Learn More About Microsoft Office Classes in Charlotte
Microsoft Office, or Office, is Microsoft’s productivity software suite used by companies, schools, and individuals. Core applications in Office include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Other applications commonly used include OneNote, Access, and Publisher. The applications and services available when using Office depend on the Office package you’re paying for.
Microsoft introduced Microsoft Office in 1988. The first iteration of Microsoft Office bundled Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. At the time, these three applications could not communicate with each other and did not share features now common to Office applications, like spellchecker. Over time, Microsoft continued to announce new additions to the suite of applications and services offered with Office. In the 1990s, Microsoft introduced Office 3.0, which introduced a common interface among Office applications, and in the 2000s Office users could find the Ribbon interface and cloud integration options among apps.
Subscription services for apps became commonplace in the late 2000s, and Microsoft joined other major tech companies in using a subscription business model. Users could now purchase access to Office applications on a subscription basis with Office 365. Office 365 provides users with online access to apps and cloud storage. Since the introduction of Office 365, Microsoft has focused its efforts on integrating new technology into its applications. With Office apps and services, you can rely on AI tools and real-time collaboration to help you work on projects and collaborate with team members.
What Can You Do with Office Training?
Office training can help you improve your productivity. With Office applications, you can improve your workplace productivity in a variety of ways. If you’re a data professional, you can automate tasks in Excel to help you perform data analysis. Office 365 apps like Microsoft Teams and OneDrive can help you effectively collaborate with colleagues and clients on documents and projects. Outlook, Office’s personal information manager software, lets users manage emails, schedules, and task lists.
Office training can also help you improve your career prospects. Working in an office environment usually requires proficiency in Office, especially if you’re working as an Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, or Data Analyst. Project management roles require professionals skilled in using Office apps like Excel to manage projects, track timelines, and optimize resources for the duration of each project. Office training can help you acquire the skills needed to stand out when applying for these roles.
What Will I Learn in an Office Class?
Attending an Office class will help you learn how to use Office applications. You can enroll in a comprehensive Office class where you’ll learn how to use all Office applications, or you can enroll in an Office class that focuses on a specific application. To learn about Office 365 products, enroll in an Office class that includes 365 training. If you want to train in the most popular Office applications, look for a program that will teach you about Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. In an Office course, you’ll also learn about how Office products can help you improve your time management.
Word
Word is a word processing software included in Office. With Word, users can create and edit documents. Word includes a built-in spell check and grammar check and allows users to format text using a variety of fonts, sizes, and colors. You can use Word to create letters, reports, brochures, calendars, and invoices. Users have the option of inserting images and graphics into their Word documents, and Word offers a wide range of templates to help users with formatting. The ability to customize documents makes the format and design process easy for users and gives them the chance to create endless types of documents using Word. Enroll in a comprehensive Office program or Word course to learn how to make the most of Word’s many features. If you want to use Word as part of a collaboration process, enroll in an Office 365 class to learn about collaborating with other users.
Excel
Excel is Office’s leading spreadsheet application. With Excel, users can perform data analysis, manage data, and create data visualizations. Excel also offers users the tools needed to create budgets and forecast financial outcomes. The application has built-in financial functions that can help you calculate loan payments and track expenses. You can learn how to use Excel by enrolling in a Microsoft Office fundamentals course or signing up for an Excel class. Many schools and training centers offer courses in beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level skills because the application has become standard in a variety of industries.
PowerPoint
PowerPoint is Microsoft’s widely used presentation software. From business to education to personal use, a wide range of people use PowerPoint every day, leading the application to become one of the world’s go-to tools for creating presentations. Users can add images, graphics, videos, and text to their slideshows in PowerPoint, and the program offers a multitude of templates to help users format and design their presentations. Sign up for an Office class to learn how to make a well-designed slideshow for your next big presentation.
Outlook
More than 400 million people worldwide use Outlook, Microsoft’s email client. With Outlook, users can create and send emails, manage personal information, like calendars, and create task lists. Outlook isn’t just an email client—it’s a personal information manager system. Businesses and schools use Outlook to connect employees and students. The application supports multiple email accounts, which has contributed to the popularity of the program for personal use. Outlook users can also integrate the application with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to make their workflow more efficient.
Time Management
Time management is an important skill no matter what industry you work in. Microsoft Office training can help you hone your time management skills by enabling you to organize, schedule, and prioritize tasks and projects. Outlook’s email management tools let you manage your inbox and calendar as well as create tasks and assign deadlines. With Excel, you can create spreadsheets to track project progress and analyze the time you spend completing tasks. Office 365 applications, like Microsoft Teams, let you integrate your schedule with your team’s schedule and share task lists. If you need to improve your time management, enroll in an Office class to learn how Office applications can help you save and manage your time.
How Hard is It to Learn Office?
Learning Office varies in difficulty depending on the applications you want to learn and your prior experience with productivity software. You’ll likely find that learning one or two Office applications is easier than aiming for proficiency in every Office application. Learning every application will take more time and, assuming you want to develop advanced-level skills, require you to go in-depth with several very different applications.
