Top 25 Excel Skills: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced

If you want to take your career to new heights, you can get started by brushing up on Excel skills. Earlier, the use of Microsoft Excel skills was limited to businesses. However, in today's world, Excel skills are helpful in all areas of life, such as educational, business, personal, to official purposes.    

Around 66% of people working in offices use Excel every hour at least once. Thus, possessing MS Excel Skills will offer you several career opportunities regardless of the job profile you're looking for or working on. Whether you're an Accountant, Data analyst, Product Manager, or HR, you'll need Excel skills to carry out your basic tasks. Excel skills are divided into three categories, namely basic Excel skills, intermediate Excel skills, and advanced Excel skills. Here, we will cover the following topics in detail. So, it's time to get started. 

Table of Contents
1) Why Excel Skills are important in the Job Market?

2) What are the Basic Excel Skills?

   a) Data Filters

   b) Data Sorting

   c) COUNTIF/COUNTIFS

  d)  Shortcut Keys

  e) Flash Fill

  f) SUM

  g) COUNT

  h) AVERAGE

3) What are Intermediate Excel Skills?

  a) Statistical Modelling

  b) Prediction and Forecasting

  c) Pivot Tables

  d) VBA and Macros

  e) Model Historic Stock Trends

  f) Charts

 g) Power Pivots

 h) Slicers

  i) Sparkline

4) What are Advanced Excel Skills?

  a) SUMIF

  b) Conditional Formatting

  c) IFERROR

  d) COUNTIF

  e) Index Match

  f) Macros in Excel VBA

 g) INDIRECT

 h) Get External Data (from Web)

5) Conclusion

Why Excel skills are Important in the Job Market?

If someone is applying for a data-related job, then it is important to have skills and experience related to Excel. Excel is used in a variety of jobs and helps a person to complete his daily task.

It is one of the best spreadsheet software in the market and can carry out a variety of tasks at once. Office clerks and Administrative Assistants depend on this software as it is one of the most crucial software in their toolbox.

Excel is used in the field of education by teachers and professors to conduct classes. They keep a track of candidates and create lesson outlines using Excel. Not just this, Excel has a wide scope and it is also used by Financial Analysts, Investment Bankers, and other Businesses.

What are the Basic Excel Skills ?

Some of the major basic Excel skills you should possess to land a job are as follows: 

a) Data Filters  

Most Excel users consider data filters as an easy skill. However, it’s essential to possess the know-how to use Data filters to use spreadsheets efficiently. Data filters will allow you to search, hide, and categorise relevant information present on the spreadsheet as and when required.   

b) Data Sorting  

Data sorting is used to organise data on spreadsheets in reverse and alphabetical order. The technique may seem tricky as you may sort only one column or row instead of the entire rows and columns. This will make the spreadsheet complex and unorganised. 

c) COUNTIF/COUNTIFS 

The COUNTIFS function of Microsoft Excel is used to keep a count of the cells in a specific row or column. These cells should align with single or numerous criteria. You can include COUNTIFS in the cell of the Excel worksheet in the form of a formula.   

d) Shortcut Keys  

Excel helps to reduce the time required to carry out a specific task. All you'll have to do is learn about the different shortcut keys. You'll be able to perform your work with the help of your keyboard directly, even without reaching out for the mouse.   

e) Flash Fill  

Flash Fill eliminates the need to enter information individually, which will help you save time and effort. For example, full-time analysts who are required to enter vast volumes of data will find this function relevant.

f) SUM

The SUM function adds values by adding individual values, cell references or ranges, or a mix of all three.

g) COUNT

This COUNT function counts the number of cells that contain numbers and also counts numbers within the list of arguments. You can get the number of entries in a number field that is either a range or an array of numbers using this function.

h) AVERAGE

The AVERAGE function is used to calculate the average (arithmetic mean) of supplied numbers. This function can handle up to 255 arguments that can include numbers, cell references, ranges, arrays, and constants.

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What are Intermediate Excel Skills?

Professionals who are willing to perform calculations by using advanced Excel skills should be aware of the Intermediate Excel skills like: 

a) Statistical Modelling  

Excel's Statistical modelling tool helps eliminate human errors that are more likely to occur during statistical analysis. Excel's Statistical modelling tools help perform regression, evaluate sampling, find correlations among data sets, create histograms, and produce random numbers.  

b) Prediction and Forecasting  

You can use Excel functions and historical data to forecast and predict the performance of a business for the following year. This tool helps companies measure economical changes, indicate the increase in revenue and sales, and expect any differences in stock trajectories. The data tab of Excel includes relevant tools for users. For example, if a user has to work on two types of data series that are similar, they can consist of a forecast sheet. A forecast sheet is usually included underneath the data tab. Consequently, it generates column charts and lines that comprise the critical forecast.   

c) Pivot Tables 

Pivot tables summarise vast volumes of data in the Excel spreadsheet in real-time. These tables work by categorising similar data into groups. You can launch these tables by clicking on the Insert tab of the Tables section. You can use these tables to sort, count, average, or total the data on a massive spreadsheet. The ability of pivot tables to generate meaningful data without using an individual formula is considered helpful for employers. Creating a Pivot table is easy, even if you're presented with massive amounts of information. Besides, you'll be able to remove duplicates, count entries, and assess your data.  

