What is Excel?
Microsoft Excel is a general-purpose spreadsheet program that is used to store, analyze, and manipulate data. It is one of the most popular spreadsheet programs in the world, due to its wide range of tools and ease of use. Users who simply need to input and organize data can use Excel as a basic spreadsheet, however, it also has the capacity to serve as a complex database-building tool, for users who need to perform advanced calculations and analytics. This application is used in many different types of jobs including office work, data analysis, finance, and project management. It is also popular for personal accounting and data organization tasks.
The first version of Excel was called Excel 1.0. It was only available for Mac users and was released in 1985. In 1987, Microsoft put out a Windows version, called Excel 2.0. From these early versions, this application has evolved from a simple spreadsheet into a sophisticated tool for business and data analytics. It has many different automated functions, which can save time and help eliminate errors. Users can perform a wide variety of calculations, visualize data, create PivotTables, and use macros. Excel even has its own programming language, which is called Visual Basic for Applications. Excel is part of Microsoft 365, and is available by subscription.
What Can You Do with Excel Training?
Excel is a versatile tool that can be used in many different professional settings. Writing on LinkedIn, a Microsoft Office Trainer stresses, “Excel has become an essential tool for many professionals. In today's job market, having strong Excel skills can be a valuable asset in a wide range of careers.” Excel is a foundational skill for many office jobs, where this application is used to store and organize many different types of data, from employee information to financial data. A significant percentage of office workers use Excel on a day-to-day basis. Excel is also essential in the field of finance. Professionals in this field use it to record, manipulate, and analyze data. Excel saves time with its automated features, eliminates mistakes, and gives professionals a wide range of different ways to make sense of their data. For instance, an Accountant might use it to calculate depreciation, and an Investment Banker might use it to figure out how a company is performing. Another field where Excel is often found is project management. With this application, professionals can keep track of large projects, tracking tasks, teams, and budgets. Finally, Excel is a common tool in data science. Its many tools allow analysts to organize, manipulate, and analyze large amounts of data, and also to create visualizations of their findings.
While Excel is popular in many different professional settings, it is also widely used in non-professional settings. For instance, many people use it to keep personal financial records or to set budgets. It is also used to organize lists and track progress. Some non-professional uses of this application include keeping a list of addresses, tracking workouts, and budgeting for a trip.
What Will I Learn in an Excel Class?
What you’ll learn in an Excel class will depend on the specific class that you choose. If you take a beginner course, you’ll learn the basics, while a higher-level class will cover more advanced skills. Some of the things you’re likely to learn include formatting, functions, PivotTables, macros, and analytical skills.
Formatting
One of the first things you’re likely to learn in an Excel class is to format your data. This means changing the way that your data appears. You can do things like changing the style or color of your font or manipulating your borders or alignment. By formatting your data, you can help people understand it better, or draw attention to specific elements of your spreadsheet.
Functions
Working with functions is another key Excel skill and is covered in most Excel classes. Functions are predefined formulas that you can use to perform many different types of calculations. A function will perform calculations in a specific order, based on values that you specify. Functions allow you to easily perform complex calculations, and avoid errors.
PivotTables
A PivotTable is a data analysis tool. You can use it to summarize a large amount of data, and more easily identify patterns and trends in that data. Some people believe that PivotTables are one of Excel’s most useful tools. When you take an Excel class, you may learn to create and edit PivotTables.
Macros
Macros are another valuable Excel tool. A macro is a recorded set of commands that you can use as many times as you want. Macros are like a programming code. They can save you a lot of time because they can be used to automate repetitive tasks. Macros are generally covered in more advanced Excel classes.
Analytical Skills
A major part of using Excel is analyzing the data that you input, so when you take an Excel class, you’re likely to improve your analytical skills. Analytical skills include things like critical thinking, and the ability to analyze data, and they can help you solve different types of problems. Strong analytical skills are an asset in many different careers.
How Hard is it to Learn Excel?
How hard it is to learn Excel depends on how deep you plan to get into the application. The basics–like data entry and formatting–will be fairly easy to learn. However, mastering Excel’s more advanced features, such as macros and PivotTables, will be more difficult. If you want to master Excel’s advanced features, experts advise that you start by mastering the basics, and then gradually move on to more difficult skills. If you don’t build a strong foundation before trying to learn advanced skills, you’re likely to find the learning process much more difficult. Practice is also an important part of learning Excel. ONLC Training Centers advises spending as much time as you can practicing. It says, “The more someone uses Excel in everyday operations, the more familiar they will become with its functionality. Daily practice allows one to master more complicated features and tools in Excel. By making a time commitment and engaging with online learning modules, anyone can learn Excel.”
