Data entry is a skill that is often overlooked by modern employees. With so many different types of strengths, you could focus on developing, data entry typically tends to be near the bottom of the list.
However, making data entry skill development a priority could serve you many benefits. Great data entry skills could boost productivity, for example. They give you an advantage over other employees.
Plus, even entrepreneurs could acquire benefits from better data entry. In this article, we will discuss the best ways to develop your data entry abilities and why doing so is extremely important.
What Are Data Entry Skills?
Before diving deep into skill development, it is useful to understand what data entry is. Data entry skills are abilities that help you work with data, update information, and utilize technology. There are many different types of data entry skills, too.
Data entry skills help you fulfill your duties at work. They help the work process become smoother and more efficient. However, they are a more niche type of skillset when compared to other abilities.
Niche skills are skills that are best applied to certain jobs or industries. They may not be as commonly used in other jobs. Some jobs that most need data entry skills are clerks, insurance personnel, statisticians, engineers, and more.
Why Is it Important To Recognize Data Entry Skills & Their Benefits?
In general, it is a good idea to recognize your top strengths and skills. It will help you become more confident and productive, too. However, there are a few unique reasons to focus on acknowledging your data entry skills.
These skills are often overlooked, which leads to missed opportunities for personal growth and development.
A few of the top benefits of recognizing data entry skills are:
- Becoming more confident and willing to take calculated risks.
- Boosting your productivity and efficiency.
- Increasing your ability to meet and exceed your goals, as well as create more challenging goals.
- Increase your revenue and profit if you are an entrepreneur.
- Decrease frustration and reduce the risk of mental health conditions like stress disorders.
- Encourages experimentation with new technology, which can be applied to other facets of life.
- Gives you a competitive advantage over other individuals when you are seeking a job.
- Boosts your attention to detail and increases your self-awareness.
- Allows you to simultaneously build skills such as communication and writing.
- Decreases your risk of certain physical conditions such as tense arms or hand posture-related disorders.
- Gives you more passion and satisfaction for your job, thus making you more positive.
10 Examples of Data Entry Skills
As previously mentioned, there are numerous distinct types of data entry skills. By building up each of these abilities, you can become a well-rounded employee when it comes to data entry skills.
These abilities will all give you the benefits associated with data entry skills, such as more confidence, efficiency, productivity, and more.
Such key skills include:
Fast Typing
Being quick and efficient is great for any employer. It is especially important if you want to focus on building data entry. Fast typing is at the root of many document creations.
If you want to be a great typist, there are a few different things to do. For one, try practicing better posture. There are even websites to help guide your posture when trying to improve your typing abilities. 40-50 words per minute are enough to be considered a quick typist.
Attention To Detail
When you build upon your attention to detail, you become a better data entry employee. Paying attention to detail will allow you to type and enter data more accurately. This will reflect positively upon your personality and commitment. Your boss may notice this and even consider giving you a raise. Attention to detail is noticed by others, too, after all.
Operating With Office Equipment
Great employees need to know how to use their office equipment. By learning how to operate these materials, you can become more efficient and save yourself frustration. In the modern workplace, printers, scanners, copiers, and other materials are all good to know to use.
Businesses invest in these products because they want you to be more efficient. So, it will benefit both you and your company in the long run.
Both Spoken And Written Communication
When you think of data entry skills, communication may not come to mind. However, these two skills are intrinsically interwoven. You should be aware of grammar and spelling to increase the accuracy of your data entry.
In addition, check the tone of your written work. When it comes to verbal communication, realize it is important to communicate with others directly. You will need to do so at some point in your career.
Software Awareness
Today’s world is centered are software. Businesses are using it more and more to help individuals become more efficient and competitive in today’s workplaces. To gain a competitive advantage, become aware of the top software in your industry. You should also learn how to utilize this software to your advantage. A few of the top software to look at include Google Suite, Adobe, Microsoft Word, and more.
Organization And Time Management
Time management and organization are both skills that are highly crucial in nearly every industry. They will help you develop positive habits, increase efficiency, prioritize your schedule, get more time to do what you truly love, and so many other benefits. If you need some inspiration, consider making more schedules. Your lists should prioritize your tasks, too.
Accuracy
Just like efficiency and quick typing are important, accuracy is crucial as well. Many businesses will consider asking you to redo work if it is inaccurate. This will decrease your efficiency and cause both of you unnecessary frustration. Do not allow yourself to make excuses for your work. You should be able to take pride in your work, and most individuals cannot be proud of subpar or inaccurate work.
