Do Excel qualifications help in the workplace?

DiscoPistol

Just a quick question that I've been thinking about for a while (and yes I need to get out more!)

Do you think that employers look on candidates with a basic Excel qualification (assuming an office job) favourably or are they seen as largely irrelevant.

And equally, given that the MCAS and MOS are pretty basic and relatively cheap to get, do candidates think its worth getting the qualification to enhance job prospects?

Working as an Excel devleoper I seem to spend a lot of my time working on small projects that someone with with an MCAS could probably manage, but no seems to know much about a tool that is used in a large majority of companies today.

Thanks for your opinions, thoughts,

DP

Ihatecameron

I think it depends more on what you excel at.

DiscoPistol

Ihatecameron wrote: »

I think it depends more on what you excel at.

I think I might have set myself up for that

saintjammyswine

I think evidence of competence is as important as a formal qualification to most employers. This could be experience within a role requiring use of excel or evidence of attendance at a course (not neccessarily a formal qualification though e.g. certificate of attendance).

westv

Ihatecameron wrote: »

I think it depends more on what you excel at.

An excellent reply?:D

Anyway, I'd be interested to read any (proper )answers to the question too.

p00hsticks

saintjammyswine wrote: »

I think evidence of competence is as important as a formal qualification to most employers.

I'd go further and say that evidence of competence is even more important than a formal qualification. I'd go for someone who has picked up excel by using it regularly on a day to day basis over someone who did a brief course a few years ago and hasn't touched it since ever time.

Ihatecameron

p00hsticks wrote: »

I'd go further and say that evidence of competence is even more important than a formal qualification. I'd go for someone who has picked up excel by using it regularly on a day to day basis over someone who did a brief course a few years ago and hasn't touched it since ever time.

I agree, having done several courses on excel, only used it once at work that was 2 years ago. I doubt if I could use it now. The only way you really get to know excel is to use it at work for a couple of years, otherwise you forget.

DiscoPistol

p00hsticks wrote: »

I'd go further and say that evidence of competence is even more important than a formal qualification. I'd go for someone who has picked up excel by using it regularly on a day to day basis over someone who did a brief course a few years ago and hasn't touched it since ever time.

That's a good point and I concur. But what if you were looking at CVs and they both said 'Used Excel in last job' (and listed a few functions) but one had got an MCAS Expert for instance. Would you be inclined to take one application further in this hypothetical world of mine.

And I guess the other side of the coin is that would you give a chance to someone who had no practical experience but had the qualification if no-one better was availible?

Thanks for the answers by the way

relic

It can't harm your chances.

I don't particularly think it would be the difference between getting or not getting the job, but it might help to get to the interview stages.

F_T_Buyer

When I [helped] interviewed people at my place I arranged a test in excel, I told everyone by phone there would be simple test and it was very very basic. The amount of people who said they could do excel at a very experienced level, then was totally stumped when they did the test.

I would mention it though...

SandC

The thing with excel is if you don't use it you quickly forget anything but the basics. So a qual gained a year or more ago but not used is not going to get you ahead of someone who uses it every day.

However, the competency of the interviewer themselves comes into it. If someone has been told to 'check they can do excel' they might not check in the right way unless they really know the job in hand and what is required of it.

I used to work in a job where I was doing spreadsheets every day, day in and day out. I reckon I'd be a bit lost now.

And I've found with most of the Office package that if you are already using them then an intro course teaches you nothing you can't teach yourself, but an intermediate or advanced probably teaches you loads of stuff you won't need and misses out things you will. Internet based training is good for these as you can learn things when they come up.