A Complete Guide to Excel Classes Near Me
Microsoft Excel is an industry-standard spreadsheet program that allows users to format, organize, and calculate data. Excel has been on the market for four decades, and while it’s been widely imitated, no other software has come close to imposing on its market share; in fact, according to one estimate by McMaster University, 750 million people use Excel worldwide.
For some, mastering Excel comes easily, and the fact that it’s part of the Microsoft suite may mean that it’s more accessible and easily understandable than other programs. For others, however, learning Excel beyond its most basic uses requires guidance and support. Fortunately, there are plenty of classes for learners at all levels.
One surefire way to find the right class for you is to narrow down your choices by learning style. You may be someone who enjoys the energy of a dynamic in-person class, or you may like learning from home. Perhaps you appreciate the accountability of direct instruction and specific deadlines, or maybe you thrive in a self-paced class where you can develop a skill set in your own time. Whatever your style, there is a class that’s suited for you.
Quick Guide
- Excel can be used for simple calculations, tracking information, sorting and analyzing data, and building tables and charts.
- While some users find Excel intuitive and straightforward, many learners can benefit from a class that will teach expert-level skills.
- Options for Excel classes in your area may include training centers, community colleges, and civic or community organizations.
- Live online classes can be taken from your home or office, and offer many of the same benefits as in-person classes without having to travel.
- Self-paced on-demand classes can help you learn Excel on your own schedule, which is a good option for busy people who have the discipline to learn independently and don’t need to rely on external accountability.
Additional Info
- Used globally by one in eight people for a wide range of tasks, Excel is a versatile tool--and becoming proficient in the software can both boost your resume and increase your productivity in the workplace.
- You can turn to Excel for help in managing finances, analyzing and visualizing data, tracking productivity, and storing important information.
- Learning advanced techniques in Excel can increase your value to employers, improve competitiveness on the job market, and enhance workflow efficiency.
- Excel skills are integral for a wide variety of positions, including accountants, administrative assistants, data journalists, and project managers.
- Depending on your role, you may find that Excel can aid you in such tasks as creating schedules, monitoring finances, managing contact information, and tracking business-critical data.
- Data professionals, such as data analysts, data scientists, financial and investment analysts, and business analysts, can use Excel to organize and analyze large amounts of data.
Excel Training Locations
Excel Classes Onsite
Excel is a skill that increases the likelihood of employability tenfold, particularly in certain cities and industries. While there are many ways to learn a new skill, taking an Excel class onsite is one of the best ways to ensure you absorb all the material. In an onsite class, you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the lessons and have more resources at your disposal, such as the instructor and the training center materials. With onsite training, you're more likely to retain information and feel confident using Excel in your day-to-day life.
Excel Classes NYC
185 Madison Avenue
Arguably the most famous city in the world, NYC is teeming with opportunities that can expand even further with Excel training. Budding professionals flock to NYC every year in hopes of landing a job at major companies such as JPMorgan & Chase or L'Oréal, and with Excel expertise in your professional toolkit, you'll be able to stand out among others. Learning Excel makes performing complex data management tasks easy, which is why many employers seek applicants with this skill. Noble Desktop offers Excel training at 185 Madison Avenue, where students can explore classes ranging in levels of difficulty and purpose (such as Excel classes for finance or data analytics). Noble will also provide training at your location so that everyone in the office can benefit from the course. Whether you aim to work in business, marketing, database management, or project management, there's usefulness in studying Excel. In essence, this skill can make your search for a job in a place like NYC less stressful and more successful.
Excel Classes San Diego
3904 Groton Street
The West Coast of California is a buzzing place to be, particularly in San Diego, where industries like education and tech are consistently growing. With proper Excel training, it's possible to find jobs across various industries. In education, for instance, Excel aids in research, where data management and analysis are crucial. Similarly, San Diego-based tech companies hire Excel pros to perform tasks ranging from performance monitoring to data visualization. VDCI offers virtual Excel and related courses, such as data science and analytics bootcamps and certificates, while also offering onsite corporate training. Needless to say, learning Excel in San Diego allows for more choice in an already competitive job market.
Excel Classes Washington, D.C.
600 Maryland Avenue SW
There's a high demand for Excel professionals in Washington, D.C. as well. According to Indeed, there are more than 10,000 job postings where Excel skills are required or preferred. Graduate School USA offers Excel classes and onsite training opportunities that enable professionals across a wide range of industries to manage their data more efficiently. Many who live in or move to D.C. work for the Federal government, where Excel is exceedingly necessary for managing projects, financial information, and employee data. Whether you aim to work in defense, administrative support, or financial management, Excel will be a vital stepping stone in your path to professional success in the nation's capital.
Excel Classes Chicago
29 E. Madison Street, STE 1620
The Windy City is one of the largest financial capitals in the world, let alone the country. The job market is highly saturated with open positions where financial analysis, risk assessment, and project management are necessary. Excel makes each of those tasks far less tedious. To further your Excel education or offer corporate training to your team, Practical Programming, based in the Hayworth Building in the heart of downtown Chicago, delivers a host of Excel courses suited for those working in fields like data analytics and science or finance and tech. Your team can benefit from onsite corporate lessons in subjects like Python and FinTech, ensuring a streamlined workflow throughout each project.
