How to Learn Microsoft Office

If you are interested in getting a better grip on using Microsoft Office applications, this article will provide advice on choosing courses and methods for learning about Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. There will also be an emphasis on which industries to pursue, applying skills with word processing, presentations, and spreadsheets facilitated by the Office programs you will be studying.

Interested individuals will be able to find strategies for learning Microsoft Office applications that will help them make informed decisions about their future. 

What is Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office is essential for many working environments across a spectrum of business, education, and media categories. Its software bundles provide various functions for word processing, building databases, creating spreadsheets, and designing promotional material. Working with Microsoft Office suite applications provides skills for gaining employment with creating, editing, saving, and printing documents. Microsoft Office offers a variety of applications that include Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel for use on both PCs and Macs, as well as the cloud through Microsoft 365.

Microsoft Office is among the most widely used software applications in the world. Microsoft Office allows users to manage email accounts, calendars, and to-do lists. Office also enables users to get work done remotely or onsite through chats, calls, hosting meetings, or sharing documents in the cloud. Microsoft Office skills can be learned through several online education providers offering basic knowledge training or certifications for various applications.

Read more about what Microsoft Office is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office provides features and tools that allow users to organize tasks ranging from creating presentations with PowerPoint, analyzing and visualizing data using Excel, communicating through email with Outlook, or writing documents using Word. These are just a few examples of the programs and features that have made Office an essential tool for professionals worldwide.

Microsoft PowerPoint has become the industry standard for creating presentations that allow users to customize projects by designing layouts, creating tables and charts, modifying text, or using images and inserting shapes, animations, and layered objects. With Excel, users can create formulas, PivotTables, and macros, along with other essential techniques, including calculations, basic functions, charts, formatting, and printing. Outlook can handle email functions as well as organizing calendars, creating contact lists, managing junk email, configuring calendar settings, and setting up appointments and meetings.

Finally, Microsoft Word is the most widely used word-processing application worldwide and likely the most used software. Word offers a trove of features waiting to be unlocked to help users design, edit, and create in various document formats. Through training, students will learn shortcuts, tips, and techniques for optimizing professional or personal use of Word. Training includes lessons on formatting techniques, creating hyperlinks, setting bookmarks, or inserting images, videos, or audio.

In-Person Microsoft Office Training

While live online courses are available for training with Microsoft Office applications, some people feel more comfortable learning inside a classroom with a teacher standing in front of them. Learning on location allows students to have direct, personal interaction with an instructor. While there can be interaction with a teacher in a virtual setting, there is something special about sharing space, being able to read body language, or simply the nuance of physical interaction that comes with occupying that same physical space. The most significant difficulty with an in-person class is getting there. Obstacles such as traffic, weather, or unforeseen events can make getting to a classroom location difficult.

Learning Microsoft Office applications can improve skills with tools for the workplace and make using those tools more efficient and reliable. Noble Desktop offers in-person and live online Microsoft Office courses in New York City that can help students enhance their skills with Word, Excel, or PowerPoint from training inside Manhattan classrooms. These classes are taught by expert instructors who can offer guidance and feedback on the spot. For example, students can enroll in the Excel Bootcamp to learn about functions, formulas, PivotTables, and shortcuts by using the spreadsheet software or the PowerPoint Bootcamp for training in creating and designing professional-looking presentations. With in-person training inside a classroom, students get to personally interact with instructors and other students, which provides a benefit that extends beyond the classroom.

Live Online Microsoft Office Training

Virtual learning provides an alternative to returning to traffic to find a classroom somewhere after a long day at work. Noble Desktop offers virtual learning options that provide the same level of education that a student would get from sitting inside a classroom without having to leave the comforts of home. Students can learn Microsoft Office programs like Excel, Word, or PowerPoint without worrying about facing heavy traffic or having to hunt for a parking space. Gaining skills with Microsoft Office applications can create career options for web design, graphic design, computer programming, or data analysis.

