Are you e-competent?

A new skill set has been added to the career success profile. And if you spend time on social media networks, you may already possess it.

E-competence it's called (or virtual competence), and it's increasingly seen as an essential skill for employees who conduct work on-line, collaborating, managing projects and sharing knowledge.

Some sort of virtual work is conducted now in most organizations, says Dr. Nicole Haggerty, an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at the Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario. "Yet there hasn't been a lot of research to consolidate and think about the unique kind of skills that you need to have in order to do that kind of work effectively."

Haggerty's own research is changing this. She defines e-competence as, "an ensemble of knowledge, skills and abilities composed of the different things that people need to know to collaborate effectively, and to get their work done, with other people, using technologies."

Three core skills cluster under the e-competence umbrella, Haggerty says.

Virtual media skills: "It's not just knowing how to use the bare bones of the systems," she says. "You also have to know how to use the different features of the technology to various depths."

Virtual social skills: The ability to develop personal relationships and build trust in virtual settings; to express yourself distinctively and professionally to people you may not have met personally.

Virtual self-confidence: A strong belief that you can communicate effectively on-line and that you know how to get the resources and help you need to achieve results. "Confidence gives you the motivation to persist when you encounter difficulties," says Haggerty. "It gives you the motivation to explore and find the new features and toolsets."

Not all jobs require e-competence, of course. But if you're looking for work (or a promotion) in an organization that has virtual communication systems and values on-line collaboration and knowledge sharing, the mere fact that you're e-competent can give you a competitive edge.

It may take some finesse to convince employers of its value, however.

"You don't want to walk in and say, ‘Well, I'm really good at Facebook'," says Haggerty. "Nor can you say, ‘I have virtual competence'; that might not mean much."

Instead, she suggests, use language that appeals to employers. Things like:

• I'm comfortable using a variety of different technologies and software to communicate with people who are local and distant.
• I'm comfortable using technology to explore new features that might help me in my job.
• I'm comfortable communicating with people at a distance even though I've never met them.
• I like to seek out other people who may be able to help me or have information I need.

E-competence is not yet recognized as a skill in a wide swath of the workplace, so there isn't a course or program that specifically teaches it. You learn by doing. So the next time you look up, surprised to find that you've been on social networking sites for hours, checking in with friends, family and associates or asking for help and information, take comfort in knowing that you're been building valuable career skills.