Over the years, Microsoft Office has become one of the most important and highly respected software suites in the world. It includes various programs that help users handle multiple important tasks. Learning to properly use this suite can help improve your career by expanding your skills and making it easier to perform a broad range of important job duties. Read on to learn more about why learning this program is so important and what classes can help you.
Microsoft Office is a collection of organization and workflow efficiency software applications that have been almost synonymous with office-based careers since 1990. The first-ever Office suite came out on DOS, meaning every element of it was operated using the keyboard. Amazingly, some DOS-based Office programs are still available for download. Since then, Office has continually expanded and added even more tools to its program suite.
Since its debut, this collection of tools, which includes Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, has become heavily used in almost every professional setting around the world. While statistics aren’t precise, Microsoft estimates that over a billion people regularly use at least one program in the Office suite of products. For example, writers may use Word to type projects, while managers may use PowerPoint to prepare in-depth presentations.
Rebranded as Microsoft 365 in 2017, these tools are some of the most important basic skills you can learn if you want to work in a white-collar environment. Even competitive software, including free-to-use options like OpenOffice, essentially emulates the programs and tasks perfected in Office. However, Office typically provides a stabler environment than these free programs, as they often have limited updates and lots of bugs that make them unstable.
Why Learn Microsoft Office
Learning Microsoft Office will help you be more productive and efficient in various professional tasks and settings. Most of the programs used in this suite can seem pretty self-explanatory. Microsoft tries to make Office as user-friendly as possible and approachable to beginners. As a result, few professionals will need advanced training in all of the tools available in Office. However, some people may feel uncomfortable approaching this process by themselves.
In fact, some individuals need hands-on support mastering even basic computer programs. After all, not everyone has the same level of tech competency. Furthermore, Office software provides far more advanced capabilities than some may realize. For example, PowerPoint has a task-management option that streamlines your presentations in various ways. These more complex tasks might take some trial-and-error practice to properly master.
As a result, learning any of these tools in more depth can significantly improve your workflow and help you pursue better careers in more rewarding fields. Plus, since these tools are all integrated with each other, learning any given program will make it easier for you to collaborate with others and simpler to learn additional Office skills, if you want. For instance, mastering PowerPoint charts can make it easier for you to present them in PowerPoint. Everything is connected in Office, which should make it easier for you to thrive in this environment.
Tools You’ll Master with Office
As we’ve mentioned a few times now, Microsoft Office has a myriad of programs that you can master to improve your career. These unique options include word processing, slideshow, and data-management tools. They’re some of the most trusted and heavily used office programs in the world and mastering them can improve your potential career in many ways. Let’s break down some of the software you’ll master to ensure you know what you’re getting into here.
Excel
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet data management program, and it is arguably the most important tool in the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. It lets you create complex spreadsheets to store, organize, and interpret data. For example, you could use it to collect polling information during an election year, collect your expenses in one place, or gather information about your employees. It even lets you create charts and other visuals to compare this data.
So, whether it’s used for something as simple as organizing a company’s contact information or as complex as maintaining the financial records of an entire division, Excel is an important tool for any job involving record management and data collection. As a result, it’s one of the most heavily used programs in the office world and is commonly utilized in multiple job markets. Just a few career fields where you might need to use Excel daily or even occasionally include:
- Accounting: As an Accountant, you’ll likely use Excel for bookkeeping, tax preparation, and expense management. You’ll also use it to help your clients create budgets, which can ensure that their operations are efficient and effective.
- Finances: The financial world needs Excel to handle steps like investment evaluation, budgeting, variance analysis, forecasting, and sensitivity understanding. Excel lets you collect important data like this and present it smoothly and efficiently.
- Project Management: Project managers typically need to use Excel to handle processes like project planning, resource allocation, and cost tracking. They may also use it regularly to assess various company risks and solutions that can keep business safe.
- Marketing: As a marketing professional, you may use Excel to track your keywords, the financial success of your advertisements, and much more. You’ll work hard to boost your marketing presence and produce effective campaigns that convert viewers.
