makeuseof 5 Microsoft Word & Excel Skills You Must Have To Succeed At The Office “Get that report to me, ASAP!" That's the line that can stricken many office workers with abject terror and fear. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way, if you can develop at least 5 essential Microsoft Office skills. What are these MS Office skills? Obviously, there are are least some you need for your specific job. If you're an accountant for example, you're likely well-versed using all of the Microsoft Excel financial functions (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/excel-spreadsheet-techniques-to- make-a-personal-budget/). If you're in the field of management, I'll bet you've gota long list of tricks you've developed over the years to put together professional presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-tips-for-preparing-a-professional- presentation/). Aside from those job-specific things, nearly everyone needs to know a core set of MS Office skills when entering into an office job. If a cubicle is your home, and you'll be expected to analyze information, give occasional presentations, or write up any kind of reports, you'll want to make sure you've got these tips in your back pocket at all times. > Microsoft Excel Skills Excel should be discussed first simply because it is one of the most versatile Microsoft Office products of them all. Nearly every profession in the world should have some use for Excel. Okay, well maybe not toll booth operators or McDonald's counter clerks - but you get my point. Organizing and betterunderstanding information and data is at the core of what Microsoft Excel is for (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/microsoft-excel-manage-life/), and being able to do that more quickly will also let you get your job done faster. Make Use Of Autot You can save a tremendous amount of time with two methods of filling in data in Excel. Skill #1 is the “autofill” feature - filling out numbered data in columns and rows. While tutoring a realtor on how to use Excel to replace his paper financial documentation, I learned quickly that many people are not aware of this one, single feature of Excel that can save hours of data entry. To use it, simply type anything into the first cell that ends in a number. x Bet 2 Reords Colt col? Gols cola ols— Cele col7 cols 2kecordinga "| aris iss1s7 octe 2am 0 ooseias 113695 2568 3 70018 10446 O.7esS 21186 3.9008 O.057H8 T5277 29H ‘ Gases7 89i8 091715 tosis 10077 oases asks 330 5 55253. 140907 O.85H18 26677 245126 Contes 463836 3% 6 537236 124951 0.581957 250716 037277 OOS AIBIR 275 > Sasvst 125386 Os0Si52 15505 195082 .08t077 A555 702 5 esa 12.2098 o7i0032 296517 L7832 0038625 LABISS 27H a je sey_ 10156 osti0s 97st 2020 come eis 2K = Gaye om come omepes ares asmol — 7a a CRPROER cs caohos| aioe) aaa Gites a aes 2 ‘aupm28 102013 0.70049 285016 2e2e6 OTe D6I6Ie 22H 5 Gam0ne 506657 O67.09 278104 255697 ONT. 709081 Tat “ f.7ssi2 923511 o.tsish 260735 352136 0.423010 261518 207 = 476187 830067 0406018 5.92615 7.08836 OOLO72 asis2 18 a ‘hos9, sn178 strict 2i07Se 297m oomcu 27707 7a 5 sisss 50033 0530202 11 Oeste asiss 217 = azuns 352053 Oo73 29983 150888 OA79IN 10388 5 4.22859, 9.06884 0.631906 1.87034 0 0.084808 272727 Click and hold the lower-right corner of the cell, and drag the mouse down the column. You'll notice that the number on the right will automatically increment for each cell. Use Autofill For Formulas Skill #2 to learn is using autofill for formulas. If you write a function at the bottom of each column - for example averaging all of the values in that column - you can use this same autofill feature to do the same calculation at the bottom of each other column as well.a = a 1 Records cof cola cols cold Cals Cole? 2. Recording TaBOI] ascus7 o.wrn26 ane 0 coseuis 112698 2 Recording yaoaig] 10446 C.rots a4iic0 329024 o40sTes 15.2727 4 Recording 69607, 14988 O9I715 L6nIs7 142077 024569 954545 5 | Recnding aaase] 140907 ocsstis 26077 25125 o.coes 462636 6 7 3 3 Recording #5 5.87236] 12.4351 0.643397 2.50770 0.372776 O.O79141 4.18182 Recerding rt 5.89701] 125296 OS0E1E2 159045 135242 086077 2.45855 cording #7 Sousa} 32.2658 9.710082 296347 1.75432 0.038823. 