Excel training

[Deleted User]

Hope that someone can advise me.

I'm looking for a new job. Have seen a couple recently and they've both wanted someone who can use Excel. In my last job, I only needed to enter data into a small database in Excel already set up, so my skills in it are very limited and I think it's something I need more training in.

BUT money is tight since I lost my last job so my question is - what is the cheapest way I can upgrade my skills in Excel ? Of course, I don't know exactly how much I need to know, but certainly the basics. So far, friends have suggested that I needed to know: how to set up spreadsheets, how to create formulae & charts; and how to link different spreadsheets. (Not sure what's missing from that list ?)

Would really appreciate some help. Thanks.

AP007

Upgrade skills in Excel or learn to use it?

If you don't know how to set up spread sheets, how to set up formula such as IF and SUM etc then you have no basic skills to upgrade and a real course costs £100's!!!

You can try Excel 2010 here

http://alison.com/courses/Microsoft-Excel-2010


you need basic knowledge to get started here

Funky_Bold_Ribena

I have started a new ltd company and I needed to learn double entry book-keeping and a new programme to record all the business ins and outs.

So I googled it, made notes, looked at you tube and taught myself how to do it, how it works, and lo and behold, it cost me nothing. Except time.

The internet is a wonderous thing; use it wisely.

When you can do all those you mentioned and mail merges and pivot tables, you will have enough knowledge for most non specialist jobs I reckon.

bossymoo

There are loads of excel tutorials online, free! Of course, you will need the software to follow them...

AP007

bossymoo wrote: »

There are loads of excel tutorials online, free! Of course, you will need the software to follow them...

On Alison you don't need Excel to do it but helps if you have to practise after

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone.

I rang my local college recently and they quoted £120 for a basic Excel course, which is why I asked my question. I honestly hadn't realised that there were free online courses available in Excel (how do they make their money ???) Will definitely do at least one of those (plus have had a quick look at YouTube - loads of videos on there too - so thanks for that tip).

Brilliant ! :T

panika

Only thing with Excel courses - if you don't practice, you will forget most of the things.

Few months ago I completed Basic Excel Computer Course with my employer. I treated it as refresher course to increase my chance of getting better work. They didn't even bother to send any certificate. Today I remember barely anything what I have learned.

So, looking back, I would rather practice at home and save myself commuting... or make sure you will get the certificate.

You don't need to buy software. You can download Open Office, which is very similar, can read MS Office files and most important is free. Remember not to install on your computer other rubbish software which comes with it.

SailorSam

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/

http://www.skilledup.com/learn/business-entrepreneurship/free-excel-tutorials/

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/excel

AP007

Corona wrote: »

Thanks everyone.

I rang my local college recently and they quoted £120 for a basic Excel course, which is why I asked my question. I honestly hadn't realised that there were free online courses available in Excel (how do they make their money ???) Will definitely do at least one of those (plus have had a quick look at YouTube - loads of videos on there too - so thanks for that tip).

Brilliant ! :T

Most jobs want intermediate or advanced Excel though so do not do a basis course as it wont cover H & VLOOKPS and IF formulas etc

Poppy9

I use Excel everyday in work. I set up spreadsheets, input formulas, use lookup tables. link s/sheets. I started with spreadsheets in the 80s when there was no tuition available from my employer and everytime we moved packages we had a huge manual available to us!

My employer now runs in house basic and advanced Excel courses. I have only done the advanced one and it didn't cover anything I didn't know at the time!

I found the best source is other people and now today the web. Anything I can't do or can't remember how to do I google.

A few things to find out on line how to do:

• format cells i.e. no decimal places, currency etc. orientation, left, right or centre
• name ranges - easier to use tables then in lookuptables. (it's on the insert menu)
• lookup tables
• concatenate/left/right to extract part of a cell or combine cells is useful
• data to text again useful for breaking up data
• filter - automatic, advanced. On auto filter learn how to use "custom" plus how to copy only visible cells
• formulae have been mentioned "if" "round" are a couple I use frequently and of course SUM.
• tabs - renaming, colour, working with more than one tab
• simple macros
• $ F4 fixing/unfixing cell references
• copy and pasting data and formulae

Nick_C

I think the parts of Excel you need expertise in will depend on the environment you are working in. Accountants tend to concentrate on financial functions. Analysts may never use financial functions, but concentrate on statistical and database functions.

I think whatever you are doing with the data, conditional formatting, filtering, SUMIF(), and SUBTOTAL() are all very useful.

You should also understand protection, hiding rows and columns, resizing, hiding headers, and hyperlinks.