Microsoft Office is used in any company that has offices. It’s considered basic computer literacy and the skills learned from Microsoft Office transfer well to nearly every software you’ll need to learn for your job. The most popular Office programs include Excel and Project. These Microsoft programs stand out from the rest because there’s nothing else quite like them!
Excel is used by every single Analyst job. It’s capable of handling large amounts of data, transforming and manipulating data, transforming data, reporting, and creating basic visualizations. Job titles that use Excel daily for data analysis include Business Analyst, Data Analyst, Digital Analyst, Financial Analyst, Investment Analyst, Investment Banker, and Marketing Analyst.
Excel skills will get you pretty far, but each of these positions uses Excel and its functions in specific ways. In fact, you don’t usually need to be a full Excel expert to succeed in one of these careers, as long as you know which functions your career relies on. Knowing Excel on its own isn’t enough to land you a job, but it is a great place to start the path to any Analyst position.
Microsoft Project is a project management tool that surpasses the capabilities of simple online platforms like Monday or Trello with the ability to create reports and manage accounts on top of task assignment and ticketing. Project is used by most project managers including Construction Project Manager, IT Project Manager, and general Project Manager. Project managers will also need to understand their own industry such as construction or IT, along with getting a project management certification.
Microsoft Office Career Options
Here are a few career paths for which you’ll likely need Microsoft Office skills in order to succeed. We also include additional info about their average salaries, their day-to-day responsibilities, and a link to learn more about each career.
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Business Analyst
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$85K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$94K / year
Business analysts use business, technology, and project management skills to analyze business problems and propose data-driven solutions. Grounded in technical expertise, business analysts perform risk analyses, manage project plans, and translate technical information such as diagrams and blueprints. Experienced business analysts can become business or project managers, which puts their professional expertise to work with the management of project deliverables and other people. Business analysts can put their skills to work across a variety of industries, companies, and job functions.