Database Structure Knowledge
You may have noticed a pattern with some of these skills: most revolve around knowledge. To make the most of your time, you should be aware of the specific databases you will be working with.
Recognize how the database was built, what type of data you are inputting, and how the database affects the overall company your work for. Stay on top of database updates as well.
Being a Team Player
As a data entry employee or anyone who is not a solo worker, you will need to be a team player. Building bonds with your employees will not only boost your efficiency, but it will also make you more satisfied and happy with your job.
Many different skills can help you become a better team player, like improving your interpersonal skills, being more empathetic, practicing active listening, and being respectful, among others.
How To Identify & Master Data Entry Skills
Now that you have read about the many benefits of data entry skills and the types of data entry skills, you may be curious: how do I get these skills? Many individuals believe data entry abilities can only be acquired through practice.
You start with virtually no skills and build them up throughout the career according to this theory. Other individuals neglect to focus on data entry because they believe learning these abilities is costly.
However, learning data entry does not have to be hard or costly. You do not have to wait for your entire career to be developed for you to have strong data entry abilities. In fact, you probably already have some of these abilities.
One of the best ways to discover your existing data entry abilities is by taking an online assessment. These tests are efficient, quick, and insightful. If you are looking for the best skills test on the market, consider the HIGH5 test.
You will not only get a list of your data entry skills, but also a full strengths profile. All of this will be generated within 30 minutes of your time. And, best of all, it is completely free.
An additional way to find your current data entry skills is by observing the way you currently work. Are you meeting the 40-50 words per minute threshold? If so, you are a quick typist. How are you communicating with others? Are you prepared for work every day? Perform a general self-reflection and try to see if any strength has helped you succeed at data entry.
For instance, if you know you input 50% more data when working with a partner, you are probably good at communicating and being a team player. However, this does take more time and effort than just taking the HIGH5 test.
How To Improve Data Entry Skills in The Workplace
Once you realize what your existing skills are, it is time to improve upon them. One of the most common strategies for improving data entry skills is focusing on acquiring the abilities you do not currently have. While there are some benefits to this approach, it could also decrease your efficiency and confidence.
It is ultimately better to focus on building upon your current strengths than worrying about weaknesses. Start with focusing on building up the skills that are more cut and dry: the technical skills.
Typing abilities, database knowledge, software management, and similar abilities are all easier to acquire than soft skills. Consider taking an online course for guided practice with these skills.
Then, you can start to build upon your soft skills. Try to expose yourself to different work environments. This will allow you to use your strengths in numerous settings. Work with partners more often to boost your communication. And, whenever possible, try to ask for feedback from these partners.
Analyze data (such as how many data pieces you input) to see how effective your strategies are and what needs improvement.
How To Highlight Data Entry Skills In Resume & Job Interview
If you have skills, it is only natural to show them off. This can boost your confidence, increase your career opportunities, and help you acquire the job you truly desire. Your data entry skills are some incredible abilities to include in your resume and during job interviews.
When you are writing your resume, the best way to showcase your data entry skills is (instinctively) just listing them. It seems clean and efficient.
But, it is crucial to remember the individual reading your resume does not know you. They are not going to believe that you are great at data entry simply because you say so. There must be a way for you to prove it.
Luckily, it is relatively simple and easy to prove you have these abilities. You could include statistics about how you used data entry skills in your prior jobs. This would help the interviewer visualize how data entry could benefit their company, too.
You could also provide direct proof that you have certain technological skills. Describe what technology (mostly software) you used at prior jobs and how it benefited the team. You could even include how quickly you type in this section.
Once you enter the interview room, try to keep some of those statistics in your mind. Memorize some of your top accomplishments and how your data entry skills helped you achieve that success.
Speak in specific terms, as you did in the resume. And, try to also include a balance of both soft and hard data entry skills when describing your abilities.
Data Entry Skills FAQs
Is data entry a hard skill?
Data entry is a broad entry of abilities. Some of these skills are soft skills, while others are technical (or hard) skills. Some of the hard skills that are a type of data entry ability are database knowledge, writing (partially a soft skill), coding, software knowledge, fast typing, office tool knowledge, and more. However, there are also many soft skills such as organization, time management, verbal communication, teamwork, and more.
What skills do data entry clerks need?
Data entry clerks require a specific set of skills to succeed at their job. Data entry clerks have to be great at communicating. The specific communication they should focus on is written communication.
Technical skills are also crucial for this job, such as fast typing. It contributes to one’s efficiency and productivity. Clerks should also be prepared and organized to further boost their productivity. Finally, being able to concentrate on one’s work is a great skill to have as a data entry clerk.
