Best Microsoft Office Classes Portland, OR: Find Courses & Onsite Training

Learn More About Portland Microsoft Office Courses

Microsoft Office, also known as Office, is Microsoft’s leading productivity software suite. Microsoft first introduced Office in 1988. The first release of Office included Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Since the first release, Microsoft has added more applications to Office such as Access and OneNote. Microsoft intends for Office users to rely on Office apps for productivity, so all included programs help streamline tasks, improve collaboration, and enhance organization.

Today, you can make a one-time purchase of Office for your computer or you can select a subscription-based plan for Office 365. Office 365 provides users with online access to Office apps and cloud storage. In addition, Office 365 users gain access to the latest features and updates to Office apps and can install Office 365 on all their devices. Instead of limiting Office use to one computer with a one-time purchase, Office 365 allows users to sign in to their Office 365 accounts on up to five devices at once.

Today, Microsoft focuses on adding new features to Office and improving existing tools. Part of this strategy involves integrating the latest technologies to make Office apps more efficient and collaborative. Artificial intelligence (AI) integration has grown in popularity among technologies and Office is no different. Microsoft has integrated AI into office apps to help users summarize documents and even automate tasks. The company has also deeply integrated apps with OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service.

What Can You Do with Office Training?

Office training will help you improve your productivity. People and companies use Office for a variety of reasons, but at the core of those reasons is productivity. Office applications provide users with the tools they need to manage tasks. Users can turn to Excel, for example, and organize data or automate repetitive tasks, ultimately saving themselves time. Word makes creating and formatting documents efficient thanks to pre-built templates and built-in formatting tools.

You can also utilize your Office training to begin a new career. Most office-based roles require some knowledge of Office apps if not proficiency. In an Office training program, you’ll learn how to use a variety of applications offered in Office. You can pursue advanced-level training if you know you need to master a certain application, like Excel or Outlook. Knowing Office alone isn’t enough to help you get a new job, but a thorough understanding of Office might just help you gain the edge over other candidates when applying for a job.

What Will I Learn in an Office Class?

In a beginner-level Office class, you’ll learn the foundations of core Office applications. You can elect to enroll in a comprehensive Office program, which will cover multiple apps, or a class that focuses on only one app. Comprehensive Office classes usually cover Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Along the way, you’re also likely to learn how to use Office apps to improve your time management.

Word

Word is Microsoft’s leading word-processing software. Businesses, students, and individuals use Word every day to create and edit different types of documents. In the business world, you may use Word to create reports, memos, or brochures, while students typically use Word for essays and individuals may use Word to take notes or to write letters. Word includes a built-in spell check and grammar check, and includes pre-made templates to make the formatting process easier for users. New AI tools in Word aim to help users generate text and improve the style of their writing. You can learn the basics of Word in an Office program or sign up for a Word class.

Excel

Experts estimate that over 1 billion people use Excel. The spreadsheet software has become standard in a variety of industries, including among data professionals. Excel allows users to organize and manage data, making the software useful for tasks like data analysis and data visualization. Excel also proves useful in the world of finance, where Financial Analysts can create financial models and prepare financial reports. Like most Office products, people also use Excel for personal projects, like budgeting and expense tracking. The many features of Excel make the program one of the more challenging Office apps to learn. Enroll in a comprehensive Office class or a beginner-level Excel course to start learning Excel today.

PowerPoint

Making well-designed presentations takes time. Luckily, PowerPoint, Microsoft’s presentation software, helps make the process easier. PowerPoint includes design and formatting tools that help users create dynamic and visually appealing presentations. PowerPoint’s note tool also aids in the public speaking part of a presentation, giving speakers the chance to briefly collect themselves with just a glance at their speaker’s notes. Users also rely on PowerPoint as an unconventional design tool. The program’s tools and features allow users to create social media graphics, infographics, and design mockups. Register for an Office class to learn how to create impressive presentations with PowerPoint.