What are the most challenging parts of learning Excel?
Excel has its own programming language–called Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)--and many people find that this is one of the most challenging parts of the application to master. VBA is said to have relatively easy syntax, however, unless you have a background in programming, you may find that it takes some time to learn this language. While VBA can be challenging to learn, many people do say that it is not as difficult as many other programming languages.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Excel?
Most people say that it is relatively easy to learn the basics of Excel and that it will only take you a couple of days, or possibly even a number of hours, to learn enough to use this application for simple tasks. However, Excel also has many complex tools and advanced features, and if you’re planning to use the program on a professional level, it will probably take longer to learn. If you already have some experience with spreadsheets or working with data, you’re likely to learn more quickly. You’re also likely to pick up Excel more quickly if you already know how to use other Microsoft applications. One way to speed up your learning process is to enroll in a paid Excel class. When you pay for a class you’ll gain access to an expert who can guide you through the learning process and answer any questions that you have. Another benefit of a class is that many come with proof of your mastery, such as a certificate of completion.
Should I Learn Excel In Person or Online?
If you’re looking for an Excel class, you’ll find that there are a number of different Excel class formats, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. You can learn in person, live online, or on demand. The decision about which format is best will depend on your personal learning style and other circ*mstances like where you live and how busy you are. In-person learning is one popular class format. When you take an in-person class, you learn face-to-face, in a classroom with an instructor and a group of students. You’ll typically have minimal distractions since you’ll be in an environment dedicated to learning, and you’ll be able to ask questions and get feedback whenever you want to. You’ll also have the opportunity to network with other students. In addition, students often say that they find in-person learning to be the most engaging format. A downside is that you’ll need to travel to the class location, so you’ll be limited to classes located in your geographic area. Commuting can also be time-consuming and costly.
If you sign up for a live online class, you’ll eliminate the need to commute. To attend a live online class you simply log in from your home or any other location with an internet connection. Instruction is live with this format, just like with in-person learning, and instructors can offer feedback and answer questions in real-time. In many live online classes, interaction between students is also encouraged, which means you may get networking opportunities. Some students say that they prefer live online instruction because they are more comfortable interacting via computer than in person. One benefit of a live online class is that since you can attend from any location, you’ll often have more class options. A downside is that you’ll usually need to supply your own software and equipment and deal with any technical difficulties that may arise.
A third Excel class option is on-demand learning. With this format, there is no live instructor. Instead, you’ll learn asynchronously. Material is typically prerecorded, and you work through it at your own pace. You can stop and start whenever you need to, and you can even rewatch sections that you need to, or skip through content that you’ve already mastered. On-demand learning is the most flexible class format, and in many cases, it is also the cheapest option, since there is no live instructor. However, this format may not be the best choice if you don’t have strong discipline and self-motivation, since you’ll be working alone.
Can I Learn Excel Free Online?
The internet contains a wealth of free resources on a huge variety of different topics, including Excel. Consequently, many students wonder whether it is possible to learn this application for free by using these online offerings. Free resources do have value in the learning process. They can be a good way to get an overview of how Excel works, or pick up a new skill. For instance, Noble Desktop has a YouTube channel that contains many free resources, including a number of short, free Excel tutorials. These tutorials cover specific skills like working with flash fill and using nesting functions. Other websites, like Coursera, also offer free educational Excel content. However, if you’re looking to master Excel, free resources are unlikely to be enough. Instead, most students who want to learn Excel choose to invest in a paid class where they receive a comprehensive education under the guidance of an expert instructor. With a paid class, you won’t have to Google for answers to your questions; instead, you’ll have a professional available to provide answers, in addition to feedback on your progress. You’ll also know that you are getting accurate and up-to-date information, which is not the case with every free online resource. Finally, many paid courses include a certificate of completion that can be used to prove your Excel expertise to others.
What Should I Learn Alongside Excel?
Many of the jobs where Excel is utilized involve sharing information with other people, which means that public speaking skills can be a great thing to learn alongside Excel. One career services professional insists that public speaking is inevitable for most professionals. She says, “At some point in your career, you'll likely need to speak in front of a group of people. Whether you’re presenting a new project to your team members or pitching an idea to a client, it is important to have strong presentation skills.” Learning public speaking means learning how to share information with other people in a way that makes that information easy to understand and remember. It can also involve persuading your audience to your point of view. No matter what your level of skill in public speaking, it is something that you can improve over time.