d) VBA and Macros 

Microsoft launched Virtual Basic for Applications as a simple yet powerful programming language. The objective of VBA is to automate the functions of Excel. VBA helps to automate tasks that are carried out in the Excel spreadsheet. Similarly, you can save the code generated as a Macro. Macro is meant for repetitive uses. It would be best if you used a Macro to carry out repetitive tasks and clear out data that is included across numerous spreadsheets. The application of Macro helps to decrease the time required to perform tasks.   

e) Model Historic Stock Trends 

The Excel stock data type is created to derive historical and present stock performance data. Besides, the stock data type helps conduct stock modelling by gathering information related to existing prices, number of employees, company name, and similar data. The stock data will allow users to extract data based on a specific currency, exchange, and other vital details.

f) Charts

Graphical representation of any set of data can be created using a Chart in Excel. Charts are visual representations of data, depicted by symbols such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or other graphical elements depending on the different types of charts in Excel being used, such as Gantt Chart, Column Chart, Waterfall Chart, Bubble Chart, Pie Chart, Surface Chart, and Pivot Chart.

g) Power Pivots

It is an Excel add-in that is used to perform powerful data analysis. It can also create sophisticated data models. Using Power Pivot, you can collate large volumes of data from various sources, carry out information analysis, and also share insights easily.

h) Slicers

Slicers are software filters that are used to filter out the required information from an enormous collection of data within a fraction of a second. They are implemented along with the Excel tables and Pivot tables to act as one-click software filters.

Slicers not just filter data but also help with the understanding of information being extracted and displayed on the screen.

i) Sparkline

Sparkline is a tiny chart that provides a visual representation of data. It is used to show a trend over time or the variation in a dataset. Sparklines are also used to make bland data look better by adding a layer of visual analysis.

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What are Advanced Excel Skills ?

Advanced Excel skills enable you to handle core responsibilities in an organisation. Advanced Excel skills will automate the tasks and searching capabilities. As a result, it helps to save time and boost productivity. Let's learn about a few Advanced Excel skills: 

a) SUMIF 

SUMIF formula helps add cells with similar properties. For example, the SUMIF formula is applicable when you want to add cells that include a specific word or number. Also, you can use it for cells of a particular type or class of item. Most importantly, SUMIF collects a summary of massive data generated from enrolment, sales, or similar huge data sets. This formula includes information on the number of cells that should be examined and the kind of cells that can be added.  

b) Conditional Formatting  

Most industries use formatted Excel spreadsheets and tables to represent their data visually. Conditional formatting changes the appearance and colour of cells based on the information it includes. For example, when working on a budgeting and financial spreadsheet, you can highlight negative figures in red. Similarly, in yellow, you can highlight cells containing error codes or a unique word. Conditional formatting will help you represent your information visually and verbally. All you'll have to do is decide the facts and figures that should be highlighted and differentiated from each other.   

c) IFERROR 

It's common to make mistakes when carrying out advanced Excel functions. The errors arise when there are missing data in a particular row or a problem that needs immediate attention. IFERROR can generate a text or a blank cell and eliminate error codes. An empty cell or a particular text is attached to the cell that should be re-verified.   

d) COUNTIF  

Excel's COUNTIF function helps you to keep a count of cells with identical properties. The function will help you figure out how many times an entry and word are included in a vast spreadsheet. COUNTIF will gather all your data and classify them under a specific criterion. Besides, it enables you to know the location of your consumers, track the number of employees that work in a particular department, and so on.   

e) Index Match  

When combined, Excel's Index & Match function will help you evaluate data that is included in an Excel workbook and sheet. The Match function is usually included in the INDEX function. So, it is used to discover a specific kind of data. Similarly, the purpose of the INDEX is to connect the data to different data in the row.

f) Macros in Excel VBA

They use the Visual Representation Application in Excel to create custom user-generated functions. VBA Macros are used to access the Windows Application Programming Interface (API). They also speed up manual tasks by creating automated processes.

g) INDIRECT

A valid cell reference from a given text string is returned by this Excel function. You can make use of INDIRECT when you want to assemble    a text value that can be used as a valid reference.

h) Get External Data (from Web)

Follow the below steps to import a Web data into Excel

1) Click an empty cell in the spreadsheet

2) Click the Data tab located between Formulas and Review at the top of the app window.

3) Click ‘From Web’ on the Data Ribbon. This is found in the upper-left corner of Excel on the “Get and Transform “ panel.

4) Enter the website URL and click ‘OK’. The URL should be the address you want to enter or paste into the typing area. And, the address should essentially contain the data you want to import.

5) To access the site anonymously, you have to click ‘Connect’.

6) Then select a Table. You can find the list of tables in the left panel of the Navigator window. When a table is selected, the data will appear on the right in the panel.

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Conclusion  

Obtaining Excel skills will help you to succeed in almost any industry. In today's world, employers are willing to recruit candidates with good Excel skills. By mastering Excel skills, you will be able to work in areas like finance, accounting, digital marketing, data analytics, project management, along product and inventory management.   

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