6 Positions That Require You To Have Some Excel Skills
Whether you’re just getting started with the spreadsheet software, or are a pro, Excel mastery might be the only thing separating you from the job of your dreams. Even with all the new organizational tools we have today, not having even a basic understanding of how to use Excel could limit you in many industries.
This is why it would be wise that you at least start to build experience with the tool so you’ll have a broader choice of options no matter the field you decide to enter. Here are some of the positions that will require you to have some Excel skills.
Hardware Device Designer
If you want to work in electronic design and create hardware, you’ll have no choice but to learn how to work with Excel. You’ll also have to be able to use a variety of tools like schematic capture and layout tools. You can start by looking at free cad layout software tool like Altium Designer for instance. This will be a nice foundation for anyone thinking of pursuing a design career and moving into engineering later on.
Accountants and Auditors
New accounting tools haven’t rendered Excel obsolete, and in depth knowledge of the software is still a prerequisite for most accountant and auditor jobs.
After all, Excel was pretty much created for this industry, so that would be like a programmer not knowing how to do C programming.
And Excel still works great for accountants to this day; any accountant or auditor who is an Excel expert could put themselves in a prime position for advancement and leadership roles.
Office Clerks, Administrative Assistants, and Information Staff
General office clerks and secretaries play an important role and are responsible for making sure that everything is done at the ground level and that an organization is running smoothly.
- They have to build reports, schedule appointments, manage records, and organize various documents in addition to providing support to customers, visitors, and staff.
- They couldn’t do any of this without the help of Excel, which is one of the staples in this sector.
If you were thinking of working as a secretary or information clerk, you’ll have to know Excel like the back of your hand first.
Market Analyst
Excel is still a very powerful tool in the finance sector, and they’ve done a great job at remaining relevant with new features. The PowerPivot feature, for instance, was made with analysts in mind and allows them to analyze troves of data fast and get smarter insights. These people are responsible for scouring the market, scope for competition, be on the lookout for trends, and help building strategy.
What they do will directly impact the decisions and future of a company, so they have to be on point at all times. They also have to be able to scour through and probe present and past data, and be able to make accurate forecast, identify some of the strengths, as well as forewarn about possible issues or market shifts. All of these things can be done with the help of Excel and other forecasting and analytics tools.
Management analysts also play a crucial role in any business. While market analysts focus mainly on market conditions, management analysts work principally with organizations to improve their internal processes with the help of information. These can also benefit from knowing how to use Excel to compile, analyze, retrieve, and share data quickly and easily in a digestible format.
Teaching Assistants, Teachers, and Educators
Excel is also a staple in the teaching industry, and without some sort of understanding of it, it’s pretty much impossible for anyone in this field to do their jobs properly.
Teachers primarily use the tool to organize coursework, keep track of students and their performance across multiple classes and grades, and coordinate classes while monitoring progress.
Project Managers
Excel is also a great project management tool, and will be essential for anyone who wants to work as either a project manager, construction manager, or project coordinator. This also goes if you want to work in a field like IT.
The job of a manager is to oversee the development of software or construction project. While various tools exist that are made specifically for these industries, there are some times where Excel documents will be the only way to process or share information. You cannot afford to not be able to master the format and not be able to do some simple calculations on a spreadsheet. This is why it remains an essential skill in the industry and a prerequisite for most positions.
If you want to work in any industry, we strongly suggest you start working your Excel skills today. It is still seen as the gold standard in many sectors, so make sure that you at least get a formation if you want to increase your opportunities.
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