Try to communicate with customers more often, pay attention to your client’s needs, and give more presentations when possible. These are all great opportunities for building your strengths.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Create a ‘strength-pairing’ strategy. If the HIGH5 test reveals you have strengths in both ‘creativity’ and ‘data analysis’, look for ways to combine these in your work. You could, for example, use your creativity to develop innovative ways of presenting complex data, thus improving both skills simultaneously.
How do you improve computational skills in the workplace?
The way to improve your computational skills at work are similar to improving your computational skills in general. You need to recognize what your existing strengths are and focus on building upon them. From there, you should take every opportunity you have to use your strengths. These are opportunities to learn what you are doing well and what needs working on.
For example, if you are offered the opportunity to present your algorithm for finding recommendations to customers to your coworkers, take the opportunity. Even if your presentation is not flawless, you will learn how to be a better presenter. Try to look for the details, too. If you notice customers start to get disengaged at a certain point in your presentation, or if a particular type of software makes you frustrated, make a note of that. Then, return and refine your performance on those tasks.
How to highlight computational skills in a resume or in a job interview?
You worked hard to acquire an immensely beneficial skillset: computational abilities. It is natural to want to show off these skills. After all, they will help not only you but also your future employers. But, many individuals struggle with properly highlighting their strengths. It is challenging to balance confidence with humbleness in interviews, but you can highlight your strengths without seeming pompous.
First, you must recognize your first impression is not necessarily your interview. Interviewers will likely view your resume beforehand to get a better understanding of your qualifications. In your resume, do not simply create a list of skills you have. Instead, provide details on how these skills benefited your prior team. Give specific facts and quotes if possible. This will make you seem more precise and honest. Plus, it highlights the plays you can potentially benefit the new employer.
Once you enter the interview room, use a similar strategy. Be prepared to recall some of the information listed in your resume. Give more specific information on how you got those skills and ways they helped you overcome adversity. You could note how your team used to struggle with using certain software, but after you taught some coworkers how it works, everyone became more efficient. This will resonate with employers, as it is far more insightful than just giving them a list of your skills and expecting them to take your word for it.
Computational skills FAQ
What are examples of computational skills?
There are a plethora of different computational skills you could acquire. Computation includes both soft (or personally related) skills as well as hard (or technical) skills. Some of the most important computational skills include data abstraction, software knowledge, creativity, data analysis, collaboration, communication, independence, problem solving, pattern recognition, decomposition, organization, and algorithmic design.
What are the 4 concepts of computational thinking?
Computational thinking can be broken down into 4 key concepts. The first is decomposition, which involves taking a broad and difficult to solve problem and breaking it into smaller tasks. This makes it much easier to manage. Next is pattern recognition. This is straightforward: you must recognize patterns, which can help you find solutions to problems much quicker. Abstraction is the next step. To use abstraction, one must look at information and keep the most important facts while focusing on the small details later. Finally, there is also algorithm design, in which people use algorithms to create problem solving strategies.
Why are computational skills important?
Even if you are not a coder, mathematician, or someone in STEM, computational skills still offer many benefits. They help you think creatively and find solutions that are out of the box. This could give you a competitive advantage and boost your efficiency. Computational skills also boost your ability to harness the benefits of technology. They allow you to better understand data and apply that data to help you at work. For instance, computational skills can help you gain insights into your customer’s needs by analyzing their purchasing patterns. This could help you boost profits and build long-term bonds with clients.
What are the basic computation skills?
Basic computation skills include mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as logical thinking and data analysis. These skills help individuals solve problems efficiently in various contexts.
What is a computational ability?
A computational ability refers to the skill of using mathematical, logical, and problem-solving techniques to address complex challenges. It includes skills like algorithmic thinking, pattern recognition, and data abstraction.
What are computational skills in real life?
In real life, computational skills are used to analyze data, solve everyday problems, make informed decisions, and improve efficiency. Examples include budgeting, analyzing trends, optimizing workflows, and using technology to simplify tasks.