Some applications are simply easier to learn than others too. Microsoft Word, for example, is relatively easy for most people to pick up. Word is an application that students typically learn during K-12 schooling to complete take-home essays and reports. Word has a friendly interface, making it less challenging than other programs like Excel. Beginners often find Excel confusing because they have little or no prior experience with the program’s formulas or using data analysis tools. Having prior experience with Office programs will ultimately make learning Office easier for you.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Office?
The time you need to learn Office will depend on your prior experience with productivity software, the applications you want to learn, and how proficient you want to become. Generally, you can learn the basics of each application in one to two weeks. Basic skills include creating and editing Word documents, basic data entry in Excel, making slides in PowerPoint with text and images included, and sending emails in Outlook.
You can develop intermediate-level Office skills in around one to three months. Intermediate-level Office training will teach you how to use advanced features like page layouts in Word, functions in Excel, master slides and embedded media in PowerPoint, and the calendar in Outlook. To gain intermediate-level skills, you’ll need to practice consistently with Office applications. The more regularly you use Office applications in your work or personal life, the faster you’ll develop these intermediate skills.
Advanced-level Office skills take about six months to one year to achieve. Advanced-level training will teach you how to master advanced functions in Excel, design interactive PowerPoints that aid in the presentation of dynamic visuals, and how to use Access, Microsoft’s database management system. Formal training will help you pick up advanced-level skills faster than self-teaching. You should aim to consistently practice with Office to make sure you’re learning at a good pace and keeping up with software changes.
Should I Learn Office in Person or Online?
Office classes come in-person and online formats. Consider your learning needs, your goals, and your schedule when deciding the type of Office class that you want to enroll in.
If you want to enroll in a traditional-style class, look at the in-person Office classes available in your area. In-person classes take place in a classroom or computer lab and require you to attend at a scheduled time. Expert instructors teach in-person classes and guide students through lessons. Students enrolled in an in-person class can ask their instructor questions and receive in-depth demonstrations. In-person may take place on weekdays, in the evenings, or on weekends, giving you a variety of options to choose from.
Can’t attend an in-person class? Consider enrolling in a live online Office class. Live online classes typically follow the same curriculum as their in-person counterparts, but take place remotely. Students enrolled in a live online class will attend their class sessions using a web conferencing platform like Zoom. A live instructor will guide students through course material remotely. This course option still requires you to attend a scheduled class but offers you flexibility in where you attend class from. Instead of commuting to your classes, you can attend from the comfort of your home or office.
On-demand classes, also known as asynchronous classes, offer the most flexibility for learning Office. After enrolling in an on-demand class, you’ll gain instant access to course materials. This type of class requires you to work through lessons by yourself, without the aid of an instructor. Students who have busy schedules and can’t commit to a scheduled class can enroll in an on-demand class and not worry about missing lessons. One challenge that comes with enrolling in an on-demand class is the lack of an instructor. Some students find working through lessons on their own difficult, so you should consider how instrumental an instructor is in learning for you before enrolling in an on-demand class.
Can I Learn Office for Free Online?
Before enrolling in formal Office training, you can learn the basics of Office online for free. Online learning platforms like Udemy and Coursera offer free short-form classes that you can enroll in to learn the basics of Office applications. For additional instruction, look for Office tutorials on YouTube. Schools, training centers, and experts upload videos to the platform intended to help beginners learn and troubleshoot. When self-teaching, you may find yourself stumped on a particular topic. In that case, you can look for online forums where Office experts and beginners meet to troubleshoot and ask questions about the various Office applications. After learning the basics of Office for free online, look at the formal training options available to you that can help you take your Office skills to the next level.
What Should I Learn Alongside Office?
After learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Office, consider learning other productivity and management tools relevant to your job. Microsoft Project is a popular Microsoft 365 product used by Project Managers. With Microsoft Project, you can develop a schedule, assign resources to tasks, track project progress, manage budgets, and analyze workloads. This program also offers a great way to collaborate with your team and clients. Microsoft Project allows users to share project plans and assign tasks to team members.
If you’re learning Office for your career, consider learning soft skills that will help you improve your communication. Most team environments require employees to have good communication skills and the ability to collaborate with others. Good communication includes written and verbal communication, while collaborating effectively means communicating and implementing conflict resolution skills when your team encounters conflict. Professionals who must give presentations or verbal reports about their work should brush up on their public speaking skills.
Industries That Use Office
Want to know what Charlotte-based industries are looking to hire professionals with Office training? Check out these industries in Charlotte that might need someone with your skills.
Financial Services
Charlotte’s financial services industry has played a significant role in North Carolina’s economy. The city is home to Bank of America’s headquarters and hosts operations for Wells Fargo, Truist Financial, Regions Bank, and other financial institutions. Companies in the city have easy access to policymakers and regulators in Washington, D.C., while tens of thousands of employees depend on the industry for jobs. Employees in the financial services sector benefit from Office proficiency. Financial Analysts and Data Analysts rely on Excel to create financial models, build financial reports, and automate tasks. Word aids in document creation for employees in this industry and PowerPoint is used to create presentations for investors and clients.
