Digital literacy is essential at every stage of your career. We see it come up all the time with clients who are job hunting, changing industries, or returning to the workforce. Digital skills aren’t just a nice-to-have anymore, they’re shaping real opportunities (and barriers) for job seekers.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in the workforce for years, the ability to confidently use digital tools and platforms can influence your job prospects, your salary, and your day-to-day experience at work.

What is digital literacy?

It’s the ability to find, evaluate, and use digital tools and information effectively. It’s not just knowing how to use technology, it’s knowing how to use it well in a work setting.

If you’re early in your career, digital literacy helps you stand out and build momentum. If you’re more experienced, it helps you stay relevant, keep growing, and share your knowledge in new ways, especially if you’re mentoring others or stepping into a leadership role.

What does it look like?

• Communicating clearly and professionally.
  Whether you’re writing an email, a message in Teams, or drafting a quick update, clarity matters. Tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT can support your writing, but knowing what you want to say and how to say it with intention is still the real skill.
• Navigating digital workspaces.
  Whether it’s Zoom, Teams, Slack, or something else entirely; most workplaces nowadays rely on a mix of tools to communicate, manage tasks, and collaborate. You don’t have to be an expert in all of them, but being able to jump in, learn as you go, and work across platforms is part of showing up ready.
• Finding the right information, fast.
  It’s not just about doing an online search. It’s about knowing how to spot reliable sources, scan for what matters, and avoid misinformation. Being digitally literate means being resourceful and careful at the same time.
• Learning new tools without getting overwhelmed.
  Every industry has its own systems; whether that’s a CRM, a project management app, or something powered by AI. You don’t need to know them all upfront, but being open to learning what’s needed for your role (and asking the right questions) goes a long way.

Digital literacy isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about being ready to learn, stay flexible, and ask the right questions.