While understanding the basic input and copying steps with Excel isn’t too hard, Excel training will help you learn to use more complex ideas. For example, you’ll learn how to:
- Create custom tables with more complex presentation ideas
- Automatically calculate data using formulas and functions
- Build custom functions and macros to tailor Excel’s productivity features
- Automate data entry and create attractive graphics
- Synchronize Excel with Word, Excel, and other Office programs
Therefore, whether you are a teacher working on building a simple grade book or a data professional dealing with thousands of rows of financial information, learning Excel can pay long-term dividends in your professional life. In-person or online classes and bootcamps can give you the insight that you need to master Excel and understand it more deeply.
Word
Microsoft Word is the most commonly used word processing application in the world and likely created almost all the typed documents you will encounter in the business world. Whether you are writing a report, composing a letter, or preparing an official document, you will probably use Word. As a result, there are many careers that use Word on a daily basis, including:
- Basic Office Work: No matter what your role in the business world, you’ll probably use Word. For example, you may type reports on it regularly or collect information while researching new products. In this way, mastering Word can make your career much easier.
- Journalism: Journalists need word processing software to type their stories, collect data, and carefully craft detailed stories. Just as importantly, you may need it when typing expense reports, which can be very detailed for some journalists.
- Teaching: Teachers may need to master Word to type lessons or grade their students’ work. You may also need Word to type up things like grants, which you can use to bring more money to your classroom and improve your teaching experience.
- Management: As a manager, you’ll likely use Word regularly to type reports for your bosses. These may include problems with employees, requests for time off, and much more. Mastering Word makes this process much easier.
While the basic features of Word are fairly simple to understand, anyone hoping to regularly use its advanced features may want to consider a professional training program. Taking advanced Word training courses can help you master more complex or advanced features such as:
- Advanced formatting that makes your documents more professional
- Track changes to your document and restore previous ideas
- Build form documents that help streamline your Word use
- Sync Word with Excel and other Office-based programs
- Format your documents into whatever style you want
Taking this training will provide you with a better understanding of the less commonly used but still vital features of Word. It will also help you to create better documents more efficiently. Thankfully, there are Word bootcamps that you can attend that will improve your understanding of this program and ensure that you can master its more complex processes.
PowerPoint
PowerPoint is a presentation-building application used to build evocative and informative presentations that communicate ideas and data to an audience. This program is most commonly associated with informational or persuasive presentations targeted at stakeholders or potential clients/investors, though also has educational uses. Careers that may use it include:
- Sales Representatives: As a sales person, you’re likely to use PowerPoint when presenting a new product or service. You’ll create in-depth slideshows that highlight why a product is a smart investment and ensure that your clients understand its benefits.
- HR Professionals: In HR, you may need PowerPoint to present various training details to your team, as well as changes to policy. It’s particularly useful for visually inclined members of your team and can ensure that they know what to expect from these changes.
- Managers: Whether you’re training your team or simply presenting important financial information, PowerPoint is critical for team managers. It can give you a better overall understanding of your team’s needs and ensure they understand you as well.
- Professors: Higher education often requires high-quality PowerPoint skills. For example, you may need it to present important lessons to your students and ensure that they understand them more fully. It’s often the best way to present data in many class types.
Currently, Microsoft PowerPoint has an estimated 95% market share in the presentation design application market. As a result, anyone looking to easily communicate or present information to an audience should consider learning the program. Though easy to learn initially, PowerPoint has many advanced features, including:
- Annotating your slides to ensure that they provide accurate information
- Creating stylish and attractive looks that make slideshows enjoyable
- Integrating videos, sounds, and other media elements to your slideshows
- Sharing and exporting slideshows for easier sharing with others
- Producing more engaging slideshows that sync with other Office programs
If you want to learn these more advanced ideas, you should consider enrolling in a PowerPoint course, as well as a design class. Design courses provide you with a more advanced understanding of presentations and make them easier to produce. Just as importantly, it can ensure that you produce interesting and attractive presentations for your team.
