It’s amazing how many roles require a good working knowledge of Excel so it’s no surprise that Excel often forms part of an interview assessment for many employers when they are looking to fill a vacancy.
But there’s more to Excel than just upping your CV and employability. Most people who don’t use Excel avoid using it, but you could just be missing a trick. Excel can make your working and even your personal life so much easier and it’s not as difficult to get grips with as its rather fearsome reputation suggests.
If you are not familiar with Excel, then you probably have a very limited view of what it can offer so here are 4 key reasons to learn Excel and they might just surprise you.
- Excel is a great organiser
Excel is a much better way to organise even simple data compared to a Word document or Google doc. That’s because Excel offers mathematical functions which is a slick way to keep track of numbers for things like costs either personal or professional. Plus, you know it will be 100% accurate as it removes the element of human error that can happen with manual calculations. Just think about how easy it would be to keep track of the holiday entitlement for 100 staff or your personal expenses for Christmas.
Data organisation doesn’t have to be numerical; it could be alphabetical, in fact, there is literally no limit to how an Excel spreadsheet can capture information and then re-order it. The user can set numerous different criteria making it easy to find things, understand scenarios and get an instant overview, something which would take hours manually. Excel makes managing detail easy.
- Excel analyses
Most people when they think of Excel recall some basic learning at some point in the past involving simple formulas like adding two cells together and long boring sheets of data. However, Excel can take that information and turn it into colourful graphics and charts which are great for presentations and promotional documents. What’s more, Excel can do the thinking for you analysing data to reach a conclusion or prediction which might be essential for a particular role or task, professional or personal. Most people don’t realise what Excel can actually do as they never use it or only deploy it in the most limited way.
- Excel boosts employability
Having Excel on your CV will boost your prospects – it’s amazing how many employers want it and look out for candidates who are proficient with this package. Nowadays, recruiters are looking for applicants with a variety of technical skills. Excel is both desirable and essential, it’s no longer the added extra.
Maybe your current employer is interested in paying for a course so you can learn the right skills for your job. Some providers will come into a company or organisation and train in-house or, you could learn at your own pace online from home.
- So many professions and jobs use Excel
Excel won’t only make it easier for you to do your job, but it will make you better at what you do. Excel short circuits laborious task and collates and manages information saving time, promoting accuracy and allowing the manipulation, analysis and presentation of data to suit the role. No wonder, Excel is used in a huge variety of jobs and industries.
If you’re still not convinced, why not take a look online at some examples of who uses Excel and what it does for them – you might be surprised at just how many different applications it has.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.