Best Microsoft Office Classes CT: Find Courses & Onsite Training

Learn More About CT Microsoft Office Courses

Microsoft Office is a suite of productivity applications that were created to help professionals, students, and non-professionals be more efficient and productive when performing routine tasks. When it was first launched by Bill Gates in 1988, Office featured only three applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. In the years since, this popular family of apps has continued to transform the way users perform office-related tasks such as creating spreadsheets, making presentations, and drafting documents. Today, Office is primarily available through a subscription to Microsoft 365. It now includes over 30 applications like Microsoft OneDrive for cloud storage, Microsoft Teams for video conferencing, Microsoft OneNote for note-taking, and Microsoft Outlook for email management.

Currently, Office is a widely used tool worldwide for both personal and professional tasks. Over 1.2 billion people use Office products. This suite is relied on by companies and educational institutions because of its ease of use, adaptability across operating systems, and accessibility. Today, over a million companies and 345 million users rely on Microsoft 365. In 2022, the Microsoft suite captured nearly half of the market share and generated approximately $63 billion in revenue.

What Can You Do with Office Training?

Office is a core tool that’s used in nearly all industries and educational settings. Its many features and functions help users perform a variety of organizational tasks:

Outlook assists with tasks like managing email and junk mail, organizing and configuring calendars, scheduling appointments and events, and managing contact lists.
Teams is a teleconferencing platform used by professionals, students, and non-professionals to connect via video to those in different physical locations. This app also has tools for file sharing and recording.
PowerPoint remains the industry-standard tool for designing engaging presentations. Users work with its range of features to customize layouts, insert shapes and images, layer objects, modify text, and create tables and charts.
Excel is a popular spreadsheet application that helps users perform calculations, organize and format data, create charts, and visualize data findings.
Word is the most widely used word-processing program in the world. It helps users from all backgrounds perform tasks like creating, editing, formatting, saving, and printing documents. Word users can also create hyperlinks, add images, check spelling, and customize templates.

Office training in Connecticut is a great way to prepare for career paths in virtually any sector such as journalism, marketing, data entry, finance, or customer service. In addition to opening many professional doors, knowledge of Office apps can also make you a more valued, productive employee at your current job and a more effective communicator.

What Will I Learn in an Office Class?

All Office courses differ in terms of their scope, duration, and difficulty level. Some focus entirely on one app such as Excel or PowerPoint, whereas others provide more robust training in several Microsoft Office applications. When you enroll in a typical Office class in Connecticut, you’re likely to learn how to work with apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Additionally, you’ll receive the training needed to be a more effective communicator.

Word

Most sectors require employees who know how to create and edit professional documents. Office classes generally teach students how to use Word to create, format, and edit documents. Basic Word instruction includes how to save and edit documents, format text, add tables and citations, and use different fonts and styles. Advanced coursework takes these skills even further and teaches students to make custom templates, track changes, use advanced formatting, and use mail merge.

Excel

Another core application learners are likely to encounter during Office training is Excel. Coursework typically teaches students how to use this spreadsheet application’s basic functions, formatting shortcuts, charts, and data visualization capabilities. In advanced-level classes, participants become familiar with advanced analytics tools, data calculations, advanced automation, PivotTables, and macros.

PowerPoint

Those who enroll in Office training in Connecticut are also likely to learn PowerPoint. This popular app is used to create attention-grabbing presentations for educational or professional use. Students will become familiar with how to create diagrams, charts, and tables and how to work with SmartArt. They will also explore how to work with custom themes, slide layouts, animation, and video content for small or large presentations.

Outlook

Office training also often teaches students how to use Outlook for tasks like managing email and calendar scheduling. Outlook basics such as how to book upcoming appointments, manage contacts, and automate tasks, are a few skills introductory-level training covers. More advanced study options prepare participants to work with enhanced contact management, spam control, and account setup, which help students customize Outlook to meet their individual needs.

Clear Communication

In addition to learning specific Office applications, training programs in Connecticut also teach students how to be more effective written and verbal communicators. Those who know how to create clear emails in Outlook or letters in Word ensure they can reach audience members with their messages. Learners who use PowerPoint can break down complicated information in an engaging and accessible manner. Knowledge of Teams, a real-time video teleconferencing platform, provides users with a great way to connect with one another remotely. It also allows team members to provide one another with project updates and attend meetings remotely.

How Hard is It to Learn Office?

