When reviewing resumes I see a lot of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, QuickBooks, and even the occasional Lotus or WordPerfect.  But something I heard on a CNET podcast shocked me and has shown me that one group of applications is sorely missing from this list on every resume:  GoogleDocs

A study from the market research firm IDC said that 19% of companies widely use Google Docs in the workplace.  Wow, 19%!  1 in every 5 companies use a software package that is not anywhere on any resume I have EVER seen in the past three years.  Everyone from laborers to professional level job seekers lacked this computer skill set on their resume.

Q: Why do I need Google Docs when I know Microsoft Word?

There are two very good reasons:

A1:  Because 1 out of 5 companies use it.

A2:  Because 1 out of 5 companies use it.

To slightly alter a quote from Kryten on the TV show Red dwarf, “I realize that, technically speaking, that’s only one” answer, “but I thought it was such a big one it was worth mentioning twice.”

OK, there is a minor third reason.

A3:  Because Google Docs is not a replacement for Microsoft Word.  Google Docs is something you use in addition to Microsoft Word.  The biggest thing going for Google Docs is that it is collaborative.  It helps with productivity of groups or projects.

Communication and work flow is always a huge issue for companies. If a company you want to work for does not use Google Docs, you can impress them with a proposed solution of collaboration with a single one of your software skills.

If Google Docs is not on your resume, here is your action plan:

1)      Go to the website and see what it can do.  But be aware that the video is VERY cheesy.  http://docs.google.com

2)      Google (or Bing / Yahoo) what you can find out about it and how others are using it.

3)      Sign up for Google Docs. And play with it.

4)      Put it on your resume. Just knowing the software does not help.  You need to put it on your resume.

5)      Get someone else to sign up too and share documents.  (Collaborating with yourself is like playing chess with yourself.  It is possible, but not as fun.)

6)      Check out YouTube and other online tutorials.  Or sign up for a class.

7)      Figure out how you can apply it to your next job and how you could have used it with your previous job.

With a 1 in 5 chance of applying to a company that uses Google Docs, I suggest you play the odds.  And it is likely that other job seekers won’t.

Extra Information:

CNET podcast (Buzz Out Loud #1065)

The ICD story originates from InfoWorld.  “IDC surveyed 262 people, a significant number of whom are senior managers at various-sized businesses,…”

Even if IDC is off by fifty percent for some reason, 1 out of every 10 businesses using Google Docs is still huge.  My recommendation would still stand.

As she talked about it, I could see how this TV show has a shared experience from people all over who like different kinds of adult beverages or even world travel.  Anyone who likes Brandy, Vodka, Wine, Beer, Rum, Scotch, etc, would love to go traveling with him.  But instead must live vicariously through him.

This shared experience could be even better.   Imagine a UPS box being delivered two days before the show aired with the drinks that will be on the next show.  You get two days of anticipation until air time.  When you watch “Three Sheets” you can learn about the cultures and see how it is made.  Then you finally get to sample the drink with the host and everyone else who watches with the “sampler plan” when Zane looks at the camera, raises his glass and says, “…” (Actually I don’t know what he says so I’ll make up something.) “Bottoms up.”

Literature could also be in the box about each drink or country along with personal surveys about each drink, and a small 3 ring binder in the first box.  Then after you watch, you can put the next week’s customs and surveys in your binder.  Remember the recipe cards that used to be mailed out every month?  People would collect them and put them in the little binder that came with it.  This would be the same type of thing.

But, why stop there?  Cooking shows can also have pre-measured ingredients so when the TV personalities cook, so can you.  The “Cooking package” could also come with a DVD of that episode.  Chapters on the DVD can be set up to skip to the next step after your cooking timer dings.  Above the counter DVD players, portable DVD players, laptops, and kitchen computers are becoming more common these days.

Travel shows can have postcards from the country they are visiting signed by the host.  The postcard pictures could be unique with the host or the same exact ones you could get in the country but with the hosts writing on the back.  They should be mailed with that countries stamp and post mark on them, not mailed from within the US.

Any of these would be a great gift to give.  Or as a great gift to get.

I don’t really know why this message is there.  I suspect that it makes people aware that they might be about to incur long distance charges.  Which is a good feature.

However, instead of forcing me to take the phone off of my shoulder, hanging up, relook up the phone number (which could mean walking back into the room where the number is), and redialing it, why couldn’t the phone company do one of two things:

1) Tell me “The number you have dialed is a long distance number.  Long distance charges may apply.  Your call will now be connected.”  This way I have the opportunity to hang up if I don’t want the charges before the call is completed.

or

2) Tell me “The number you have dialed is a long distance number.  Please dial a “1″ now to add it to the beginning of the number you just dialed.” Then I could push a “1″ and the call would be completed.

Everyone has had this problem so everyone can relate.  This would be fantastic customer service. Just think of the press coverage for this one simple little thing.  The nightly news, morning shows, NPR and other outlets for whoever does it first.

With today’s technology I would think this would be an easy boon for all of us who are not quite so perfect.