Outlook
Outlook is Microsoft’s webmail service application that not only lets you send and receive emails but provides a built-in calendar, contact organization, and task management features. Learning to use Outlook is a good way to keep on top of the movement and activities of large teams of employees, and it is a good way to keep an office space organized and running smoothly.
Just about every career will use email and productivity programs like Outlook to communicate daily. Mastering them should help improve your team’s communication and collaboration skills and minimize personal conflicts. After all, communication and collaboration between multiple departments are vital to the operation of a successful business and its development.
While taking a class for such a simple program might seem unnecessary at first, doing so can ensure that your team is on the same page. Furthermore, it can ensure that your crew handles this software’s more advanced features. These include:
- Organizing the calendar based on event types
- Handling specialized accounts to ensure proper management
- Setting up advanced calendar usage to keep it running smoothly
- Automating messages and replies to cut back on email time
- Sharing workspaces with your co-workers and team members
In high-quality Outlook classes, you and your team will learn how to handle all of these steps in a hands-on and informative classroom setting. You’ll work directly with your professor to ensure that things make sense for you. As a result, anyone working in a team management or organizational capacity will benefit from advanced Outlook training of this type.
Access
Microsoft Access is a database management and querying tool used to manage large datasets and generate reports based on that data. Typically, this program is used alongside Excel to take raw spreadsheet data and create a more manageable and well-organized database from what might be rather random and unruly information. It uses various automation tools to help here.
As a result, Access is one of the more complex tools in the Office suite and is among the most specialized. That means it’s not as heavily used as other programs in Office, but it is especially useful for anyone working with relational databases who doesn’t have a background in programming languages like SQL or Python. Jobs that might need it include:
- Data Trackers: There are many fields that track data such as accountants, polling professionals, and much more. As a result, it’s critical to master Access to ensure that you can meet the demands of these careers more effectively.
- Data Managers: Over the years, data warehouses have become a major business and require Access and other similar programs to run properly. If you’re the manager of a data warehouse, make sure you take Office classes to become more skilled.
- Statisticians: Statisticians typically need Access to ensure that they’re raw statistics are properly sorted and displayed. Taking a course in this program will ensure that you understand it properly and make it easier to share data with your team.
- Mathematicians: As a mathematician, you might need Access to gather, sort, and compile large reams of raw mathematical data to share with Excel. Mastering this program should make it easier for you to handle.
The more specialized nature of Access makes it smart to take Office training courses. Many people probably don’t have a lot of hands-on experience with it, meaning it’s smart to get help from a professor who can make this process easier. Just a few skills you’ll learn include:
- Managing and organizing data using automated tools
- Creating relational databases quickly and efficiently
- Querying, joining, sorting, and filtering data properly
- Performing the same tasks on tables based on this data
- Automating these tasks to make them more efficient
Anyone who regularly works with Microsoft Excel in data management would benefit greatly from learning how to pair those skills with Access proficiency. Thankfully, there are many Office bootcamps that integrate Access, meaning you can master this software quickly and efficiently. Just as importantly, you can give your team the same support to ensure they’re comfortable.
Office Careers
Microsoft Office skills are some of the most commonly requested skills found in job descriptions today. Many organizations count on their employees to understand Microsoft Office to handle many of their daily office functions. Though some might use open-source alternatives, most prefer Microsoft Office for its diversity and reliability. Office skills include:
- Word processing
- Database building
- Spreadsheet creating
- Promotional material designing
- Presentation compiling
- Data managing
If you work in an office environment or any job that requires basic computer skills and literacy, it is likely that learning one or more Office skills will be useful for you in the long term. Even if you don’t work in these environments yet, learning Office can make it simpler for you to progress to a career that interests you, one that may make a strong, livable wage.