Outlook

If you work for a company or attend school, there’s a good chance you have at least one Outlook account. Outlook is Microsoft’s personal information manager software system. The app has gained popularity as an email client with a variety of useful features, like a calendar. Outlook allows users to manage multiple email accounts in one place and seamlessly integrate appointments and meetings into their calendars. The program integrates with other Office apps such as Word and Excel, making sending attachments and importing data more efficient. In an Office or Outlook class, you’ll learn how Outlook can help make you more productive.

Time Management

Having time management skills will increase your productivity and help you better achieve your goals. Knowing how to allocate time to certain tasks will let you prioritize the most important tasks and set goals. Doing so makes you more likely to achieve long-term goals and complete tasks in less time. Many office-related jobs require employees to have time management skills. You’ll learn about using Office apps to better manage your time in an Office class. Core Microsoft applications can help you create task lists and assign deadlines. This process will make you more cognizant of what you need to do to manage your time effectively.

How Hard is It to Learn Office?

You may find learning Office challenging depending on which applications you want to learn. Students with no prior experience using Office tend to find Word and PowerPoint relatively easy to learn, thanks to their user-friendly interfaces. Conversely, students usually categorize Excel as more challenging. For a beginner, using formulas and data analysis tools in Excel can seem confusing at first. Luckily, enrolling in a comprehensive Office training program will help you learn the foundations of Office applications. You can take beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level classes to master Office programs and develop the skills needed to use Office in the workplace.

Learning multiple or all applications in Office also proves challenging for some students. The more applications you try to learn, the more interfaces you’ll have to grow used to, and the more tools and functions you’ll need to learn. If you have a good memory or pick up new skills quickly, you might not find learning so many applications challenging. However, if learning how to use new programs has proven difficult for you before, you can make the process easier by getting plenty of practice. The more you practice using Office apps, the easier learning them will become.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Office?

You can learn the basics of Office apps in about one to two weeks. This includes basic Word skills like creating and editing documents and basic Excel skills like data entry. Comprehensive programs will cover each of the core Office apps, so you can also expect beginner-level classes to teach you how to create slides in PowerPoint and send emails using Outlook. Enrolling in a beginner-level Office class is a good way to determine if you want to take your training further and learn more about Office applications.

Pursuing intermediate-level Office training will help you develop an advanced understanding of Word. Lessons on Excel will cover using functions and how to edit master slides in PowerPoint. Intermediate-level Office skills take around one to three months to develop. When receiving intermediate Office training, you should dedicate substantial time to practicing your new skills. One of the best ways to practice is by working on projects. Hands-on training will help you practice your new skills and connect what you’re learning in class to real-life situations.

You can master Office at any time between six months and one year. Mastery of Office includes knowing how to use advanced functions in Excel and using Access, Office’s data management system. As technology changes, Office programs will continue to update. You can stay up-to-date with changes to Office applications by subscribing to Office 365.

Should I Learn Office in Person or Online?

Office training comes in three formats: in-person, live online, and on-demand. Each course type comes with benefits and challenges. Before enrolling in an Office program, consider the three course modalities and decide which type best matches your learning needs, goals, and schedule.

Looking for a traditional-style class? Then you may want to enroll in an in-person Office class. In an in-person class, you’ll learn from an instructor face-to-face. Classes take place during the week, in the evenings, and on weekends in a classroom or computer lab. Enrolling in an in-person class means committing to attending a scheduled class. In-person classes vary in length depending on the type of program you enroll in. Some classes last one day while others, like bootcamps or certificate programs, can last weeks or even months. In-person classes also vary in price, with short-form classes usually costing several hundred dollars and long-form classes costing several thousands of dollars.

Students who can’t commute to an in-person class or feel more comfortable learning remotely can enroll in a live online class. Live online classes take place over web conferencing platforms. Students will show up to the virtual classroom to learn from a live instructor. The curriculum of a live online class is typically similar to the class’s in-person equivalent and usually costs the same as an in-person version would. Live online classes eliminate the need to commute, so you have a wide range of classes available to you taught by experts from around the country.