Collaboration can be another beneficial skill if you plan to work in a field that involves using Excel. Many Excel-related tasks involve collaborating with other people. For example, you might work on a particular spreadsheet as a group, or you might create a spreadsheet and then send it to a manager for input. Excel is designed to make this easy. For instance, you can save your work to OneDrive and easily share it with team members in real-time. In recent years, as remote work has become more popular, so has remote collaboration, and Excel is well-suited to this mode of work.
Industries that Use Excel
Excel is a common business application, widely used within many different industries for storing, organizing, and analyzing data. When people think about Excel, they often associate it with finance, and the majority of financial professionals do utilize Excel. However, Excel is not just used in finance. It is also a popular tool for sales, government, engineering and construction, and data analysis.
Finance
Excel is a popular tool among financial experts, and is used for creating financial reports, budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling. Washington D.C. is a major financial center. DC.Gov explains, “The world recognizes DC as an international and national magnet for domestic and foreign affairs, with more than 180 embassies and foreign councils located in the city. DC is also home to some of the most iconic financial tenants in the world: the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American Development Bank.” The organization reports that Washington, D.C. is rated as a top ten city globally for ease of doing business, and is also home to four Fortune 500 companies.
Sales
Excel is also utilized in the sales industry, where it has a number of different applications including tracking stock levels, managing customer information, analyzing sales, and measuring market trends. DC.Gov reports that the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region has more than 6 million residents, and also attracts many international visitors, and supports a thriving retail scene. The Washington DC Economic Partnership calls it “one of the top retail markets in the United States,” and reports that it employs more than 266,000 people in retail.
Government
Government agencies commonly use Excel too, for administrative tasks, budgeting, analyzing data, and managing projects. The U.S. Government is the largest employer in the United States, and many of the jobs it supports are based in Washington, D.C. Government workers are employed in a wide range of different types of jobs including planning, taxation, governing, regulation, national security, and administration. According to a recent Washington Times report, 15 percent of full-time federal employees work in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, which is the highest percentage in the country. The Partnership for Public Service reports that the top federal employers are Veterans Affairs, Defense, Army, Navy, Homeland Security, Air Force, and Justice.
Tech
Excel is widely used within the tech industry, for organizing and analyzing large amounts of data. The Washington DC Economic Partnership states, “Washington, DC is a globally recognized tech hub.” It explains, “The local innovation ecosystem is supported by top-tier educational institutions such as George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University, Howard University, Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus, and many other nationally recognized institutions. In addition to educational institutions, DC is recognized for its strong talent pipeline, active venture capital community, and access to the world’s most prominent decision-makers shaping the regulatory landscape for new technologies.” The organization forecasts 25,000 tech jobs in the area over the next ten to twelve years. It also calls Washington, D.C. a top area for women in tech.
Excel Job Titles and Salaries
Financial Analyst
Financial Analysts analyze data and make recommendations to individuals and companies about how to invest their money. This job typically involves gathering information, analyzing it, and creating a variety of reports. Financial analysts can work for many different types of businesses including banks, insurance companies, and securities firms. They need research, critical thinking, and analytical skills, and an education in economics and finance.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a federal agency that tracks U.S. labor market statistics and publishes reports of its findings. Between 2022 and 2032, it projects 8 percent job growth for Financial Analysts. This is faster than the average U.S. job growth rate of 3 percent. The agency finds that the growth of big data is one factor driving this growth. It explains, “Demand . . . is projected to increase as big data and technological improvements allow financial analysts to conduct high-quality analysis. This analysis will help businesses manage their finances, identify investment trends, and deliver new products or services to clients.” Washington, D.C. is one of the top employers of Financial and Investment Analysts in the country, according to BLS, employing more than 10,000 people. As reported by Payscale, a Financial Analyst working in Washington, D.C. can expect to earn about $73,000 yearly.
Data Scientist
A Data Scientist gathers, organizes, and interprets data. Data Scientists work in many different types of businesses and organizations. This job has become increasingly popular in recent years, as data is used for a growing number of purposes. Data Scientists need strong mathematical and analytical skills, and typically need to be able to use a variety of programming languages and data analysis and modeling tools. One of the tools that they often use is Excel.
According to BLS, data science jobs will increase by 35 percent over the next ten years, which is much faster than average. The agency explains that this will be due to the fact that the volume of data, the way it is used, and the demand for data-driven decisions are all continually increasing. It says, “As a result, organizations will likely need more data scientists to mine and analyze the large amounts of information and data collected. Data scientists’ analysis will help organizations to make informed decisions and improve their business processes, to design and develop new products, and to better market their products.” BLS reports that the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area has one of the highest levels of employment of Data Scientists in the country. Payscale finds the average salary for a Washington, D.C. Data Scientist is $97,000.