For example, office applications are very important for anyone in a managerial or project management position. Tools like Outlook help you manage large groups of people without needing to directly oversee all of their work. Furthermore, programs like PowerPoint and Excel are useful for organizing and compiling important information.
They can help keep track of team progress on your projects and communicate necessary updates to your managers, owners, and invested stakeholders. Mastering these skills will improve your management skills and make them significantly more fluid and effective. Understanding a few careers that use Office can help improve your job training, too.
Job Considerations
Data scientists, managers, and analysts regularly use programs like Excel and Access to create and manage relational databases. While you may need additional training to understand your data fully, understanding these basic tools can help you progress in this field. Furthermore, it can help you train other professionals to better handle your data needs.
In particular, learning advanced Excel skills will make the rest of the process significantly easier because it will help ensure that your raw data is already well-organized and ideal for all of Excel’s efficiency tools. As a result, it’s a smart idea to master these programs and use them in your daily work to ensure that you get the best results possible for your unique job.
That said, professionals looking for Microsoft Office-related jobs should primarily consider administrative positions when looking for a job. These roles often require Microsoft Office program fluency. The most commonly used of these software options are Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Understanding them at a basic level can ensure you work properly.
Potential Limitations of Microsoft Office Skills
While mastering Microsoft Office is a smart investment, it’s important to understand its limitations. Typically, knowing how to use Microsoft Office programs alone won’t be sufficient to build a career. Simply put, these are productive tools meant to make the rest of your job easier by simplifying the basic functions of your workday and not comprehensive training.
Therefore, you still need the underlying skills needed to handle a job properly. For example, if you’re working in the data management field, you need to understand proper data sorting and labeling to avoid making any mistakes. As a result, while Office skills are vital to possess, you will need more specialized skills to ensure that you can start your preferred career.
Furthermore, learning the more advanced features of these programs can give you a competitive edge that helps you stand out from the crowd when searching for a new job or negotiating a pay raise. You will particularly stand out if you complete various training programs that earn you a certificate or certification that proves you understand this software.
How to Learn Office
If you want to learn Office skills, there are plenty of great training programs to help you master Office. The vast importance of Office makes the vast diversity of available classes understandable. Each teaches you how to use some or all of these applications. Typical options include courses like in-person classes and online training from skilled professionals.
These classes will provide an immersive learning experience that will ensure you feel comfortable with Office. You’ll get paired with a professor who will work you and fellow students through the complex skills needed to master Office. These lessons include various exercises that keep you focused on progressing with each program smoothly and efficiently.
Should You Try In-Person or Online Training?
When deciding on your training, it’s critical to know whether you want to commute to a training center and learn in a classroom space or save time and money by taking a digital class. Each training method comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so consider your learning preferences and goals before enrolling in any Office educational program.
Many students find that they prefer learning in a dedicated classroom space since these courses let them work directly with professional instructors who can provide them with feedback and assistance. This is especially useful for beginners who may need assistance learning the basics of the Office interface or who have little experience with computers in general.
These classes also let you use software in developed computer labs, which can save you money. That said, in-person classes are geographically restricted, so you can only enroll in the courses that they can physically attend. If you don’t live near major cities, this can be limiting. In addition, adding a commute to and from a training center may add time and money to the class.
Physical Office Classes
The availability of physical Office classes will vary based on where you’re located. Thankfully, Microsoft Office is such a universal software suite that you should find many options available near you. If you’re still on the fence about which option works best for you, Noble Desktop offers a tool that allows you to search and compare Microsoft Office classes.
With this tool, you’re likely to find many high-quality teams that teach you Microsoft Office in the traditional environment of an in-person course. These can provide you with the hands-on training that you need to thrive with this software and are often the best way to master this program suite. Here’s what you need to know about the many options available to you. These include teams like Ledet Training, ONLC, Certastaffix, and Noble Desktop.