On-demand classes, or asynchronous classes, provide students with access to course materials that they must work through without the aid of a live instructor. After enrolling in an on-demand class, students will receive access to course materials. This class type is great for students with busy schedules who can’t find the time to attend a live class. On-demand classes typically cost far less than their live counterparts because the online learning platforms that host them don’t need to hire a live instructor to teach classes. Before enrolling in an on-demand class, make sure that you can handle teaching yourself course content. Without a live instructor, you won’t have the chance to ask questions or receive direct feedback on your work like you would in a live class.

Can I Learn Office for Free Online?

You can use the internet to learn the basics of Office for free online. Before committing to formal Office training, consider looking up Office tutorials on YouTube or another free video hosting platform. People and schools upload short videos explaining how to use certain features of Office applications that can help you get started with the training process. You can also find good resources on Office when you enroll in a free on-demand Office class. Udemy, Coursera, and other online learning platforms offer free short-form classes that teach the basics of Office apps. Enrolling in one of these classes can help you decide if you want to pursue further training.

Teaching yourself how to use unfamiliar software can be difficult. For help troubleshooting while learning Office, look for an online forum where people can ask each other questions. Reddit and other community-centric apps and websites often have pages dedicated to helping beginners find answers to their questions. These types of forums also serve as a potential resource for finding other Office resources. After learning the basics of Office for free online, you can enroll in formal training to take your Office skills to the next level.

What Should I Learn Alongside Office?

In a Microsoft Office class, you’ll learn how to use core Office applications. Advanced-level Office classes typically introduce you to less commonly used Office apps and Office 365 classes may include lessons on Microsoft Teams, the company’s collaboration app. In addition to learning Office, you should consider learning how to use Adobe Acrobat DC and Microsoft Project to better prepare yourself for applying to office-related jobs.

Adobe Acrobat DC, or Acrobat, is Adobe’s PDF editor software. Acrobat allows users to easily create, edit, and review PDFs. When working in the business or legal world, you’ll find that PDFs have become the standard file for professional and legal documents, which means you should know how to work with PDFs. Learning Acrobat will help you understand how to collaborate with others on documents and create common types of PDF documents, like reports and invoices. If you want to take things a step further, you can learn about how Adobe and Microsoft Office applications can integrate.

If you plan to use your Office skills in a Project Management position, you should consider learning a project management software like Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project helps users plan, manage, and track tasks. Users can create a project timeline using a Gannt chart and focus on task management using the program. Microsoft Project has become a popular program among Project Managers and individuals who need to manage a variety of tasks efficiently. Learning project management software like Microsoft Project can help you show off a highly valued skill when applying for jobs or help you expand your career opportunities.

Industries That Use Office

Several industries in Portland depend on employees skilled in Office. If you’re ready to begin a new career that will utilize your Office training, check out these Portland-based industries that you might find yourself working in.

Tech

Portland’s tech industry benefits from a highly educated workforce and a pervasive entrepreneurial spirit. The industry itself is growing in Portland, with startups and established companies calling the city home. Software development has seen significant growth among the city’s tech companies as have clean tech solutions. The tech community has gotten stronger in Portland thanks to frequent networking and tech events held in the city, like TechFestNW, Global Tech Jam, and Portland Startup Week. You can use your Office skills in the tech industry to analyze financial data, create onboarding materials, or collaborate with team members on projects.

Food and Beverage

People know Portland's food and beverage scene for its diversity and innovation. You can find a diversity of cuisines in the city, showcasing global flavors and innovative fusion dishes. The city’s food culture also emphasizes locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, which has propelled a farm-to-table movement. Food carts, breweries, and independent coffee shops and roasters have also carved out their place within the city. Office plays an important role in this industry. With Office applications, employees in the food and beverage industry can create menus, track inventory, and generate data-driven insights on customer behavior.

Real Estate

Portland’s real estate industry has been impacted by increased housing demand due to a steadily growing population and rising home prices. The city’s growing population of students and young professionals has also increased the demand for rental properties. As for commercial real estate, the city’s inclusion in the “Silicon Forest” region has led tech companies to establish operations in commercial spaces, particularly in downtown Portland. Office skills come in handy in the real estate industry when drafting contracts, analyzing property values, and preparing presentations for clients.