Project Manager
A Project Manager oversees the management of a project, which includes things like tracking budgets, keeping track of deadlines, and monitoring progress. Excel is used for many of these tasks. It is a favorite tool in this profession because it can be used as a simple spreadsheet, or for more complex management tasks. Project Managers need strong organizational, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
BLS projects 6 percent growth in jobs for Project Management Specialists between 2022 and 2032. It notes, “Demand for project management specialists is expected to be strong in computer systems design services. More project management specialists will be needed to manage the growing volume and complexity of information technology (IT) projects required to support expanded telework.” More than 33,000 people are employed in project management in the Washington, D.C. area, according to BLS, making it one of the biggest employers among metropolitan areas in the United States. It is also a top-paying area, as reported by BLS. According to Glassdoor, the average Washington, D.C. salary for a Project Manager is $108,000.
Accountant
The role of an Accountant includes working on a range of finance-related tasks, many of which are accomplished in Excel. For instance, Excel is used to create financial reports and to analyze things like cash flow and profits. It is also used to perform a wide range of complex financial calculations. Most Accountants have strong mathematical and critical thinking skills.
BLS projects a 4 percent growth in accounting and auditing jobs over the next ten years, which is slightly above average. It finds that technological advances such as artificial intelligence may lead to the automation of some accounting tasks in the future, however, it predicts that this will simply increase efficiency and is unlikely to significantly affect job growth. In addition, it says, “The continued globalization of business may lead to increased demand for accounting expertise and services related to international trade and international mergers and acquisitions.” According to BLS data, Washington D.C. is the third-largest employer of Accountants and Auditors among U.S. metropolitan areas, with more than 43,000 people employed. It is also a top-paying area. The average salary for an Accountant in Washington, D.C. is $69,000, according to Payscale.
Administrative Assistant
An Administrative Assistant performs a support role in an office setting, completing a variety of different office tasks such as managing calendars, completing paperwork, and organizing financial information. Administrative Assistants use Excel for things like keeping financial records, entering budget information, and managing inventory. Skills that are helpful in this job include good communication, time management, and organizational abilities.
BLS predicts that over the next ten years, there will be a decline in some Administrative Assistant jobs. However, it projects an increase within the medical field, explaining, “Employment growth is projected for medical secretaries, primarily due to the growth of the healthcare industry. For example, baby boomers will require more medical services as they age. Medical secretaries will be needed to handle administrative tasks related to billing and insurance processing of Medicare and other claims.” As reported by Payscale, an Administrative Assistant working in Washington, D.C. earns about $50,000 annually.
Excel Classes Near Me
There are many different Excel class options in the Washington, D.C. area, including both in-person and online options. You’ll also find a variety of scheduling choices, including night and weekend courses.
If you’re looking for an in-person Excel class, ONLC Training Centers offers a variety of basic, intermediate, and advanced Excel instruction courses. It also has some specialized Excel programs, like Excel Charts, Formatting and Reporting. This is a short class where students learn how to create and format charts and tables in Excel. They also learn to use those tables in other Office applications. The class is intended for mid-level users who regularly communicate with managers on their Excel workbooks. ONLC was founded in 1983 and is one of the largest privately held IT training companies in the United States.
Certstaffix Training also offers Exel courses for Washington, D.C.-based students. There is a short class called Excel–Level 1 that is designed for beginners. Students who take this class learn Excel fundamentals including setting up workbooks, entering data, and formatting data. Instructors also cover a variety of other topics such as performing calculations, finding errors, visualizing data, and printing worksheets and charts. Certstaffix offers students a free class retake within six months.
Many schools also run live online Excel courses. Noble Desktop, which is based in New York City, offers a number of shorter Excel classes, tailored to students with a variety of different levels of Excel experience. Excel Level 1 is focused on becoming familiar with the interface, entering data, using essential formulas and functions, and creating charts. In addition, it covers formatting and printing. Noble’s Level 2 class covers intermediate-level skills like splitting and joining text, using named ranges, adding data validation, database functions, adding logical statements, and Pivot Tables. Instructors also cover statistical functions and students learn to create advanced combo charts. There is also a Level 3 class, which is focused on advanced topics like auditing, cell locking, hotkeys, advanced functions, formatting for calculating dates, advanced analytical tools, and PivotCharts. In addition, students learn about using advanced database functions and recording macros. Noble Desktop was founded in 1990 and is licensed by the New York State Education Department.
Another Noble option is the Excel Bootcamp. This multi-day class is a combination of three separate courses, and takes students from beginner to pro level. It covers a wide range of Excel skills, from basic functions and formatting to advanced database functions and creating macros. Students receive a digital certificate of completion at the end of the class. They also receive a proprietary workbook and a refresher video suite. All Noble classes also include a free retake within one year.
