Even if you’re one of the very few without Microsoft Office, you likely at least know of Word, and there’s a good chance you still have a general idea of what Excel is and can do. The popular spreadsheet makes it easy to organize and display data—simply put, if you need to make calculations, you turn to Excel.
While the platform’s basic functions are amazing, there’s a lot more to Excel. You can easily perform complex tasks with advanced Excel skills, and this can open up new career opportunities. If you’re ready to move past the basic functions and see what Excel can really do, here are some of the advanced skills you’ll want to add to your resume.
Advanced Excel Skills
Whether you want to advance your career or choose a new path, employers are often looking for applicants familiar with Excel’s advanced topics.
Pivot Tables
Pivot tables are fun and an effective way of grouping matching data. Instead of sending out an Excel sheet with rows and columns of data in a seemingly random order, a pivot table puts everything together in nice, neat groups.
This advanced skill is both efficient and versatile; for instance, do you need to know how an investment is performing? Maybe you’re wondering how a specific item is performing. With a pivot table, you can easily find this information. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes to create a pivot table using the advanced function. You can remove duplicates and count entries even when you’re working with thousands of data columns.
Statistical Modeling
Even if you’re only working with a basic Excel program, you still have access to some statistical modeling tools. You can use the tools to do everything from creating histograms to assessing sampling and generating random numbers.
By creating easily readable models, analyzing data is a breeze. You can even take it a step further by adding Excel’s Analysis ToolPak to access more functions.
Prediction and Forecasting
Being able to predict or at least estimate future performance is a tool almost any business can use, and with Excel, you can easily forecast possible future growth or predict the trajectory of stocks. With the economy constantly changing, having some key insights into the future can help you better plan for potential windfalls and lean times.
Using the Forecast Sheet; the function is listed in the Data tab, and you can create charts using line or column data. There are multiple options to choose from, making it easy to tailor the charts to meet your needs—for example, you can fill in missing data or create a chart based on sales seasons.
Conditional Formatting
Your Excel sheet is formatted, and everyone has a visual of the data. However, finding relevant data is often time-consuming and frustrating. Everyone is scrolling through the columns and rows, searching for a specific number. With conditional formatting, your presentation is easy to follow.
The advanced Excel function can change the color of a cell or multiple ones. For example, if you want the positive numbers on your company’s spreadsheet to stand out, the function can only highlight these cells. You can also use conditional formatting to highlight areas that need improvement. The tool is versatile and makes the relevant data stand out from the rest of the supplied information.
Index Match
You may be familiar with the Index and Match functions; however, did you know you can use them simultaneously? This advanced Excel function makes it easier to find and analyze specific data on a spreadsheet.
Using the two functions as one lets you find a specific value and then return it to the original number. A great way to use the function is to search for close matches for existing data.
If Error
Errors aren’t unheard of when you’re working with advanced Excel functions. Sometimes data is missing or there’s an issue waiting to be resolved. With If Error, you can easily take care of these issues before your Excel sheet heads off to your department head or the company’s CEO.
The function can remove error codes, leaving a blank cell behind. This way, you can easily know which cells need additional attention.
Learning Advanced Excel Skills Is Worth the Effort
If you’re ready to move past basic Excel functions, learning advanced skills is much easier than you may think. At the end of the day, Excel isn’t designed to be complicated, and this is good news for you.
You can spend some time taking classes online or follow along with a Microsoft tutorial. Then, with your new Excel skills, you can find new opportunities that can advance your career.
Check out these valuable insights for a deeper understanding.