Noble Desktop offers live online Microsoft Office classes that take place in real-time. It gives students direct access to their instructor and the opportunity to get feedback on assignments or answers to questions related to complex concepts or topics. Noble Desktop also provides training through its affiliate NYIM Training, which offers the Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp that includes several levels of training for Excel, PowerPoint, Word, or Outlook through several courses. NYIM also provides the Microsoft Office Fundamentals Bootcamp that trains participants in the essentials of Microsoft Office programs through courses like Excel for Business Fundamentals, PowerPoint for Business, Microsoft Word Level I, and Microsoft Outlook Level I.

Students can enroll in NYIM Training’s Microsoft Certification courses, which provide certificate training for Microsoft Office applications like Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access. Live online courses allow students to balance taking classes with work or other obligations. However, some people may miss the personal touch of being able to interact physically with teachers and classmates in a traditional classroom setting. Nevertheless, live online training provides options for people who want to improve their skills for career advancement but lack the flexibility to get to a classroom location.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Don’t feel ready to handle a fully loaded Microsoft Office training course? Noble Desktop offers free classes, including a free online Excel course or a free PowerPoint Presentation Design seminar. The Excel class gives techniques for beginners to save time when using the spreadsheet application in day-to-day activities for work or at home. The PowerPoint class provides lessons for creating professional-looking presentations for work, school, or home.

Udemy offers a collection of Microsoft Office-related courses that fit whatever an individual might want with learning basic lessons in various Microsoft software. Coursera also trains students in Microsoft Office features and interfaces, including how to perform basic tasks using Word, PowerPoint, or Excel. You can also find other education providers that offer free online training for Office applications.

Interested students can also find a basic introduction to Microsoft Office from online tutorials, YouTube video channels, and other video outlets.

Read more about free Microsoft Office videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand Microsoft Office Classes

If you’re interested in Microsoft Office training, there are several live online options for learning any of Office’s various software applications. Individuals have choices ranging from free basic online tutorials to advance online courses from Noble Desktop and other education providers.

For example, Noble Desktop offers Top 10 Excel Trick You Need To Know, a free live webinar created to help users optimize Microsoft Excel. Lessons include shortcuts for applying autofill, charts, inserting screenshots, and building links. 

Other providers include Coursera, which offers the Excel Skills for Business Specialization course that trains students to customize spreadsheets from learning formulas and functions for analyzing data. Udemy offers Ultimate Microsoft Office; Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Access, which focuses on beginner and advanced-level techniques for using Excel and Access, along with PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote lessons. Students can also enroll in Exceljet’s Excel Shortcuts class, which trains participants to find shortcuts for entering, editing, and formatting data using spreadsheets.

Which Learning Method is Right for Me?

Because Microsoft Office has so many applications available for various purposes, people may not be sure which program best suits their skill set or ambitions. Different people have different ways of absorbing new information, so they must consider which method they prefer for learning best fits their aptitude and preferences. Some people like a hands-on approach with training on multiple platforms and tools to figure out which direction feels right for them. For instance, whereas one person might feel comfortable learning inside a classroom environment, others may be more comfortable with virtual learning. It might also be beneficial to mix up approaches depending on the subject and circumstances of availability.

Establishing a person’s level of flexibility is vital when figuring out the best way of picking up new skills. Because Microsoft Office tools are so varied, it is crucial to consider which programs best suit a person’s goals. Determining what an individual’s schedule allows plays a vital role in selecting that person’s approach to learning, especially when considering work or family obligations that take priority. For many people, on-demand classes or online video tutorials allow them to set their own pace with learning new skills. A flexible schedule allows potential students to decide whether to take an in-person or live online approach to train in Microsoft Office applications.

