COVID-19 and IT literacy

-

 I have been through personal IT literacy revolution within these couple of years.

The company I worked 2 years ago was a small company without much information technology. Everything was done in paperwork. Attendance record was kept on paper, and I needed my boss’s signature.

I started to work at another company in 2019, and briefly in 2021. The experience between these two years were revolutionary.

For the first time in my life, I used online attendance record. Some of the meetings were done by Zoom, which I have also never heard of before. The company still needed to use lot of paper, but it was beginning to be replaced by mobile application. Conversation between branch offices abroad was done on online chat. Phones were replaced by internet phone.  Meeting was announced not by e-mail but by the Outlook invitation.

During unemployment, I experienced interviews by Zoom and Teams, as the companies can't let candidate visit their offices. HR were also working from home so they needed to use Zoom or Teams for interview.

The company which I briefly worked in the spring of 2021 implemented zero-paperwork. Some of the older staffs were not allowed to take memo on paper. Everything had to be stored in cloud system and conversation was done through Teams chat

I also took up part-time work to bridge the gap of unemployment. The company hired people who can work from home. They used Google Workspace, and I experienced spreadsheets and Google Meet.

Looking back these 2 years, I have never thought myself using such a variety of internet use on business scene. Those who I met after I became unemployed said that they need to go online because of Covid-19.

I wonder if our current work style and use of IT would remain the same in post-Covid-19 era. Would we use internet phone, instead of mobile phones?  Will Zoom or Teams meeting be remain as it is, or will we still use meeting room? Will we still be using printers and papers?  Do we still have chance to meet colleagues in person, or do we work only through internet chat?

It is difficult to keep up with IT literacy which is changing a fast pace. I reckon Covid-19 had accelerated this trend. Do we go back to the time when we needed to get superior’s signatures, or photocopies of presentation?  Let’s see what will happen when Covid-19 is more or less over.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A kiss for a soldier

-
Image
  It was about 30 years ago. I was waiting for my plane at the Heathrow airport.   I was on the way back to Japan after studying at a university in UK for a year. The final exam date was not out until last minutes, and it was difficult to fix the day I leave the country.   I booked the seat only 3 days before the flight. As soon as the exams are over, I sent out my text books and belongings from my college room, said goodbye to my friends, and headed for London.   It was slightly late in the afternoon when I arrived at Euston station. I went straight to a youth hostel in city centre, whic had a good access to Piccadilly line which has direct connection to the Heathrow airport.   I slept soundly, and got up early to catch the underground bound for the airport.   After check in, I sat at one of bench in airport lobby, waiting for boarding announcement.   Then, there came a group of soldiers. They were walking in a line, wearing khaki army outfit. When they got c
Read more

England : The Taste of Forbidden Drink

-
Image
Many years ago, during my stay in the UK, I was aware that pubs offered cidre, known as "cider" in English. However, for some reason, my British acquaintances strongly discouraged me from ordering apple cider. They claimed it was not something young people should drink, that it wouldn't suit Japanese taste buds, and that Japanese people were not accustomed to strong alcohol, which they believed apple cider to be. Their opinions, particularly the insistence that "it doesn't suit Japanese palates," left me puzzled. Despite their claimed familiarity with Japan, it seemed they were determined to prevent me from trying apple cider. Looking back, I suspect they may have had a negative experience recommending it to a Japanese person in the past, perhaps to avoid disappointing me. After several decades, I finally had the opportunity to savor British-made apple cider. A Tokyo-based restaurant had a menu featuring about eight types of apple cider. Recalling my past en
Read more

Spain : Sangria - quenching the thirst of travelers

-
Image
  A tale from the distant past unfolds when a colleague from the travel agency bid us farewell, prompting the team to gather for a celebratory meal. Opting for the favorite Spanish cuisine of the departing comrade, our second-year colleagues discovered a delightful eatery nearby in Tokyo.   Run by a Spaniard, the restaurant was conveniently close to the office, and on that day, they had arranged a private room for our group. As we indulged in classic paella and fine wines, the jovial atmosphere escalated, and the affable owner inquired if we desired anything more. It was then that someone exclaimed, "We'd love some sangria!"   The proprietor's momentary hesitation upon hearing this request left me a lasting impression. Returning from the kitchen, the owner presented us with three large pitchers of sangria. Brimming with oranges and other fruits, this chilled concoction was a refreshing delight for our somewhat inebriated selves.   However, the lingering ex
Read more