1.45455 A o.sui0s 197508 20232 0.00252 3.81818 Recording AVERAGE number [num You do this the same way. Click and hold the lower right corner of the cell where you just typed in the formula, and then drag it across the other columns to the right of it a c D E E @ a r i con col2 cols Gola cols. Cals, Coly, cols Col), cold 26015 15.8867 0.687236 7.13268 9 0.06146 11.3636 35655 1.55937 7ana 10.4936 0.71645 3411865 3.29924 O.0s7a4 15.2727 22458 1.71988 0.99537 14918 0.91215 1.08197 142077 0.24509 254943 22623 2.18918 IC 6.8298 14.0907 0.695418 2.6577 2.5125 0.06081 469625 31704 1.6591) 587236 12.4951 0613397 2.5075 0372775 O.07S1A1 41818? 77979 154A 1 592791 125395 0.508182 159045 1.2522 0.086077 245455 2614 1.21961 1 5.56445 12.2658 0.710092 2.90247 1.72432 0.028823 14S459 27598 1.70622 1S 532297 10.9156 0.51108 1.97508 _ 2.02232 0,082452_3.81818 ___24560_1.22659 3 2007725 42.$3564 0.658001 9.367516 3.s6s001 7505.13 When you release the mouse, all of those column calculations will automatically correct for the right column letter. You've basically performed the identical formula for every column in just a few seconds, and you didn’t even have to type another keystroke. ~Y Home | toss Pegetayout Formulas Date Review View Tide [lal BD ail) 2 @ Sr sig o be Table | Fidute ip. Shapes Smaart Column tine Fe Mes Sater Cther | to at 2 Oe coat 1 Records coll G2 cl cM cols cole col 2 Recoraing mt 8.26015 15.8467 0.647236 2.13268 0 0.088146 11.2636 83 fRecording #2 710718 104436 O.71G45 3.41186 2.39024 0.0574 15.2727 4 frecording ra 6.59637 14,948 0.91215 1.65157 1.42077 0.4569 3.54545, 5s frecording ra 6.8299 14,0907 0.695818 26677 2.5126 0.060831 4.63636 6 Recording #5 5.87735 124351 0.619337 2.50776 0377776 oO7Sia1 418182 7 frecording #6 5.85791 125396 0.508182 155045 1.35212 0.086077 3.05435 2 [Recording #7 5.56404 12.2658 0.710092 2.96347 1.79422 0.038823 1.45455 9 [Recording #8 5.32297 109186_0.51108_1.97508_ 2.02232 0.42462 3.81618 10 607725 1293564 0.558001 2267616 1.605306 0.080869 5.965901 anManage Data Easily With The PivotTable Tool The third skill you really need to learn in Excel if you want to save yourself a tremendous amount of analysis time is a tool called a PivotTable, PivotTable is accessible under the “Insert” menu. Just look for the “PivotTable" icon. If you click this icon after highlighting an entire table of data (including headers), the PivotTable tool (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/visionary-web- research-excel-web-queries/) analyzes that data and brings it into a new sheet where you can manipulate that data in various ways. The PivotTable tool allows you to select the columns of data that you want to analyze, and then choose how you want to manipulate the data. Simply add them all up? Average them? Calculate the standard deviation? Pee cee) Gen hae ee cording S571 12596 ososie2 iEeas cued fae Hee Sood = Seal eee eee pou Value Feld Settings SourceNene: Col seem teear [ssinecteatt 179 fel betvean area bso YY Repattite; — HE) Colirnabele Evie 7 [sence [Shon ei. ‘Summarze value fel by Choose the tae fast that you van to use to saree EEE Records Somafcal = sumofco2 = sumatcod > ube Famat oe oneal Petr LayeutUpaate NM choeta other cheer <1 Using a PivotTable saves a tremendous amount of time. To accomplish these same things in a standard Excel sheet would require all sorts of functions and re- formatting data, PivotTables automatically do the work, while you can spend more of your time studying the results. > Microsoft Word Skills One of the most commonly used Microsoft Office products is Microsoft Word, (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/microsoft-word-time-savers/) for example to write up reports to management or write important business letters and other correspondence. Given these common uses, it's easy to identify the ‘two skills in this MS Office