If you’re interested in learning Office, you may not be sure how difficult it will be to master this family of apps. Just like any other skill, the challenges you’re likely to face are subjective and depend largely on the skills you bring to the table, as well as your personal aptitude and study preferences. Some individuals may find that learning Excel is much more difficult than other Office apps. For other learners, becoming familiar with advanced Word or PowerPoint functions will pose more challenges.

One of the main difficulties students encounter when learning Office is devoting the necessary time to learning and practicing these apps. Since Microsoft 365 has more than 30 applications, it can be challenging for some to know which are the most essential to learn and which can be studied at a later time, if at all. Determining the answer to this will likely depend on why the individual is studying Office and what they hope to do with their training. Most students begin learning Office by studying the three core applications, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and then build on this foundational knowledge. Students who only need to learn the basic features and functions of each of these apps will usually require far less time than those who want to master Office’s advanced tools for use in a professional setting.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Office?

The specific challenges of learning Microsoft Office vary from one individual to another. One common challenge learners face is knowing how to work with each Office application’s advanced features and functions such as Excel’s statistical analysis features and PowerPoint’s layering and animation tools. Most learners approach the Office learning process by first studying the essential functions of core apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint before attempting to learn more advanced features.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Office?

The time frame associated with learning Office depends largely on how many applications the learner is interested in working with, as well as how proficient they need to be with each. Some coursework teaches only one app such as Excel or Outlook, and takes just one day to complete. Students leave these skills classes with basic proficiency using this tool, including how to use its basic features for common tasks and work with the app’s interface. More advanced classes such as intermediate or advanced-level programs, usually also just take a day to finish. These courses provide learners with a solid foundation of how to work with this tool. However, some students will need to be able to use multiple Office applications, including Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, or OneDrive. These more involved classes generally take only a few days to finish. It takes the average learner one month or less to become familiar with the whole Office 365 suite. To fully master each app’s advanced functions and features for use in a professional setting, several months of training may be required.

Should I Learn Office in Person or Online?

Connecticut residents interested in studying Microsoft Office can choose between in-person training options and online coursework. Each has advantages and challenges.

In-person training is a great option for students who thrive in the traditional classroom setting. Courses take place in Connecticut at a designated training facility with the most up-to-date Office apps ready to use on the provided computers. In addition to benefitting from an expert instructor’s guidance and real-time feedback as they lead lessons, students also benefit from studying alongside other learners, which can provide an additional feeling of community in the classroom. Because in-person coursework takes place at a training facility, it requires that learners have a reliable form of transportation and live relatively near a major city. This type of study may be difficult for those who don’t have access to a car or who live in remote areas.

In addition to in-person coursework, live online training is also available in Microsoft Office. Those who opt for this study format connect with an instructor in real-time using a teleconferencing platform like Zoom. Students can ask questions as they arise and even give the instructor permission to share their screen for more individualized support. Rather than having to waste time and money commuting to and from class, participants can complete all coursework remotely from the comfort of their own space. Because this type of instruction takes place in real-time, students must be able to carve out the time needed to attend class at least once a week. This may not be possible for those who work full-time or who have busy personal lives.

The most flexible way to learn Office is through on-demand classes. Whereas in-person and live online training takes place in real-time, on-demand courses are recorded at an earlier time and placed online. Each learner gets to establish their own learning speed and can pause, rewind, or even rewatch entire video lessons while taking notes and practicing. Cost-wise, self-paced study is usually the most affordable way to learn Office since it is asynchronous. Learners should remember that no instructor is present in this type of instruction. This means it’s up to each learner to find answers to questions on their own, which may be challenging for some learners.

Can Learn Office Free Online?

If you’re interested in learning Office but don’t want to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on coursework, there are a variety of free online resources available to assist:

Noble Desktop, an educator located in New York City, offers several beginner-friendly free seminars on key Office apps. Learners can choose from seminars like PowerPoint Presentation Design or Top 10 Beginner Excel Tricks You Need to Know. These resources are a great way to learn the basic features and functions of core Office apps.
Microsoft’s website offers useful information for those just getting started working with Office. These free tutorials are intended to help students navigate and use various Office apps.
Podcasts provide another effective way to explore Office updates and information. Some popular podcasts include “Office 365 Distilled, ” “Microsoft Mechanics Podcast, ” and “The Practical 365 Podcast.” Those who listen learn about any new developments with Office products.
Another effective way to explore Office basics or stay current on changes to Microsoft products is through blogs. Some popular Office blogs are “Microsoft Blog 365, ” “Practical 365, ” “Content and Code, ” and “Collab365.”

