Which Microsoft Office Training Format Is Right for Me?

Microsoft Office is the most widely used client software suite on the planet. Knowledge and experience in Office applications allow users to compose documents, organize data, or create presentations for projects across a variety of industries or for personal use. When comparing different Office training options, there are several factors to consider. It’s important to acknowledge that people have different ways of learning, which means that finding the right training method for an individual is crucial for getting lessons to stick. With finding the right path for Microsoft Office training, there are several factors to consider. Everyone learns differently, and choosing the right approach to training is critical.

The information below should help some people find the method for learning Microsoft Office that’s right for them. When comparing options, deciding which approach feels right for you is important.

What is Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office is essential for working environments across various business and media categories. Its software bundles provide a variety of functions for word processing, building databases, creating spreadsheets, and designing promotional material. Working with Microsoft Office suite applications provides skills that can lead to employment in composing, editing, saving, and printing documents. Microsoft Office offers a variety of applications that include Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel for use on both PCs and Macs, as well as the cloud through Microsoft 365.

Microsoft Office is the most widely used software application throughout the world. Microsoft Office allows users to manage email accounts, calendars, and to-do lists. With Microsoft Office software, users can get work done remotely or onsite through chats, calls, hosting meetings, or sharing documents in the cloud. Skills in Microsoft Office can be learned through several online learning providers for basic knowledge and certifications with training in a variety of applications.

Read more about what Microsoft Office is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office provides features and tools that allow users to organize tasks ranging from creating presentations with PowerPoint, analyzing and visualizing data using Excel, communicating through email with Outlook, or writing documents using Word. These are just a few examples of the programs and features that have made Office an essential tool for professionals worldwide.

Microsoft PowerPoint has become the industry standard for creating presentations that allow users to design layouts, create tables and charts, modify the text, or insert images, shapes, animation, and layered objects. Excel allows users to create formulas, PivotTables, and macros, along with other essential techniques, including calculations, basic functions, charts, formatting, and printing. Outlook can handle email functions, manage calendars, organize contact lists, and set appointments and meetings.

Finally, Microsoft Word is the most widely used word-processing application worldwide and likely the most used software application. Word offers a trove of features waiting to be unlocked to help users compose, edit, and produce documents in several different formats. Through training, students will learn shortcuts, tips, and techniques for optimizing professional or personal use of Word. Training includes lessons with formatting techniques, creating hyperlinks, setting bookmarks, or inserting images, videos, or audio.

Training Formats for Microsoft Office

There are a variety of methods available for learning Microsoft Office applications. Some people feel more comfortable learning inside a classroom with a teacher standing right there in front of them, while others appreciate the convenience of live online courses that allow for the flexibility of learning while staying at home.

In-Person Microsoft Office Training

Learning in a classroom allows students to directly and personally interact with an instructor. While there can undoubtedly be interaction with a teacher when learning in an online setting, there is something richer about sharing personal space, being able to read body language, or simply experiencing the nuances of physical interaction that come with occupying the same area. The biggest obstacle with taking a course inside a classroom is getting there. Problems, including traffic, weather, or unforeseen events, can make getting to the location difficult.

Live Online Microsoft Office Training

Noble Desktop offers live online Microsoft Office classes that take place in real-time and give students direct access to their instructors with the opportunity to get feedback on assignments or answers to questions related to difficult concepts or topics. Noble Desktop also provides training through its affiliate NYIM Training, which offers the Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp that includes several levels of training for Excel, PowerPoint, Word, or Outlook through a variety of courses. NYIM also offers the Microsoft Office Fundamentals Bootcamp that trains participants in the essentials of Microsoft Office programs through courses like Excel for Business Fundamentals, PowerPoint for Business, Microsoft Word Level I, and Microsoft Outlook Level I. Students can also enroll in NYIM Training’s Microsoft Certification courses, which provide certification training for Microsoft applications like Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access. Live online courses allow students to balance taking classes while working or handling other obligations. However, some people may miss the personal touch of being able to interact with teachers and classmates inside a traditional classroom setting. Nevertheless, live online training provides flexibility for those who want to improve their career options but lack flexibility timewise.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Don’t feel ready to handle a fully loaded Microsoft Office training course? Noble Desktop offers free classes, including a free online Excel course or a free PowerPoint Presentation Design seminar. The Excel class gives techniques for beginners to save time when using the spreadsheet application in day-to-day activities for work or at home. The PowerPoint class provides lessons for creating professional-looking presentations for work, school, or home.

