Can I conqur the Excel fear

dancingfairy

Excel is like a lot of packages, there are many different levels of being able to use it. There are clearly beginners, intermediate, experts and super-nerds/ninjas that programme in their sleep. Clearly you can't learn everything about a package in 4 days but you can learn a fair amount, enough to get your started.
Have you ever used Word? If you have you find the navigation very similar and you will soon get used to it.
Excel isn't really that bad, I promise.
I think the main things are practice, practice and practice, particularly with things that mean something to you/are useful to you and also to see other people's spreadsheets in action. Once you've mastered the basics it's really helpful to see what other people have done and you'll soon pick up bits and pieces.
df
edit: having a grasp of maths is useful but is by no means essential. What is useful is to have an idea of what you're trying to do and what the result is likely to be. For example if you are adding 30 and 50 and excel gives you 10,000 you should know instantly that something has gone wrong somewhere.

dancingfairy

As this is MSE I wouldn't go out and buy a book, I'd go and borrow one from your local library!
Where are you in the country? I'm happy to give you a lesson or 2 if you're anywhere near Woking in Surrey.
df

[Deleted User]

Thank you I realise I was being stupid, the agent says it's data entry I only know the department, haven't seen job description but I've managed to get a sense of prospective today as I've started that many jobs thinking I knew what I'd be doing only to find different, maybe it isn't so bad, apologies and feel free to remind me of this next week! I'm still going to take this punt thanks again for putting my mind at peace xxx

Savvy_Sue

One job where we had staff doing data entry, it was just that, data entry! Typing, in other words. Followed by verification (typing the same thing all over again).

No skill in manipulating the program required at all.

Getting a grasp of the basics of Excel is a good plan, but it may not have any impact at all on what's required in this job.

bouicca21

I have a bit of a phobia about Excel too. I would rather use Access. Part of the problem is that I don't even understand the help screens. !!!!!! is a pivot table? And why would I need one?

enjoyyourshoes

Deleted%20User wrote: »

I failed my GCSE in maths so there is no point in mocking -

Hi
I was not attempting directly or indirectly to mock you, much the opposite.
One of the fundamental rules in maths is BODMAS and this is critical to Excel when you are adding in formulae.
If you are given this sum:-


2+5 X 6 = ?


You could give the answer as 60..
However the answer is 32 due to BODMAS
It a maths rule that identifies the priority of certain terms in any sum (Brackets first, then Division then multiplication then additional and finally subtraction) o is thrown in so as you can pronounce it.


so your sum should read in Excel =2 + (5 x 6).


If you don't know how to use ad implement BODMAS into an equation in Excel you will not get the result you wanted !


Again just merely attempting to provide help.


Maths is a linear subject, taught appallingly at school with incompetent teachers who can not apply it to every day life in the real world. So don't beat your self up.

getmore4less

Wiki often has good guides to some basic terms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivot_table

having a project is often the best way to learn something

start with the asumption anything can be done then try to work out how, often a google will find examples.

Savvy_Sue

bouicca21 wrote: »

I have a bit of a phobia about Excel too. I would rather use Access.

But surely Excel and Access do very different things? Of the two, I'd say Access is more complex ...

bouicca21 wrote: »

Part of the problem is that I don't even understand the help screens. !!!!!! is a pivot table? And why would I need one?

Can't help you there. Maybe you don't need a pivot table? Sometimes a pencil and paper is all you need ...

arthurdick

bouicca21 wrote: »

I have a bit of a phobia about Excel too. I would rather use Access. Part of the problem is that I don't even understand the help screens. !!!!!! is a pivot table? And why would I need one?

pivot tables are fun to learn, especially if you are using them with your own data, logging down every single record or dvd you own,is good practice.. say you had 20,000 plus to log down, pivot tables can pluck out any record you search for...it is fun to use slicers with them too......easier to watch a video in youtube than to explain them........I found the "smart method" books by mike smart, the best books to learn from.....
goal seek, solver and scenario are a little more taxing, but they can be fun too....
I find spreadsheets great for tracking my holiday payments for each holiday and to have the daily countdown until holiday, it's good to see how much nearer you are to the holiday each week...and just for extra visual fun, i have put in a temperature gauge, that fills up to nearer the top each time I add another payment...

jc808

To be fair if someone came to me in an interview and said their Excel capabilities were honed in cataloging their DVD collection, I would think they were !!!!!! and I wouldnt give you the job.