Stop Pecking at Your Keyboard:
The Benefits of Learning to Type Quickly and Accurately
These days, typing can seem like it is not such an important skill as it once was. For example, we are becoming increasingly used to talking to our machines with the advances being made by Google Home, Alexa, Cortana, and Siri.
But typing remains a fundamental skill, and it is still one of the most important computer skills you can learn. Learning to type quickly and accurately will help you in many ways in life, and it should be considered an essential skill for anyone who sees themselves working with a computer in some capacity (which is almost everyone). Here are the top three reasons why learning how to type fast and accurately is so beneficial in both life and work.
Save Time
Whether you work in an office or not, you will probably end up having to type on a computer keyboard on a weekly or even daily basis. Whether it is an email, a letter, a resume, or a report, it all requires typing. It stands to reason that the faster you can type, the more time you will save.
Increase Focus
Learning to type faster means that you will no longer have to look at the keyboard and think about where your fingers are going. Once you are typing fast, you will be able to look directly at the screen, and your fingers will type without you even thinking. This improvement in focus will eliminate breaks in concentration and will improve your flow.
Improve Job Prospects
Because touch-typing is such a useful skill that boosts productivity in the workplace, it can help you to find more and better opportunities when it comes to getting a job. When applying for a job, clearly state your word per minute (WPM) on your resume to impress prospective employers. You will likely find more (and better) opportunities coming your way.
Let’s Get Started
Step 1: Learn to Type Faster & More Accurately
Learning to touch type is not just about learning how to type faster: It's also about learning how to type with greater accuracy. If you use an online tool like typisto.com to help you learn to type faster, it will also highlight your mistakes in the moment so you can focus on reducing them. That means you will spend less time checking for mistakes in your writing and correcting them, saving you yet more time and making less work for you. It will also mean that there is less chance that mistakes will sneak through into the final version of the document.
Another set of resources, some of which are pretty fun games, is the Top 5 Tools & Games to Learn to Type Faster & More Accurately. These will all help you on your journey.
Becoming a fast typist will provide you with all of these benefits and more, and it really should be considered an essential skill. The great thing about typing is that it is not difficult to learn, and anyone can learn with a bit of dedication and practice. So start learning today, and enjoy all the benefits that faster and more accurate typing brings. Use the Typing Speed Test to check your speed and chart your progress.
Step 2: Practice (and Do Good)
Grow your skills while also digitizing the Smithsonian’s online databases. The Smithsonian Transcription Center is a free website, where anyone with a curious spirit, and access to a computer and the internet can participate in our online projects. Those interested can explore, transcribe, and review digitized historical collections from around the Smithsonian. Materials from the 15th century to the present day, held in the Smithsonian's libraries, archives, and museum departments, are available for transcription.
Transcription increases accessibility by making digitized materials more readable and searchable through Smithsonian’s online databases and other major search engines, such as Google. Within minutes of the completion (transcribed and reviewed) of a single page or entire project, the text within becomes text-searchable, more accessible, and easier to discover.
Anyone can transcribe anonymously, without creating an account. However, creating an account allows you to review other volunteer transcriptions and track your work and keep track of your progress.
To transcribe without an account, go to the ongoing projects page and begin!
To transcribe, with a Transcription Center account, sign-up here.
The Smithsonian connection is a volunteer opportunity provided by our awesome partners at the volunteer center at Heart of West Michigan United Way. If you want to pursue other volunteering, please check them out!