<p>My friend and I were doing college apps the other day and she told me that she's putting "basic Apple computer skills" as one of her attributes on her resume. I was very polite of course, but am I crazy in thinking that this is an absolutely ridiculous thing to put on an application? "Basic Apple computer skills" means she knows how to operate an Apple computer, just like any normal teenager. Not that she knows how to program or do anything special, literally just use the computer. And it's going on her college resume along with her extracurriculars.
Am I being crazy, or am I justified in thinking that this is absurd?</p>
<p>You are pretty justified in thinking that this is absurd. Some guidance counselors in our school have said to put some useful “skills” on your app such as knowing word, excel, onenote, etc. </p>
<p>Personally, I think it’s ridiculous to do that. It doesn’t matter at all doesn’t show any real skill except some playing around in a program. It’d be more important for an actual job, but not for college admissions.</p>
<p>I would say it’s absurd. Somewhere on my app I mentioned my proficiency in programming languages, however (Lua, PHP, Java, C, and a couple others.)</p>
<p>^That’s different though. Those are a lot more difficult to learn, take a lot more time and practice, and are applicable in many more situations. Plus Macs are easier to use PC’s, so people who said that they had basic PC computer skills would technically be at an advantage.</p>
<p>I think it’s very silly</p>
<p>You have to remember that many GCs etc are well-intentioned but are from a different era where things like the ability to use Powerpoint were skills that differentiated you from most workers. </p>
<p>People of our generation (I’m grouping myself in with y’all as a “digital native”) do not think twice about this. </p>
<p>With ECs, it’s also unlikely to make a difference. But the thing you need to realize is that a lot of old people who didn’t grow up with computers DON’T take this sort of stuff for granted and DON’T think that “any normal teenager” can do it. </p>
<p>It’s generational.</p>