product that every cubicle dweller should know, like header manipulation, page layout and formatting.Format & Re-Use Headers The reason headers are important is because once you have a good header design for something like a letter or a certain type of report that you have to fill out, you never have to design or create that header again. You can save a document with all of the header formatting you need, and save all of that effort the next time you create the same document. Headers can be formatted by clicking on the “Insert” menu and choosing the “Header” icon. 3 92 aSa4ein re SS umber | Bon~ partes = cop *dObiec~ = | sy Blane Bani Thece Columns) ‘Aphabet ‘Once you review the header editing menu, you'll see just how versatile and useful headers can be. You can automatically have headers alternate between two designs between even and odd pages, and you can even break your document into sections and give each section its own unique header. Review View asign 4 [ER rescue Section] oteent Fist Fone Brvcsrtentos: fol) gy ee Set Ditterent ode & ven Pages 3, Foster trom otto OS" = dee footer Peumteretosr || I) show Cocument Tet Tpinser argamert Tab ed Navigation Options Position ose Left Colum Center Column FightColumn Formatted Formatted Formatted Already a 7 Alkeady _ - __ Already This flexibility allows you to automate all of the repeat sections of documents for the various documents you have to write up for your job, saving a tremendous amount of time.Another advantage of using headers in this way is that if you ever want to change any part of those headers in the document, all you have to do is make the change to the header style in one place, and the change will automatically replicate throughout your entire document. Without a header, you'd have to manually make that change on every page. Manage Page Layout The next Microsoft Word skill that every office worker should know is how to set up and preview the page format of any document. Understanding how to do this gives you the flexibility to make a document look however you want, rather than being stuck with the default settings for things like page margin size (which many people have no clue how to change). ‘A few of the tools you should learn to format page layout are on the “Insert” menu. Things like the “Page Number” tool, which will automate and manage the page numbering for you. “ID Wreaon Word nan commercal ua @s 4 4 A) a SS Bamtetne: (perlink Bookmark Crosssreference Header Footer Page Test Quick WordArt Drop % wi Cote eter] Some ase NO EP gone « uns Sea | we ces \ptet ge Mains ‘Gumen Peston emat Page Numbers, [Remove Fage Numbers $y ee natied The bulk of the page formatting options you need are actually on the aptly named “Page Layout” menu. If you're writing up a newsletter for your company, why mess around with manually trying to work out the formatting (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-sites-find-microsoft-word- ‘templates/) into sections of the page when you can just use the "Columns" tool found here to do this?Inset Poaeljout | References Molinos Rerien View (i irene Ly} In yphenation = olor Bersere page's age Becgrouns ‘center cohumn matted Already Fight Mote Columns And that mysterious margin around the page that most people calll their local IT technician to learn how to modify? Don't bother calling, just click on the “Page Borders” icon, go to the “Page Border” tab, and click on “Options.” Seats Be) es ee oe wer Iie ly EFA 1 Formatted Akeady mete Click dsram below crus intense aoa bose You can set top, bottom, left and right page margins there. By the way, on that “Borders and Shading” menu, check out all of the other cool things you can do, like place border lines on any side of the page, apply to only sections of the document, and much more. Learning these MS Word and Excel skills, you'll impress everyone in your office - and most importantly, you'll impress your boss! What other software skills have you found to be key?Copyright © 2014, MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®.