If you’re interested in an Excel certification, Noble Desktop also offers a certification course. The Excel Specialist Certification Program is designed for students who want to earn a Microsoft Excel Specialist certification. The course includes three Excel courses; fundamental, intermediate, and advanced. In addition, students get two hours of private training. Finally, the course includes the Excel Specialist exam. Students get exam proctoring and a free exam retake. They also receive lifetime access to Noble’s Excel video courses.
Training Connection, which is a Los Angeles-based school, also offers live online Excel classes. For students new to this program, there is a short class called Microsoft Excel Level 1–Introduction. This covers creating worksheets, adjusting columns, entering data, entering formulas and functions, and copying and moving data. Students also learn about output options, settings, and templates.
An intermediate option is offered by Computer Training Source, which is a Chicago-based school that offers computer software training classes both in Chicago and live online. This school was founded in 1991. Excel Intermediate is a multi-day class intended for students who already have some basic Excel skills. Covered skills include working with functions, including specialized functions, logical functions, date and text functions, and text functions. Students also learn about working with lists and analyzing data. In addition, they learn to use advanced chart features, and create PivotTables and Pivot Charts. Finally, visualizing data is covered, including creating, modifying, and formatting charts
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive course, Ledet Training runs aMicrosoft Excel Bootcamp, which is a discounted combination of its Excel 101, 201, and 301 courses. The bootcamp takes multiple days to complete and is designed for novice users who want to work up to an advanced level. The bootcamp starts with inputting simple data, and goes all the way to organizing multi-page workbooks and writing macros. Ledet is an authorized training provider for Microsoft.
If you’re interested in learning Excel in addition to a range of other data analytics skills, SkillSpire runs an Intro to Data Analytics program. Students who take this multi-week class learn to use Excel to build databases that are used in data analysis tasks. Students will also learn how to use SQL for database queries, in addition to gaining experience with Python and Power BI. The class also has a section dedicated to statistics. Skillspire is based in the state of Washington and offers a variety of online classes.
NYIM Training, which is a New York City-based school, offers Excel training in a live online format. It offers an Excel class called Excel Expert Certification, which is intended to help students pass the Microsoft Excel Expert exam. NYIM classes have an average of ten students. This class begins with fundamental skills like data entry and formatting cells. After they have mastered the basics, students progress to intermediate concepts, which include manipulating visuals, using Pivot Tables, and writing advanced functions. Instructors also cover advanced Excel skills such as automating tasks with macros, and making functions more flexible. The course also includes the Excel Expert Certification exam, with a free retake. In addition, students get lifetime access to Excel premium video suites.
Accelerate Computer Training is based in Long Beach, California, and offers Microsoft training classes in an online format. Excel Intermediate 1: Simple Formulas is a short class designed for students who already have basic Excel skills, either from using Excel for at least three months, or from taking a basic Excel class. This class covers a range of intermediate Excel skills. These include math with dates, simple functions, and lookup functions, including HLOOKUP and VLOOKUP. Instructors also teach students about copying formulas, and students learn to duplicate formulas into neighboring cells. They also learn to change referencing styles, understand relative and absolute referencing, and create and use named ranges in formulas.
If you’re looking for an on-demand Excel class, eCornell offers one. eCornell is an external education unit of Cornell University, and runs more than a hundred different on-demand certificate programs. The Spreadsheet Modeling Certificate is a multi-week course designed to teach students to analyze data and share information about that data in an effective way. Students who want to take this course should have a basic understanding of how to work with a spreadsheet. The course is made up of four sections: Making Data Usable, Creating Effective Data-Driven Dashboards, Developing Robust Models to Evaluate Decisions, and Optimizing Decisions and Assessing Tradeoffs. Students work with a raw dataset and convert it into a clean and ready-to-use data source. They learn how to utilize a variety of different Excel tools on this data, in addition to learning to create evaluation models and use optimization functions.
Excel Corporate Training
Excel is widely used in the business world, and corporate Excel training can be a good idea for many different types of companies, both large and small. Noble Desktop offers a number of in-person and online corporate Excel training options. Companies can choose to train their employees onsite, or they can schedule a live online training session. Content can be customized according to specific company needs, and there are a variety of flexible scheduling options. All training sessions include comprehensive support materials such as handouts and access to premium training videos.
Some companies choose to train their employees by purchasing vouchers for Noble’s regular group classes and letting employees pick their own training schedule. There is a discount with the purchase of multiple vouchers. For information about corporate training options, or to schedule a complimentary consultation, email Noble Desktop.
