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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Those are stupid skills, my kid does it stuff during the summer and it will go on his resume. Mopping toilets no thanks[/quote]

I have been working for the federal government for over 20 years.  I have mentored several HS and college interns that want to go into my field.  Many of these skills hold true in an IT office setting as well.  I have also seen many basic social and office skills neglected by the younger generation.  Here is my list:

- Learn basic English.  It is not appropriate to use "text speak", and social media shorthand in office interaction including email.  "I will be late"  not "I will be l8"

- Learn to type at least moderately well on a normal keyboard.  If you are working in IT, hunting and pecking on a keyboard and spending a large amount of time to get out one email using a device other than a Smartphone isn't really appropriate

- Learn to use the telephone.  Still used extensively in an office setting.  Too many young interns/hires are so phone-phobic.  But IM and texting is still a secondary form of communication to voice telephones.

- Basic interaction.  Those cited above, a good handshake (and sadly, I've seen many young men who also can't do this), speaking clearly and not mumbling, eye contact with people you are talking with, using formal language and not slang, short hand, casual language.  When you first show up, use formal language.  You can adapt to the actual environment and setting after you have been there, but it is better to be more formal and adapt to casual than to be too casual.

- If you don't understand the assignment or don't know what to do, even if you don't understand how to start, please ask as soon as you know that you don't know what to do.  Waiting 3 days until I ask "How's it going?" or ask for a status is not the time to tell me that you didn't understand what to do or didn't know how to get started.  When we have this conversation about how to get started, it is perfectly valid to ask "How did you know that?" or "Where do I find this out?"  I would rather take 5 minutes the first time and "teach you how to fish" than have to give you the information every time I give you a similar assignment.   Internships and entry-level jobs are the jobs where you are supposed to learn how to do things.  Take advantage of it.

- [/quote]

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