Touch Typing Skills: Expert PA explains how to improve skills

They say that most people have skills that they never forget. Most people have a skill which they discovered, nurtured and developed; for example a pianist, ballerina, public speaking etc. Some people have an untapped talent; how sad.

There are skills that you never lose. Over the years you may lose the speed or fluency but with practise, you soon regain that glibness. A ballerina may perform on stage for many years but should she give it up and start a new career, she will not be at the same standard when she rejoins after many years away. She will not need the length of time training as in the initial stage but with some training, she will soon be ready for the stage. It is as if you are reincarnated with the same knowledge and skills base as when you left the world. How often do we say. 'If only I can live my life again with the same knowledge and experience I have today.' Touch typing is a skill you have for life. It needs dedication to become a touch typist as you are learning and developing a new skill. Someone who searches for the keys would look out of place in the office where all the other PAs are touch typing i.e. not looking at the keyboard. Without looking at the keyboard, you need to hit the correct keys. You will find that your speed naturally increases when typing documents daily.

A good typing program will take you there. Remember it does not happen overnight. For instance, someone learning to swim has to start with having no fear of being submerged. The instructor will have fun games so they are comfortable in the water. They then move to the next stage of a armbands, then a board with no armbands and finally, no board. They can then swim for a number of years. Should they not have access to a pool or sea, does not mean that they will forget to swim. Once in the water, they will not forget the basics. Very much like the person learning to swim, touch typing takes time as you have to learn the location of the keys on the keyboard. Each finger is allocated keys so, like the swimmer with armbands, you need to practise those keys until you know them well. Eventually you will learn all the keys. Touch typing documents daily will soon find you typing 100wpm which is not an impossible task. Remember the employer badly wants someone with a high typing speed.