Free online Office resources are a good resource for those interested in learning Office basics, but they can only take most learners so far. Often, their scope is too broad for learners to fully immerse in a specific app. Other times, their window of focus is so specific it’s limiting. Often, introductory-level videos don’t go into enough detail to fully explore topics like how to use Excel for data analysis or work with PowerPoint to create professional-quality presentations. For this reason, those who want to apply their Office expertise at work may require more structured, live coursework at some point to fully master core applications.

What Should I Learn Alongside Office?

If you’re interested in learning Microsoft Office, you may wonder if there are any skill sets that would be helpful to supplement your training. Because of the integral role Office plays in nearly all professional settings, Office training is usually not a stand-alone skill but rather one that’s used alongside other industry-specific software and tools. Some may wish to supplement their Office training by studying cybersecurity or project management. There’s an Office 365 certification available for those interested in a cybersecurity career, the Security Administrator Associate or the Messaging Administrator Associate. Additionally, students of Office that would like to put their training to use managing projects can also prepare for Microsoft’s Office 365 certification to become a Teams Administrator Associate. This credential helps individuals more effectively manage workplace collaborations using apps like Teams and SharePoint.

Industries That Use Office

Experience using one or more Microsoft Office applications is an asset in many industries in Connecticut, including manufacturing, financial services, insurance, and nonprofits. Read on to learn more about the role Office skills play in each of these sectors.

Manufacturing

Connecticut enjoys a robust manufacturing sector that employs approximately 10% of the workforce in the state. The area is home to a high concentration of Fortune 500 companies and is known for its advanced manufacturing initiatives. Connecticut continues to invest in programs that support the high-tech manufacturing industry, including those situated within the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology and the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Office of Manufacturing. Residents of Connecticut with Office experience can put their skills to use in manufacturing. Office offers apps designed to help Manufacturers track employee progress and manage them. Additionally, Teams provides a platform for real-time video conferencing and file sharing among coworkers, and Word is a useful tool for creating approval requests.

Financial Services

The largest industry in Connecticut is financial services. It’s contributed over double as much to the state’s GDP as the second-ranking industry. As a world leader in asset management and investment, Connecticut attracts many financial companies to the area. Currently, more than 5,400 financial companies can be found in the state, including 10 of the 20 largest hedge funds in the world. Within the state’s finance sector, Excel is a popular tool for organizing, analyzing, and visualizing financial information. This industry-standard spreadsheet app provides finance professionals with capabilities that allow them to create complicated financial models and share their findings visually with relevant internal and external stakeholders.

Insurance

Sometimes referred to as “the insurance state, ” Connecticut leads the US in insurance employment and payroll. In 2022, more than 56,000 residents were employed in insurance-related career paths in the state, which is one in thirty state workers. Many of the world’s largest private ensurers are located in Connecticut, in part due to its close proximity to New York City and also because of the regulatory and business culture in place to support this industry. In this sector, Office products can assist with a range of tasks. Microsoft 365 can be used to automate internal or external transactions like policy underwriting, customer onboarding, and claims management.

Nonprofits

Another prominent Connecticut sector is nonprofits. Approximately 7% of the state’s workforce is employed in nonprofits (115,000). These individuals provide residents with access to child care, housing, food, technology, healthcare, and transportation. Each year, the state’s nonprofit sector generates close to $37 billion in revenue. In the nonprofit sector, Office knowledge can help with many tasks. Teams can help professionals collaborate more effectively with teammates, volunteers, partners, and donors who aren’t in the same physical location. Outlook helps with email and scheduling-related tasks. Excel helps analyze and visualize fundraising data. Word has applications for creating and editing documents that can then be shared with donors.

Office Job Titles and Salaries

Knowledge of Microsoft Office is an essential skill set in many Connecticut career paths. The following sections will take a closer look at popular professions in Connecticut in which Office training is used such as Financial Analyst, Administrative Assistant, and Desktop Publisher, as well as the average pay ranges for each role.

Financial Analysts

Financial Analysts handle their organization’s financial statements and data so they can offer feedback and suggestions about how their company or clients should invest. To ensure the advice they’re offering is sound, Financial Analysts must stay on top of current market trends and developments so the financial models they create offer a realistic forecast of how their company can be expected to perform in the future. Connecticut-based Financial Analysts earn a yearly salary of $99,000-$109,000.

Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistants who work in Connecticut are hired to help administrative professionals organize their materials and stay on task. On a daily basis, Administrative Assistance perform tasks like scheduling appointments, organizing meetings, drafting and editing documents, answering phones, managing business accounts, and filing. Administrative Assistants in Connecticut can expect to make approximately $52,000-$62,000 a year.