Ledet Training
Available in Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington, D.C., Denver, Boston, Portland, Columbus, Raleigh, Fort Lauderdale, and Chicago, Ledet Training provides many unique Office courses. For instance, Microsoft Excel 101 gives you a one-day introduction to this program that should make it easier to master. There’s also Microsoft Excel 201 if you’re interested in advancing.
After you feel comfortable with intermediate Office use, you can try Microsoft Office 365 501. This five-day course immerses you in the unique demands of Office and helps your team master this software more effectively. Even better, it provides you with classes in SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams, programs that often get missed in other Office courses.
Certstaffix Training
Certstaffix is available in nearly 50 locations around the nation and provides high-quality in-person training that can help you master Office more deeply. Their courses typically include important exercises that help you improve your Office skills. For example, Excel – Level 1 and Excel – Level 2 provide one-day courses that help you advance in this program.
Other courses include Microsoft Office 365 Online (With Skype for Business) and Microsoft Office 365 Online (With Teams for the Desktop) that help you learn how to use these important programs with Office. Mastering these lessons will make working online with your team simpler and more effective and prevent serious communication issues that may otherwise occur.
Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop has over 30 years of experience teaching students in both in-person and online environments. Their in-person courses are limited to New York City, though their online classes provide the same excellence you get with their other classes. Noble Desktop provides multiple Microsoft Office courses that can help you master this software suite more effectively.
For example, PowerPoint Bootcamp takes just 12 hours and will help you master PowerPoint on a deeper level. You’ll get a free retake when you try this course and learn in a small, friendly environment. Subjects you’ll study include managing large presentations, producing customized themes, integrating animations, and other important essential and intermediate skills.
Online Office Classes
If you can’t find an in-person class, live online training provides a smart alternative. In these classes, you attend a digital classroom space taught by a live instructor lecturing and demonstrating concepts in real-time. These courses provide you with the same quality instruction you would receive in an in-person classroom. Other benefits include:
- The ability to take a class wherever you want, including at home
- Working with training teams from all across the nation, if you like
- Recorded classes you can watch again, if you need it
- Help from a professor in real-time to improve your abilities
Like with in-person classes, you’ll work directly with your instructor and receive personalized feedback and assistance when you encounter problems. Furthermore, you’ll also have the chance to meet new friends or potential co-workers through online chat features. These make virtual courses a fun and engaging way to master Office properly.
That said, these courses do have downsides. For example, some people may not get enough in-person time with their professor. Furthermore, you’ll also have to buy all your Office software licenses, which adds to the price of the course. In spite of these issues, virtual classes remain a popular way to master Office and will work well for anyone who wants to master this program.
Microsoft Training
Over the years, Microsoft has opened up multiple training programs for its many programs. For example, it provides a suite of Microsoft 365 Training options that may work well for your team. These courses are not quite as in-depth as certification or certificate programs. That said, they can be a smart way to learn some of the more basic skills in Office.
For example, the Microsoft 365 Basics training includes eight different videos you can watch to improve your skills. These include working with Microsoft Teams, creating new projects, and much more. Note that classes on this platform are asynchronous. This means you’ll take them whenever and in whatever order you want without the help of a professor.
Other courses, like Quick Starts, follow a similar setup and require you to stay self-motivated through your learning process. If you’re not someone who learns well this way, it might be best to find a live online class instead. These emulate the feel of an in-person school and make it easier for you to track your skills and master your Office abilities.
CourseHorse
CourseHorse is a unique training platform that lets you choose classes from multiple vendors. As a result, you can mix and match your Office training and take courses from whoever you want. These typically include online training options, though in-person classes may be available in larger cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, depending on availability.
Some popular options include Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp, an NYC Career Centers course. This nine-day bootcamp teaches you and your team about Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. You work through multiple levels and should advance to more complex subjects fairly easily. This course gives you the full support you need to master Office.
Other classes focus on more specific programs such as TLG Learning’s Excel – Part 1 and Microsoft Excel 2016: Level 1 from Colorado Free University. Typically, these courses cost less than more comprehensive bootcamps, which helps you save money while still mastering various Office skills. Try this option if you’re on a tight budget but still want a great learning experience.