Energy
Charlotte has become a key city in the energy industry. Charlotte houses the headquarters of Duke Energy, one of the largest utility companies in the US, as well as Piedmont Natural Gas. The city has become a growing hub for renewable energy and clean technology as the industry shifts toward sustainability efforts. As a result, energy companies in Charlotte have begun investing in solar power, wind power, and energy storage projects. The shift toward sustainable energy sources among the public has also attracted cleantech startups to the city. Employees in the energy industry can depend on Microsoft Office applications to help them analyze data on energy consumption and utilize usage, as well as create technical reports like energy audits and efficiency studies.
Tech
The city of Charlotte is a rising tech hub. Major industries in the state, like finance, energy, and healthcare, have led to a high demand for tech solutions and software. The tech workforce in Charlotte has grown as a result along with the number of tech startups. Charlotte’s low cost of living and tax incentives have also played a role in creating a dynamic and growing tech environment. Microsoft Office skills aid employees across the tech industry. With Office, employees can collaborate on projects. Excel in particular helps tech professionals analyze data and create financial models. Enroll in a Microsoft Office class to develop tech skills that you can use in a tech job.
Office Job Titles and Salaries
Ready to use your Office skills to start a new career in Charlotte? You can use your skills and experience with Office to start a career as an Administrative Assistant, Project Manager, or Data Analyst.
Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistants perform a variety of tasks to support operations within an office. The specific tasks an Administrative Assistant must perform depend on the industry they work in and the size of the company. Typically, an Administrative Assistant must manage schedules and appointments, handle correspondence, manage the office, and offer customer service to visitors and clients. Some offices expect the Administrative Assistant to help with projects, meaning they’re expecting them to know about the work that team members handle. Administrative Assistants in Charlotte make an average annual salary of $42,500. The salary for an Administrative Assistant position will usually depend on the size of the office and the experience level expected.
Project Manager
Companies hire Project Managers to plan, execute, and close projects. A good Project Manager can follow a budget and a deadline while also effectively managing team members working on the project. Project Managers perform a range of tasks, including project planning, team management, and stakeholder management. To work as a Project Manager, you need good communication skills, including the ability to communicate with stakeholders and across departments. In Charlotte, Project Managers make an average annual salary of $100,000.
Data Analyst
Data Analysts collect, process, and analyze data to provide a company or client with the information needed to make data-driven decisions. A Data Analyst needs to know how to work with and analyze data, usually by identifying trends and patterns. Data Analysts often work with data analysis and visualization tools like Excel and Tableau. Good Data Analysts can communicate their findings to a range of audiences and have excellent problem-solving skills. In Charlotte, Data Analysts make $80,500 on average annually.
Office Classes Near Me
You can find Office classes offered in-person in Charlotte and live online open for enrollment today. Consider the type of class you’d like to enroll in before checking out the options below.
Noble Desktop’s live online Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp will help you master the complete Microsoft Office suite. The 54-hour program covers three levels of Excel, two levels of PowerPoint, two levels of Word, and two levels of Outlook. The curriculum focuses on beginner to advanced-level Office to help you develop the skills necessary to work in a variety of roles such as Administrative Assistant or Project Manager. After the class has finished, you can refresh your knowledge with a free retake within one year.
NYIM’s Excel for Business Bootcamp is an 18-hour live online course covering basic to advanced Excel techniques. In just three days, students will learn how to enter data in Excel, create charts, use Pivot Tables, and automate workflows. Enrolled students will receive access to three premium video suits and training manuals. Students can choose to enroll in a predefined track or customize their schedule.
General Assembly offers a two-day Excel Fundamentals class for students interested in learning foundational Excel skills. Enrolled students will receive live instruction in skills like cleaning, analyzing, and visualizing data with Excel. Before beginning the workshop, students need a free Google account, a Zoom account, and an Excel account. General Assembly recommends this course to students who want a low-risk way to test the waters of data analytics or learn the skills needed to perform data analysis in their current position.
Certstaffix Training’s Microsoft Outlook—Combo Course bundles together beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level Outlook. The curriculum covers topics such as formatting messages, managing contacts, automating message management, and sharing Outlook items. The class is two days long and comes with a free six-month online retake. To succeed in the course, students should enter with end-user skills with a current version of Windows. Certstaffix offers Windows for End Users to students who need to prepare before attending the Outlook class.
Office Corporate Training
Does your team need Office training? Noble Desktop can provide your organization with Office training that meets your employees’ learning objectives and scheduling needs. When enrolling in corporate training, you have the option of selecting live online or onsite training options. Teams interested in corporate training can purchase group vouchers in bulk at a discount from Noble Desktop. When purchasing group vouchers, you can select the courses available to your team to choose from. They can then schedule their training at a time that fits their schedules.
Reach out to corporate@nobledesktop.com to learn more about Noble Desktop’s corporate training services and receive help in determining which options best fit your team’s needs and goals.