Desktop Publisher

Those who work in desktop publishing create documents like business proposals, financial reports, and newspapers using publishing software. These professionals draw from design knowledge when they format text, combine text with illustrations and images, add charts to documents, and make sure their work remains cohesive. In Connecticut, Desktop Publishers can expect to make about $62,000-$72,000 a year.

Office Classes Near Me

Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool is a useful resource you can use to search for Office classes in Connecticut. Training options are available in several core Office applications.

Noble Desktop offers live online and in-person training in New York City for those interested in learning how to work with one or more Microsoft Office applications. In the Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp, students have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in learning the Microsoft Office suite. This comprehensive bootcamp includes training in two levels of Outlook, three levels of Excel, two levels of PowerPoint, and two levels of Word. Students learn how to create professional-quality presentations in PowerPoint that feature custom themes, Smart Art, and animations. They work with Outlook to control spam, automate tasks, customize settings, and manage contacts. In the Word portion of training, students are taught text formatting, mail merge, and citations. Finally, the Excel class component covers macros, PivotTables, advanced analytics tools, and data visualizations.

Noble also has an Excel Bootcamp, which is intended for those interested in progressing from beginner to intermediate and advanced spreadsheet training over several days. Students work with basic calculations and functions, PivotTables, INDEX and MATCH, VLOOKUP and SUMIFS, and macros. All Noble classes come with a free course retake option for up to a year.

New Horizons offers Outlook 2019—Part 1 for those interested in exploring the basics of this app. Participants in this one-day program work with contact and email management, calendaring, and interface customization. By course completion, those enrolled will know how to sort and filter email, handle complex scheduling tasks, and automate email. This class is available in-person in Hartford.

In Microsoft Office Fundamentals Bootcamp, which is offered from NYC Career Centers, learners have the opportunity to explore several core Office applications. Coursework teaches students beginner-level Excel skills, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. A free course retake option for one year is included with tuition. This class is available in-person in NYC and live online.

Certstaffix Training’s Word—Level 1 is available for those interested in learning the basics of this popular application. In this introductory-level class, students are taught many basic word processing skills such as how to create and edit documents, change text appearance, incorporate diagrams and graphics, and customize options. This provider also offers Outlook—Level 1 for students who want to become familiar with skills like calendaring, managing contacts and emails, and customizing the interface. These classes are taught live online; students can work from their own space or use the training facility in Bridgewater Township.

NYIM Training offers Excel for Business Bootcamp, a comprehensive program that provides instruction on advanced-level Excel skills. Learners explore how to work with macros, functions, formulas, charts, and PivotTables. By the end of this program, students will be able to use Excel to perform many business-related tasks. This class is available in-person in NYC and live online.

Office Corporate Training

Would your employees benefit from learning more about Microsoft Office? If the answer is “yes, ” let Noble Desktop help. Noble has several corporate and onsite Microsoft Office training options for learners at all levels. Noble can provide training directly at your workplace in Connecticut for some or all of your employees or can conduct sessions remotely using Zoom. Training options are available in PowerPoint and Excel. Vouchers are available in bulk at a discount for Noble’s regularly scheduled classes. Coursework can also be customized to ensure all your employees can maximize their training.

If you want to find out more about the different corporate Office training options Noble can provide for your employees, please don’t hesitate to c

Corey Ginsberg

Corey Ginsberg is a professional writer with two decades of experience creating and editing content. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, graduating with honors. Corey also holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Florida International University and served as the editor of Gulf Stream Magazine. She has worked with clients such as the Dick’s Foundation, colleges, invention companies, Nike Swim Camp, The Pentagon, The Pittsburgh Robotics Institute, and major design firms. Drawing from a broad creative, technical, and professional writing background, Corey currently writes about a range of technical topics, including computer programming, data analytics, and computer-aided design.

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Key Insights

Learn More About CT Microsoft Office Courses

What Can You Do with Office Training?

What Will I Learn in an Office Class?

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Clear Communication

How Hard is It to Learn Office?

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Office?

How Long Does It Take to Learn Office?

Should I Learn Office in Person or Online?

Can Learn Office Free Online?

What Should I Learn Alongside Office?

Industries That Use Office

Manufacturing

Financial Services

Insurance

Nonprofits

Office Job Titles and Salaries

Financial Analysts

Administrative Assistant

Desktop Publisher

Office Classes Near Me

Office Corporate Training

CT Microsoft Office Corporate & Onsite Training Noble Desktop

CT Microsoft Office
Corporate & Onsite Training