Office Job Titles and Salaries

Office training can help you begin a career in a variety of industries and sectors. Consider the following positions that require Office training before beginning your job search.

Administrative Assistant

An Administrative Assistant is responsible for performing clerical and administrative tasks. The scope of an Administrative Assistant’s responsibilities usually depends on the size of the company they work for. Some companies expect Administrative Assistants to contribute to projects while others don’t. Usually, an Administrative Assistant needs to know how to create documents, track data, keep the office organized, and provide customer service to visitors and clients. Learning Office applications will help prepare you for an Administrative Assistant role. Administrative Assistants in Portland make an average annual salary of $44,000. The salary for an Administrative Assistant position will usually depend on the size of the office and the experience level expected.

Project Manager

Project Managers use their time management, risk management, and organizational skills to manage projects from start to finish. Project Managers need to know how to use productivity software to help keep track of timelines and budgets. A good Project Manager has excellent interpersonal communication skills. Project Managers need to communicate with team members and stakeholders, so learning business communication strategies for written and verbal communication is useful for aspiring Project Managers. In Portland, Project Managers make an average annual salary of $109,000.

Data Analyst

Do you know all about data? Then you may have the skills required to work as a Data Analyst. Data Analysts use their knowledge of coding languages and programs like Excel to organize and analyze data. Data Analysts who work for companies find trends and patterns in data to help them make data-driven recommendations to managers, departments, and clients. Their recommendations may help companies make decisions about sales strategies, product development, or customer engagement approaches. Data Analysts in Portland make an average annual salary of $87,500.

Office Classes Near Me

When you’re ready to attend an Office class, check out the in-person and live online options below.

You’ll receive hands-on Office training in Noble Desktop’s live online Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp. The bootcamp divides the curriculum into sections that focus on different Office applications. The first two units cover PowerPoint. After learning PowerPoint, you and your classmates will spend two units learning Outlook, two units learning Word, and three units learning Excel. This 54-hour class bootcamp will prepare you for a variety of entry-level roles, like Administrative Assistant and Data Analyst. After completing the bootcamp, you can retake the course for free within one year.

NYIM’s live online Excel for Business Bootcamp helps students master Office’s popular spreadsheet software. In this bootcamp, students will spend 18 hours learning everything they need to know about Excel to use the program in a professional setting. Lessons will begin with the basics, like data entry, before moving on to intermediate and advanced-level topics. When enrolling, students have the option of signing up for the predefined track or they can customize their schedule. NYIM offers students a free retake within one year of completing the bootcamp.

Portland Community College (PCC) offers comprehensive Excel training in Excel for the Workplace: Introductory to Advanced. During the program, students will work through introductory, intermediate, and advanced-level Excel lessons across three classes. This program is part of PCC’s Continuing Education program, which provides continuing education opportunities for individuals, management, and organizations.

Students enrolled in Certstaffix Training’s Microsoft Word—Combo Course will spend two days learning how to work with the world’s most popular word-processing software. Lessons on the first day of class cover the basics of Word along with adding graphics to documents and modifying the structure of text. Day two moves on to more advanced elements of Word documents. Students will spend the day learning how to create charts, format document elements, and collaborate in Word. Certstaffix offers this class to individuals in a live online format and to teams onsite. After completing the class, students can take advantage of a free six-month retake to refresh on course topics.

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

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Key Insights

Learn More About Portland Microsoft Office Courses

What Can You Do with Office Training?

What Will I Learn in an Office Class?

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Time Management

How Hard is It to Learn Office?

How Long Does It Take to Learn Office?

Should I Learn Office in Person or Online?

Can I Learn Office for Free Online?

What Should I Learn Alongside Office?

Industries That Use Office

Tech

Food and Beverage

Real Estate

Office Job Titles and Salaries

Administrative Assistant

Project Manager

Data Analyst

Office Classes Near Me

Office Corporate Training

Portland Microsoft Office Corporate & Onsite Training Noble Desktop

Portland Microsoft Office
Corporate & Onsite Training