Udemy offers a collection of Microsoft Office-related courses that fit whatever an individual might want with learning basic lessons in various Microsoft software. Coursera also trains students in Microsoft Office features and interfaces, including how to perform basic tasks using Word, PowerPoint, or Excel. You can also find other education providers that offer free online training for Office applications.

Interested students can also find a basic introduction to Microsoft Office from online tutorials, YouTube video channels, and other video outlets.

Read more about free Microsoft Office videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand Classes

Noble Desktop provides other options for learning Microsoft Office applications, including on-demand training. Unlike live online courses, on-demand classes allow students to learn at their own pace and on their own time, avoiding the stress of conflict with work or other commitments. The option for on-demand Microsoft Office training provides beginners or advanced students with courses from a variety of education providers, including Noble Desktop, among several. For example, students can enroll with Udemy, which offers courses that provide comprehensive training in the Microsoft Office business suite, or Skillshare, which has classes that teach students how to use PowerPoint for creating presentations and applying advanced design and animation.

Comparison of Microsoft Office Training Formats

There are three main ways to train for Microsoft Office tools–in-person classes, live-online courses, or self-paced tutorials, usually videos. Depending on personal preferences, including where a person lives, an individual has choices in how to train for skills with any number of Microsoft Office applications.

Noble Desktop currently offers a variety of in-person and live online Microsoft Office courses in New York City, which are taught inside Manhattan classrooms or through virtual learning options. The New York City classroom also provides computers and software with these courses. Of course, the benefit of face-to-face training inside a classroom gives students the opportunity to interact personally with their instructors and classmates.

Taking an online course to learn Microsoft Office provides its own benefits, including the convenience of being able to train from the comfort of your own home, which can be especially advantageous following a long day at work. Noble Desktop’s online courses provide training through video conferencing software that offers enrollees the same hands-on experience and interaction that they would get inside a classroom.

On-demand training offers several options for learning Microsoft Office software applications. Students have choices ranging from free basic tutorials to taking advanced online courses from Noble Desktop or other education providers. 

Is it Possible to Teach Yourself Microsoft Office?

People wanting to learn more about Microsoft Office may decide to teach themselves how to use its various applications. There are resources available, including online tutorials or videos, for learning the fundamentals of applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Project. Watching free video tutorials and experimenting with any of the software can help people teach themselves basics related to writing documents, organizing spreadsheets, or creating slides for presentations.

Students may go on to teach themselves the advanced features of Word, PowerPoint, or Excel, particularly exchanging the functions among these applications. New learners may also seek out friends, professionals, or experts who have knowledge and experience with these applications and can offer helpful advice with learning that can clear up difficulties.

How to Decide the Best Way to Learn Microsoft Office

Developing knowledge with Microsoft Office programs can open paths for working in several industries or enhance possibilities at a current position. While possessing skills in a variety of Office tools cannot by itself provide the foundation for a career, deeper knowledge in everyday tools such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint can provide strong support for any professional skill set. There are several options available for learning Microsoft Office’s assortment of software applications. Noble Desktop offers live online Microsoft Office courses that train individuals in how to use tools like Excel for analyzing and visualizing data, Word for word processing and editing documents, and PowerPoint for creating professional-looking presentations. For example, Noble Desktop offers the Microsoft Excel Bootcamp that provides in-depth education for using this spreadsheet software with lessons on functions, formulas, and PivotTables.

Noble Desktop offers a variety of options for training that include in-person courses, live online classes and bootcamps, online courses tailored to high school students, as well as corporate training for companies to sharpen skills among their staff. While using Microsoft Office tools may be something that many people are familiar with, building on that familiarity and comfort could lead to enhancing professional opportunities or personal activities such as posting on social media.

Learn Microsoft Office with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re looking to enhance your skills in using Microsoft Office, Noble Desktop has courses that provide training for a better understanding of Office applications. This includes in-person classes in New York City and live online courses at varying durations and costs.

Noble Desktop offers in-person and live online Microsoft Office classes that provide hands-on training from expert instructors. Courses offered include Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Project, and Outlook training that can be taken inside a classroom or virtually.

Microsoft Office courses include the Excel Bootcamp, which provides training in functions, formulas, PivotTables, and macros, along with timesaving techniques learned from lessons with hands-on projects for real-world education. Excel courses offer training from the fundamental level up through advanced classes available through various timeframes, with tuition between $229 and $549.

Students can also enroll in the PowerPoint Bootcamp to learn how to design everything from slides with multimedia presentations to customizing text or using images, shapes, animation, layered objects, and creating tables and charts. Noble Desktop also offers the PowerPoint Level I course that teaches individuals fundamentals such as how to apply images and SmartArt or insert tables and graphs to design professional-looking presentations.