Why Learn Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office not only serves as a staple in workplaces worldwide but also helps with essential household functions, including logging bills or collecting recipes. Microsoft Office offers applications like Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook, OneNote, and Excel for tasks involving word processing, presentations, email communications, note-taking, or data analysis. Anyone from a corporate office to a freelance agency to an academic institution uses the Microsoft Office suite for everything from basic workplace organizing to producing design functions. This means that training in Microsoft Office applications can deliver the skills required for designing, creating, saving, printing, or uploading documents to maintain an efficient working environment.

Microsoft Office is a suite of software applications designed to handle a variety of office functions, including creating documents, building databases, organizing spreadsheets, and developing promotional materials. This includes Microsoft Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheet functions, including charts and graphs, Access for creating and maintaining databases, and PowerPoint for creating professional-looking presentations. Training in Microsoft Office can provide you with the core skills needed to help with finding the right job.

Read more about why you should learn Microsoft Office.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

Many people may not have considered improving their skills with Microsoft Office and may not realize the potential available through gaining in-depth knowledge of its various applications. While there will be a certain degree of difficulty with learning new skills, people using Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint regularly should make them more comfortable learning some of the more complicated functions. Learning more about Microsoft Office applications will depend on a person’s goals. Are you working in an office or collecting data? Are you trying to create a presentation? Depending on the task, training in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint might be the right move.

Because many people may be complacent about using Microsoft Office, learning how to apply an application’s higher functions might strike them as unnecessary. However, a deeper understanding and knowledge of Office tools could help with basic tasks such as writing documents, analyzing data, or creating appealing presentations. Additionally, a strong foundation in math can help people understand and learn Excel formulas or shortcuts more effectively using spreadsheet software. Therefore, becoming more proficient with advanced Excel functions for collecting data could help a person more efficiently crunch numbers or gather information for their organization.

People may also benefit from becoming familiar with Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft applications like PowerPoint or Access. PowerPoint allows users to create engaging, professional-looking presentations, and Access provides a valuable tool for data management, especially when paired with Excel.

Read more about how difficult it is to learn Microsoft Office.

Learn Microsoft Office with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re looking to enhance your skills in using Microsoft Office, Noble Desktop has courses that provide training for a better understanding of Office applications. This includes in-person classes in New York City and live online courses at varying durations and costs.

Noble Desktop offers in-person and live online Microsoft Office classes that provide hands-on training from expert instructors. Courses offered include Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Project, and Outlook training that can be taken inside a classroom or virtually.

Microsoft Office courses include the Excel Bootcamp, which provides training in functions, formulas, PivotTables, and macros, along with timesaving techniques learned from lessons with hands-on projects for real-world education. Excel courses offer training from the fundamental level up through advanced classes available through various timeframes, with tuition between $229 and $549.

Students can also enroll in the PowerPoint Bootcamp to learn how to design everything from slides with multimedia presentations to customizing text or using images, shapes, animation, layered objects, and creating tables and charts. Noble Desktop also offers the PowerPoint Level I course that teaches individuals fundamentals such as how to apply images and SmartArt or insert tables and graphs to design professional-looking presentations.

Key Insights

• Training in Microsoft Office applications can help advance your career in various industries.
• Training to improve skills with Microsoft Office applications can contribute to finding employment in business, finance, or education.
• Microsoft Office provides among the most widely used software applications for creating and maintaining documents, spreadsheets, and presentations for work, school, and personal use.
• It’s a good idea for individuals to determine which learning method is best for them.
• There are on-demand courses, including YouTube videos, that allow individuals to improve on skills with Microsoft Office on their own time.
• Students also have the choice of live online courses for improving opportunities for advancing careers through enhancing skills with Microsoft Office programs. Online courses provide the same level of education a person would get from sitting inside a classroom without having to leave the comforts of home.
• Noble Desktop also offers free classes for improving skills with Microsoft Office applications.
• There are on-demand courses, including YouTube videos, that allow individuals to improve on skills with Microsoft Office on their own time.
• Microsoft Office is a staple in working environments worldwide and can also help with essential household functions.
• Because of most people’s familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, many may not realize the possibilities of training to improve skills with its various tools.