Excel Classes Los Angeles
Enrolling in Excel classes in Los Angeles can give you a leg up while working in fields like tech and marketing, but Excel is also used extensively in the entertainment industry. Production companies like Warner Bros. hire data professionals and Financial Analysts who use Excel to manage budgets and schedules for upcoming projects or, at the Human Resources level, handle payroll for all employees. L.A. is known for having a rather competitive job market, but with the right skills, you can stack up against the competition and thrive in the career of your choice.
Excel Classes Dallas
Taking Excel classes in Dallas is beneficial for any budding or seasoned professional working in the Texan job market. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas indicates that the business and finance sectors are growing most steadily in the region, but the tech industry is also quite notable, with major tech companies such as AT&T, in the telecommunications sector, and the popular semiconductor company, Texas Instruments, dominating the professional landscape.
Excel Classes Boston
Excel skills are highly sought after in Boston. Some of the major industries, such as education, finance, and healthcare, require employees to have some level of proficiency with Excel. For instance, the University of Boston Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital need administrative and financial professionals to handle large datasets of patient information, budgeting plans, and performance metrics.
Excel Classes Miami
Although Miami is known for sun, sand, and fun, there's more to the city than meets the eye. Learning Excel in a place like this can help you go further in your professional goals. Miami's major industries include real estate, tourism, and finance, all of which require Excel pros. If you're seeking a job in any of these industries, Excel can make all the difference in providing accurate performance reviews, tracking sales metrics, or handling budgets. In short, Excel saves you time and energy without the loss of precision, making you more well-suited for the position.
Excel Classes Philadelphia
Excel is a major tool in the Philadelphia job market, where healthcare, education, and finance dominate. The city also has a considerable startup scene. In each of these scenarios, Excel can help streamline day-to-day processes by automating tasks and handling large and complex datasets. From that data, it's easy to visualize and share with others to promote a more successful department, whether you're working in finance, marketing, administrative support, or analytics.
Excel Classes Phoenix
Phoenix is a hotbed for real estate and tech, which is reflected in the number of people moving there each year. Real estate uses Excel in numerous ways, like financial analysis and loan calculations. However, it can also be used to compare properties, making it an interesting and more hands-on reason to acquire Excel skills.
FAQs
Why should I learn Excel?
Microsoft Excel is the most-used spreadsheet application in the world, relied upon for data analysis and visualization, project management, performance reporting, scheduling, forecasting, and budgeting. Learning Excel can mean performing data analysis faster and more efficiently, more easily tracking business expenses, and collaborating seamlessly on projects. Mastering the program can help your company operate more efficiently, lead to increased responsibility in the workplace, and increase your odds of finding a new position if you end up on the job market.
Which class is right for me?
The best class for you is the one that works best for your learning style, matches your temperament, and fits your schedule. If you prefer a dynamic in-person classroom, you’ll want to find a live class near you. On the other hand, if you do best working from home, live online is likely your best choice. There is always the option to take a self-paced, on-demand class, which places the fewest restrictions on your time--but it does require discipline to stay on track without outside accountability.
What should I expect to learn from an Excel class?
When deciding on an introductory Excel class, look for a syllabus that covers calculations, basic functions, graphs, printing, and applying formatting to text and cells to make your spreadsheet scannable and visually appealing. Consider whether you’ll be able to both produce polished, print-ready spreadsheets as well as learn tricks to accelerate your workflow. In other words, make sure you’ll walk away knowing how to use Microsoft Excel as your primary data processing tool.
An intermediate class should cover such skills as writing functions like VLOOKUP and SUMIFs, summarizing data with Pivot Tables, creating dropdown menus, using Sort & Filter databases, and splitting and joining text. An advanced class should cover how to automate tasks with macros, master functions like INDEX-MATCH, develop experience with advanced database functions, and the ins and outs of data analysis.
Should I start with an intro class or go all-in on a bootcamp?
Short answer: It depends. First of all, consider how you’ll be using Excel. If you’re looking to take on a position in which you’ll need advanced-level Excel skills, a bootcamp is likely a good investment. It will generally save you money over taking individual classes, look good on your resume, and set you up to use higher-level skills in the workplace. On the other hand, if you’ll be using Excel in a home setting or on a very small scale at work, you may find an introductory class provides all the foundational skills you need. One advantage to a beginner class is that it’s never too late to change your mind: if you take the class and a year later find you actually need more help, you can always take an intermediate or advanced class. Your best bet is to check out the syllabus for each class you’re considering and then decide based on your needs.
How can I find out more about the classes I’m considering taking?
Click on the hyperlinks in this article to find out a bit more about each class, and then see if you have additional questions. If so, you may want to go the old school route and pick up the phone. Call the training center and ask if they can help. Let them know what you’re looking for and any scheduling concerns you may have. Get a feel for whether or not the school is student-focused--if so, you may just have found the right place.
Key Takeaways
- Learning Excel can help you in the job you have or in the job you want.
- Excel skills are also transferable to your home life, helping you to budget, organize, and collaborate with family members or friends.
- Choose the Excel class that feels like the best fit for you; the one that works with your schedule, provides you with the level of mastery you need, and offers the type of instruction that suits your learning style.
- Be sure to choose the class that falls within your budget, but also consider that learning Excel is an investment in your career and in yourself.
- There are all kinds of opportunities to learn Excel in your city -- don't hesitate to explore them!