Microsoft Excel may also be referred to as MS – Excel. It is a type of spreadsheet developed by Microsoft. It has various versions compatible with Android, Windows, Mac, etc. It was first introduced in the year 1987. It is an application used to maintain sheets, do calculations along with pre-defined as well as customized formulas, prepare graphs, charts; export the sheets to mails and allied functions that have been applied to several sectors like project management, auditing, maintaining stocks, preparation of the budget, etc.

There are several certifications provided by different organizations in Excel as well as in advanced Excel, which are given below:-

– Excel essentials:- The complete Excel series by Udemy

– Microsoft Office Certifications by Microsoft

– Excel skills for business by Coursera

– Excel certification courses by E – LearnExcel

– Introduction to data analysis using Excel by Coursera

– Excel certification by LinkedIn learning

– Microsoft Excel certification by GoSkills

– Excel from beginner to advanced by Udemy

Training and preparation: – The preparations for MS – Excel certifications and the Microsoft Excel training do not ask for rigorous hard work. It can be just self-study equally distributed and sincerely followed that helps the candidate to clear the examination in the first attempt itself. There are several books, guides, training portals, offline centers for getting sharpened in using MS – Excel and related tools, and mastering the Microsoft Excel course.

Cost of the certification: – The MS Excel certification costs approximately $100 USD for a single candidate, while schooling and training centers may get a negotiated discount charge.

Microsoft Excel skills and knowledge have been on the top list of the most preferred type of skills for many years, and Microsoft plans to keep it that way. Thus there has been a boom in the jobs that require and prefer MS Excel as a qualification. The seven topmost jobs to aim for if you are a master in handling MS Excel targets are given below:-

  1. Project managers: – Project managers are esteemed professionals that are expected to serve their authorities as well as with their team, meanwhile keeping a note of the progress of the project. Excel makes it easier to make data sheets for target completion, salaries of the subordinates, overtimes taken, holidays, keeping a check on the customer requirements, etc. are easier to handle with Excel. Thus it is easier for a certified candidate to get project manager jobs than the others.
  2. Business analysts: – A business analyst performs the duties of analyzing records, checking feasibility, maintaining the new records of the current status of the organization, etc. Excel helps a candidate with maintaining a balance between these duties and progress with its pre-defined formulas, table and graph tools, etc. Thus a candidate well versed with Excel is a better option for a business analyst post.
  3. Accountants: – Accountants keep accounts of all that goes on in an organization along with a keen eye to the benefit to cost ratio and allied functionalities. The functions thus should be performed by an accountant require mathematical equations, formulas, etc. Although there are several other applications and software for these functions, Excel has been preferred the most.
  4. Data journalists: – Data journalists work with a ton load of data and thus are benefited with minimal knowledge of Excel.
  5. Administrative assistants: – A good knowledge of Excel is the main criteria for getting a post like that of administrative assistants as they are expected to keep records, cater to customer databases, generate reports, etc.
  6. Financial analysts: – Financial analysts should be well versed in Excel, to say the least, as their function revolves around subtracting, multiplying, making sheets, balance sheets, analyzing results, etc.
  7. Retail store managers: – The main responsibility of retail store managers is to maintain the stock record along with the provider, the customers, and the expenditure (cost) and profit as well. This is best possible with Excel.

MS – Excel is one of the non-negotiable tools in today’s world, irrespective of the purpose of the sector. It has helped everyone ranging from students to IT specialists in making graphs, keeping track of salaries, preparing bills, etc. It also provides for several other functions like calculation on pre-defined paths as well as with custom-defined formulas. Excel has been preferred in almost all organizations due to the above reasons, and therefore every organization has posts solely meant for MS – Excel certified professionals. Thus, it is the most valuable asset to any candidate to go for a certification in MS – Excel validating his or her skills in using MS – Excel and its related tools.