The length of time for learning new skills with Microsoft Office will depend on the method of training a person chooses. Individuals may want to simply learn the basics through introductory courses for using Office applications, supplement their knowledge with advanced training, or seek licensed training through certifications. Of course, people are able to enroll for in-person training with full-time or part-time courses. However, anyone interested in additional training also has options with online training that includes synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (on-demand) methods for learning.

What is Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office is an essential tool for finding work in various industries. Skills with Microsoft Office can lead to employment with applications like Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, and Teams that operate on PCs and Macs using the cloud though Microsoft 365.

Noble Desktop provides training in Office through in-person and live online courses that help with tasks for managing email accounts and calendars or scheduling assignments that contribute to getting work done on site or remotely through chats, calls, videoconferencing, and collaborating on documents and files in a cloud environment.

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

Benefits of Learning Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is a suite of software applications for use with a variety of media in the workplace. These applications have been designed to handle various office functions for composing documents, building databases, organizing data, and designing promotional materials. This includes using Microsoft Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheet functions, and PowerPoint for professional-looking visual presentations. Anyone working anywhere from a corporate office to an academic institution uses Office for everything from basic workplace organizing to production design functions.

Read more about why you should learn Microsoft Office.

How Long Do Microsoft Office Courses Last?

Microsoft Office has become the most popular software application on the planet due to its versatility for word processing, maintaining financial records, and creating visual demonstrations. While there are several other options available like Google Docs for writing documents, Smartsheet for spreadsheet functions, or Prezi for visual presentations, people usually get their first experience with using Office for those utilities and establishing familiarity.

Perhaps due to that familiarity, many individuals may believe they need no further training for using Office applications. However, knowledge beyond basic use may help with finding a new career or advancing at a current position. Several education providers offer training for introductory, intermediate, or advanced courses with Office software. It may also help to tinker with various applications for getting comfortable with various Office features and capabilities through practice, which can always be beneficial.

Because of the versatility available through Microsoft Office, classes can take anywhere from 20 to 40 hours of training to learn skills for handling the variety of functions and features associated with any of its software through introductory courses or bootcamps.

Different Courses with Different Schedules

Anyone looking for training in Microsoft Office has the choice of different methods for learning applications depending on the purpose. Choosing the appropriate way for learning varies greatly depending on any person’s circumstances, which includes work schedules, location, or ambitions. Training in-person, live online, or through on-demand classes offers opportunities for improving knowledge.

In-Person & Online Classes

People who want to improve their skills with Microsoft Office can find in-person or live online classes available from a variety of education providers for training in basic knowledge or gaining certification. Office not only serves as a staple in working environments throughout the world for handling word processing, financial records, or creating engaging visual presentations but also helps with basic household functions like organizing bills or collecting recipes. Anyone working anywhere from a corporation to an academic institution to a nonprofit organization uses Microsoft Office, which means that training can deliver the skills needed for contributing to and maintaining an efficient and productive working environment.

Choosing whether to enroll in an in-person or live online course will depend on an individual’s situation in life. Some people simply prefer learning inside a classroom for being able to physically interact with teachers and classmates. However, getting back out on the road after a long day at work to find a classroom somewhere might not appeal to everyone, which makes virtual learning a convenient option. Live online training allows participants to receive the same education they would get from sitting inside a classroom while being able to learn from home. Either method of training provides an effective way for improving on skills with Office applications for help with finding new employment or advancing within a current position.

Currently available through Microsoft 365, Office applications can help with getting work done on site or remotely through sharing documents and files online and in the cloud. Anyone working anywhere from a tech startup to a studio uses Microsoft 365 for everything from basic workplace organizing to production design. This means that training in Office applications can deliver the skills required for composing documents, designing visual presentations, and analyzing data as well as uploading files for collaborating inside and outside the workplace that includes allowing coworkers to work together though the cloud from separate places on the same document simultaneously. Microsoft 365 facilitates working from inside an office and home by being able to work seamlessly on assignments going from one place to the other.

People can improve on skills with Microsoft Office by taking courses from inside classrooms across the United States or through live online training. Aside from working environments, people use Office at home and at school for hobbies and assignments. For example, some people use Excel for compiling recipes or creating ancestry charts with genealogy.

Synchronous & Asynchronous Classes

People considering online training for Microsoft Office can choose between synchronous or asynchronous approaches. Synchronous classes take place in real-time with students and instructors communicating through a live stream. Asynchronous classes provide a more dynamic schedule where students can access course material at their convenience from any location at any time during the duration of the class.

In choosing online training for learning skills with Office, people must decide between a synchronous or asynchronous approach. Synchronous classes let students and instructors participate and interact in real-time while asynchronous classes allow participants to access lessons and material whenever they choose.

Synchronous Training

Synchronous classes are basically live online training courses that closely follow a traditional approach to learning with an instructor lecturing and students interacting in real-time in the same way they would inside a classroom except everyone is participating from different places connected through live streaming. The main advantage of synchronous training is that students can learn in the same way they would from inside a classroom without having to leave their homes, which provides a convenience for those with a difficult work schedule or other obligations. Synchronous classes allow students to take advantage of video conferencing technologies that include Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to get the same level of education, including feedback and conversations that a student would experience sitting inside a classroom without having to go anywhere.

