Microsoft Word Prerequisites

You might worry about the difficulty of learning Microsoft Word. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning the program and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. This way, you’ll be successful however you choose to apply your new skills. 

What is Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word is a powerful word-processing software that offers tons of flexibility when it comes to creating professional reports, letters, contracts, and other documents. Its features are more robust than other word processors, allowing it to become an industry standard used by companies and entrepreneurs worldwide. These advanced features include mail marges, spellchecker, text formatting, tables, and page layout, among many others. Microsoft Word can also produce documents in various file types, making it compatible with many other programs. Its popularity means it’s also compatible with nearly any computer. 

Since its release in 1983, Microsoft Word has continued to evolve to the needs of its users. Modern integrations have allowed the use of Microsoft Word over mobile, the web, and the Cloud for collaborative document creation. Cloud-based sharing and permissions make it easy for colleagues to collaborate and maintain security. Though Microsoft Word has faced many competitors over the decades, it continues to stand the test of time. 

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

What Can You Do with Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word is primarily used as a word-processing program for creating professional-looking documents and reports. Authors use it to write novels, job seekers create resumes, and students write essays. In the workplace, Microsoft Word is used to create a host of documents, including letterheads, reports, templates, training manuals, calendars, invoices, and promotional materials, among others. Businesses also use the mail merge feature that outputs created documents to a mailing list or newsletter.

But Microsoft Word is more than a typing software. The program includes interactive elements such as fillable forms, checkboxes, and dropdown menus. It can easily convert documents into fillable PDFs or vice versa. Plain text documents are made more visually appealing with images, animations, or WordArt. Tables are also easily converted into visual graphs and charts. Microsoft Word can even transcribe audio files, transcribe live speech into text, and translate documents.

A particularly valuable feature of Microsoft Word is its collaboration tools for group projects. Professionals can easily share documents with others to work on. Changes such as comments and edits are tracked so the original owner of the document can decide what suggestions to make official. A history of changes to a document is also saved and can be reverted to at any time. Microsoft Word is a powerful tool for any business’ communications needs, whether internally or with customers or clients.

Is Microsoft Word Easy to Learn?

Microsoft Word is not difficult to learn. Most professional courses only last a day or two. Learning on your own could take weeks since you’ll have to find your own resources and depend on your motivation. There may even be some tips and tricks you fail to learn because you didn’t know about them to search for them. If you’re interested in comprehensive Microsoft Word training, you can attend an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.

What to Know Before Learning Microsoft Word

An individual needs to know only a few basic skills before learning Microsoft Word: typing and basic computer skills. Most people who use a computer already possess these skills. This makes Microsoft Word a beginner-friendly program that virtually anyone familiar with computers can easily learn. 

Typing

Knowing how to type to write electronic documents is a must for Microsoft Word. Those without typing skills can still learn the functions of Microsoft Word, but your progress will likely be slow. If you don’t know how to type efficiently, you may be better served through self-directed learning, as you will otherwise not be able to keep up with your classmates or instructor.

Basic Computer Skills

Basic computer skills are prerequisites for nearly all Microsoft Word professional courses. These skills include using a keyboard and mouse, opening and closing computer applications, and navigating file structures. Individuals lacking these skills will struggle to use Microsoft Word’s essential functions. 

Learn Microsoft Word with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

In today’s busy world, live online learning can be a fast, engaging, and comprehensive alternative to in-person classes. Noble Desktop offers live online classes in Microsoft Word that are hands-on and open to beginners. Classes are small, taught by expert instructors, and include free retake options.

Microsoft Word Level I is a one-day course that teaches all the Microsoft Word essentials. You’ll learn how to avoid common page formatting errors and prepare and send mass emails, letters, and labels with one click. You’ll also learn all the necessary shortcuts to shave hours off your time. Students who want to increase their Microsoft Word skills can attend the Microsoft Word Level II course.

Microsoft Word Level II is an advanced class that teaches next-level Microsoft Word skills. You’ll learn how to use automation to speed up your workflow, create custom document templates, use advanced formatting techniques, and build long documents. This is the ideal course for individuals wanting to become Microsoft Word experts. 

Noble Desktop also provides additional Microsoft Office classes, including Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook. 

Key Insights

• Microsoft Word is easy to learn.
• Prerequisites include typing and basic computer skills.
• Once you learn Microsoft Word, you’ll be able to create a variety of documents and reports. 
• Noble Desktop offers training courses in both beginner and advanced features within Microsoft Word.