How Microsoft Office Courses Can Help You Boost Your Career
Most people have heard of Microsoft Office, if not used it daily. Most workplaces worldwide require you to have some Microsoft Office knowledge, and you can stand out from the crowd even more if you can claim to be an expert. So, let’s examine why Microsoft Office training is so crucial to moving your career in an upwards direction.
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What are Microsoft Office courses online?
Microsoft Office training comes in many different forms, but the most popular way is to study online. The best thing is, you can access over a thousand short courses. So, you can start with beginner courses and work your way through to the advanced ones. All aspects of Microsoft Office are covered, so there’s almost no limit to the skills you can develop.
Many Microsoft Office online courses are only around 90 minutes in length, too, meaning you access training for the specific skills you need without sacrificing a whole day learning the things you already know.
Online courses are convenient, cost-effective, and flexible. That’s why so many people love them and benefit from them every day. If you’re looking to boost your career or even move it in a new direction, Microsoft courses online are a great place to start.
What types of courses are available?
Basically, if it’s part of the Microsoft Office suite, you can study it. To give a brief overview, the programs within Microsoft Office you can study include:
- Excel
- Word
- Outlook
- PowerPoint
- SharePoint
- Office 365
Under each category, there are courses tailored for all levels. There are beginner courses, intermediate, and advanced. You can also find introduction courses that give you a brief overview of each program.
Dig even deeper, and you’ll find courses for specific skills and actions within each program. For example, if you want to master the art of using formulas on Microsoft Excel, there’s a course for that. Using animations in PowerPoint? There’s a course for that too. So, if you want to become a Microsoft expert and push your career to new heights, there are plenty of short courses to help you along the way.
Microsoft Office courses: the benefits for your career
Microsoft Office is the world’s most widely-used suite of digital office tools in the world. From Word to Outlook and beyond, most people have had at least some exposure to it. In fact, learning how to use Microsoft Office is probably one of the most rudimentary skills you can learn for any job that involves computer use. That’s because most businesses around the world use it daily.
So, it stands to reason that if you don’t know how to use at least some programs within Microsoft Office, you may be a less attractive proposition for employers. On the flip side, if you can demonstrate a good understanding of all the basics, your career is on the right track. Basically, to be competitive in today’s market, you need to have at least basic competency in Microsoft programs because employers using other software are definitely the exception, not the rule. Let’s look at just some of the reasons you need Microsoft Office training to enhance your career.
Open up a wider range of job opportunities
Before you even start applying for jobs, you need to decide on the types of jobs you’re looking for. Do you want to stay in the same industry but find a different role? Or do you want to try something completely new? Whichever path your career takes next, you’ll likely need some Microsoft Office skills to get there.
As you start searching for jobs, you’ll notice something similar in most job postings. The requirements might list specifics such as ‘Microsoft Office competency.’ Others may be a little vaguer and mention ‘computer literacy.’ In most cases, the term ‘computer literacy’ means they want you to use Microsoft Office. So, if you haven’t got at least some basic Microsoft Office skills under your belt, you’ll cancel yourselves out of a huge number of jobs before you can even apply.
Enhance your appeal on the job market
If you get past the first step and start submitting applications, how do you stand out from the crowd? For example, in a job that requires Microsoft Office competency, is it enough to tell the employer in a cover letter that you’ve used it before? Well, it might be enough to satisfy the core job requirements, but that won’t matter much if your application doesn’t stand out.
It looks much better if you can actually demonstrate your capability straight away. If your resume shows successful completion of Microsoft Office training, you automatically look better than other applicants without the training. In a competitive job market, it’s not just about ticking the boxes. It’s about going above and beyond and showing employers that you’re a ready-made proposition for the role.
Become a Microsoft Office expert
As you progress through your career, you may find many opportunities open up for you if you have a valuable skill that others don’t possess. So, while many people can create a basic spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel, how many people really understand all the formulas and how to get the most out of the software? The answer: Not as many as you’d think.
If a certain part of the Microsoft Office suite is important to positions you’d like to attain, then it pays to turn yourself into an expert. Mastering Excel might be incredibly useful in data analysis roles, for example. Becoming a pro at PowerPoint could give you the edge if you want to become a trainer. Find out which skills are crucial to the next step in your career pathway, and start mastering them today with online courses.
Boost your confidence in new roles
It’s one thing to get the job you’ve applied for, but it’s another to hit the ground running with confidence on your first day. Imagine a situation where you step into a new role, and Microsoft Office capability wasn’t discussed during the interviews. Some employers forget about it because they expect everybody can use Office. Now, it’s your first day, and you feel like a fish out of water because you’ve got no confidence in the systems they use every day.
Having a solid understanding of Microsoft Office allows you to start new jobs with confidence. That’s because even if you don’t know any of the company-specific software, processes, or procedures, you’ll always know how to use Microsoft Office, which your new employer undoubtedly uses. Nobody likes turning up to a new job lacking confidence, so use Microsoft training to boost yours!
Understanding cloud-based software
The other crucial aspect of Microsoft Office training is learning how to use Office 365. That’s the newest version of the software, which is cloud-based, offering much more collaboration. The basic functions are the same, but some people have never used cloud-based technology before, which can be daunting.
You can enroll in Office 365 courses that give you all of the basics you need to understand how cloud-based systems work and their role in the modern workplace. It’s definitely worth considering if you want to take your career to the next level.
Learning Microsoft Office is easier than you think
Best of all, it really isn’t that hard to become a competent Microsoft Office user. Training courses are very accessible, whether you do them at work or in your own time. With so many online solutions available, Office proficiency is right around the corner.
Search for the courses that suit you best, and enroll. Enjoy the convenience and flexibility of online study, and use it to take your career to the next level.