Live virtual training through synchronous classes are structured like traditional classroom courses with attendance getting taken, lectures being made, and students having to participate through webcams, smartphones, or chatting in a livestream environment that serves as the classroom.

Asynchronous Training

Asynchronous classes allow people to work on lessons at any time they choose. On-demand courses provide asynchronous training that offers scheduling flexibility for self-paced learning. While asynchronous courses still ultimately require submission deadlines and end dates, students are able to participate at any time they choose within the allotted period for a particular course.

Like synchronous classes, students in asynchronous classes are able to communicate through online chatting or by posting video messages. Instructors leading an asynchronous course will usually provide material for self-guides learning, workshops, or file sharing.

Asynchronous classes vary in how training gets delivered to students, giving those with busy work schedules or other obligations the flexibility they need for taking the time to learn various Office applications. While asynchronous courses are taught using video recordings of lectures that include exercises, some use digital modules that require hands-on exercises and traditional course workbooks. Because asynchronous classes differ greatly from traditional classroom training or live online courses, anyone interested should research the options available in order to make an informed decision in choosing the approach.

Asynchronous classes allow students to learn at their own pace and on their own time, which requires strong self-motivation in order to avoid the temptation of procrastination. It may also be a good idea for students deciding on the asynchronous method to set up their own syllabus in order to stay on pace with getting assignments turned in.

Career-Focused & Skills-Focused Classes

Individuals can take a career-focused or skills-focused approach to training for improving knowledge with a variety of Microsoft Office applications. Career-focused training demands long-range planning and study while a skills-focused approach typically requires finding training that can provide the final piece to a puzzle that completes a skill set that could lead to a new career or advancing at a current position.

Career-Focused Training

A career-focused education allows students to find the path to a professional career by focusing on a specific area of study. Students can learn through educational programs that can help them with training that can lead to working in a desired profession. A career-focused education allows participants to earn a degree that develops skills for a solid foundation in a particular discipline, which may include working towards a four-year undergraduate degree or a master’s degree in college.

Skills-Focused Training

Skills-focused training helps individuals acquire knowledge that can contribute to performing work for specific types of jobs. Skills-based training programs are designed for people who may not have experience with a particular software or application but would like to acquire new skills to find a better career. While training for any particular Office application may not usually set the foundation for establishing a career, certification focused training for Excel, as an example, could provide a strong asset if combined with working experience in something like financial services or data analysis.

Introductory Classes & Immersive Courses 

Skills with Microsoft Office can help with finding work in a variety of industries or advancing at a current place of work. Depending on an individual’s level of knowledge, they may choose to enroll in either an introductory course for getting initiated with learning Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or a bootcamp for immersive training to expand on what they know.

Introductory Classes

People learning Microsoft Office applications can find a variety of options with in-person, live online, or on-demand training to learn a variety of functions for word processing, organizing spreadsheets, and developing visual presentations. Introductory courses for training in Office software provides participants with an overview for using Office to complete everyday tasks for work or personal projects. Training includes learning PowerPoint for designing and developing professional looking presentations, Excel for organizing workbooks and worksheets, and Word for word processing and editing documents. New students will also receive training on composing documents, entering data, and setting up visual demonstrations.

Immersive Courses

Many businesses use Microsoft Office for analyzing information related to raw data, designing websites, computer programing, and building databases. Immersive training for Office includes bootcamps for comprehensive training that helps students learn advanced techniques for composing documents, developing appealing visual presentations, or working more efficiently and productively with summarizing and analyzing data using tables, charts, and PivotTables.

Learn Microsoft Office Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers in-person training in New York City (along with live online courses) for gaining a better understanding of Microsoft Office applications like Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, or Project for personal and professional use.

Students can enroll in the Excel Bootcamp for learning about functions, formulas, PivotTables, and macros through lessons from hands-on projects with tuition at $549.

Individuals may also attend the PowerPoint Bootcamp for training to learn everything from using slides in presentations to customizing text, images, animation, layered objects, and creating tables and charts at the cost of $399.

Key Takeaways

• People can train for learning Microsoft Office through introductory courses or advanced bootcamps that can supplement their knowledge.
• Skills with Office software is an essential tool for finding work in various industries.
• Microsoft Office offers a suite of applications used for word processing, organizing spreadsheets, and creating presentations for working with a variety of media designed to handle office and household functions.
• Because of the versatility available through Office applications, training usually takes anywhere from 20 to 40 hours for learning skills with handling many of the functions and features associated with composing documents, compiling spreadsheets, and creating visual presentations through training from introductory courses or bootcamps.
• Anyone considering online training for learning Microsoft Office can choose between synchronous or asynchronous training.
• Those interested in training can take a career-focused or skills-focused approach for improving knowledge in a variety of Office applications.
• Depending on their level of knowledge, people may choose to enroll in either an introductory course for beginning training with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or immersive training to expand on what they already know.
• Noble Desktop offers in-person training in New York City as well as with live online courses for getting a better understanding of Microsoft Office applications like Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook for completing personal or professional projects.