Learning to improve your typing speed could be the single most important thing you do between now and the end of 2014. Why? Because it is one thing that you can do that will serve you for the rest of your life.
How fast can you type? How fast can you type accurately? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, go visit a typing test website like www.ratatype.com and find out. It’s OK; we’ll wait for you to get back.
Done? Good.
Now that you have a better idea of your adjusted typing speed, is it what you thought it would be? The average adult types at about 40 words per minute. Is your score higher or lower than that number? If it’s higher, then that means you type faster than average. This is good, but there is always room for improvement.
If your average typing speed is less than 40 words per minute, then you have some work to do. Go back to that website listed above, or any other typing tutor website that you choose, and start practicing.
It can be as simple as spending 30 minute per day doing accuracy drills or speed practice, in addition to your regular computer usage. Someone who is on the computer all the time will find that they learn to type much quicker than someone who only accesses their computer for a short amount of time each day to check email or play games.
Spending this short amount of time each day can not only increase your typing speed, but it can improve your chances of getting a good job offer. There are not many jobs left that don’t require some sort of computer expertise. A high adjusted word per minute speed, meaning the number is adjusted depending on the accuracy of your typing, looks good on a resume. This could be the deciding factor between getting a job and being left in the unemployment line.
Spend some time practicing and we guarantee you’ll start seeing a difference.
Adam Fort is an educator and touch typing enthusiast. Currently, he helps to develop online typing tutor called Ratatype.