Noble Desktop
For over 30 years, Noble Desktop has provided industry-leading tech education. For example, it provides multiple virtual Microsoft Office classes for learners of all time commitments and skill levels. The highlight of these programs is Excel Bootcamp, which provides intensive instruction for learners looking to master the spreadsheet program’s most advanced features.
Noble Desktop’s affiliate companies also provide live online training in Microsoft Office. For example, NYIM Training’s Microsoft Office classes feature a comprehensive Microsoft Office Bootcamp that covers all of the programs available in the suite, while NYC Career Centers’ Microsoft Office classes include training in PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and Outlook.
High school students also have much to gain by mastering Microsoft Office early in their lives. Students interested in doing so should enroll in NextGen Bootcamp’s summer virtual Microsoft Office classes for high schoolers. Starting early with Office can ensure that teens fully understand this software and the unique ways that it benefits their potential office career.
Corporate & Onsite Microsoft Office Training
Your workplace likely relies on Microsoft Office every day, meaning it’s important to ensure that your crew understands it properly. Thankfully, Noble Desktop offers onsite and virtual corporate training sessions in Microsoft Office to companies of all sizes. These flexible courses are available in both in-person and online options, depending on your location. They’ll cover all the ins and outs of Microsoft Office and ensure your team is competent with this software.
Even better, you can purchase group vouchers for their employees to attend Noble Desktop’s Office classes at a discounted rate. The goal here is to ensure that everyone on your team has the same core competencies and to ensure that they understand the more complex processes associated with Microsoft Office. Please contact Noble Desktop to learn more about these opportunities for your business and to set up a class that your team will enjoy.
FAQ on Microsoft Training
How Microsoft Office Differs from Comparable Subjects
Learning Microsoft Office is different from other job skills because it requires you to use a computer to master its many skills. You’ll also have to purchase a license to use Microsoft Office, which can add considerably to the cost of your class. This cost is typically included in your in-person class’ expense, while you’ll cover it yourself with online classes.
Note that buying this license means you’ll have access to Office after you complete the class, meaning you can use it however you want. Furthermore, Office programs often have similar functionalities that make it easier to master one software option after learning one. Try to keep that in mind when choosing Microsoft training classes that interest you.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Microsoft Office?
Learning Microsoft Office shouldn’t take that long for most people. It all depends on the skills you need to master for your career. For example, you might find you only need basic skills that take a day or two to understand. Intermediate skills, like collecting data, may require you to take more time, including up to a week, to properly assimilate all of these abilities.
Advanced tasks such as creating in-depth and synchronized presentations may require a few weeks of practice to properly master. Note that grasping the basics for even intermediate or advanced skills shouldn’t take too long. We’re only estimating how long it should take you to feel comfortable using these unique skills in your job every day.
How Hard is It to Learn Microsoft Office?
If you have basic computer skills, it shouldn’t be too hard to learn Microsoft Office. The programs in this suite are designed to be intuitive and easy to understand, and many people can handle the basic skills in just a few hours of practice. However, Office is a deeper suite than most realize and its programs provide more in-depth options.
For example, playing with Excel formulas may be a little harder for some people to understand and take some time to master. As a result, your challenge may vary depending on your inherent skills and ability to learn. Be patient if you’re struggling with any of these programs and take your time to practice them using whatever techniques make sense to you.
What Should You Consider Learning Alongside Microsoft Office?
If you’re interested in mastering Microsoft Office, it’s a smart idea to consider learning other related skills. For example, you can learn various networking abilities, high-quality data management, unique soft skills, and even online sharing techniques. The goal here is to make yourself a better and more comprehensive employee or manager.
Note that mastering these skills may require taking other courses after completing your Office classes. That means your training costs might spiral, which is critical to consider if you’re on a budget. However, you can write off much of this education as business expenses and taxes, meaning you can save yourself money and avoid unnecessarily high bills.