Careers > Word Processors and Typists

Word Processors and Typists

$44.33K Median Salary 2.6K Job Openings (Annual Projection) -36.1% Job Growth

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About This Career

Use word processor, computer, or typewriter to type letters, reports, forms, or other material from rough draft, corrected copy, or voice recording. May perform other clerical duties as assigned.

Reported Job Titles

Clerk Specialist, Clerk Typist, Keyboard Specialist, Office Technician, Stenographer, Typist, Word Processor

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Near Vision

Written Comprehension

Speech Recognition

Oral Comprehension

Written Expression

Information Ordering

Oral Expression

Wrist-Finger Speed

Category Flexibility

Deductive Reasoning

Finger Dexterity

Perceptual Speed

Speech Clarity

Knowledge

Administrative

English Language

Customer and Personal Service

Computers and Electronics

Skills

Reading Comprehension

Active Listening

Writing

Monitoring

Speaking

Time Management

Technology Skills

Office suite software

Presentation software

Customer relationship management CRM software

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Data base user interface and query software

Spreadsheet software

Medical software

Accounting software

Document management software

Desktop publishing software

Cloud-based data access and sharing software

Word processing software

Process mapping and design software

Tools

Personal computers

Photocopiers

Typewriters

Paper shredding machines or accessories

Laser fax machine

Desktop calculator

Franking or postage machines

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Knowledge

Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Customer relationship management CRM software: Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Microsoft Dynamics; Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Medical software: Henry Schein Dentrix; Medical condition coding software; Medical procedure coding software; MEDITECH software
Accounting software: Billing software; Bookkeeping software; Intuit QuickBooks; Sage 50 Accounting
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Dropbox; Google Drive; Microsoft SharePoint
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio

Tools

Personal computers:
Photocopiers: Photocopying equipment
Typewriters: Electric typewriters
Paper shredding machines or accessories: Paper shredders
Laser fax machine: Laser facsimile machines
Desktop calculator: 10-key calculators
Franking or postage machines: Postage machines

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