Has your Excel knowledge helped your career?

[MorganO]

It is amazing to me that my first reaction seeing Excel was "What good is this program? Just a bunch of little boxes to type information in? What use is that?!?" changed several days later after watching a co-worker type '=A1+B1' into a cell I said "You can program in this?!?' I was hooked. It really accelerated my desire to learn everything about Excel and just about every other program I came across.

Now I am (as it seems with most everyone on this board) the office go-to-guy for all things Excel (and nearly every other IT issue). I think it has had a positive impact on my career and has greatly increased my desire to pursue my hobby of programming to a full programming career once I retire from the military.

Just my opinion, but it seems because nearly every office uses MSOffice, and Excel seems to be the most used application in the bunch, thus being the office guru on Excel would obviously assist your career in many positive ways.

Owen

 

[Makrini]

I started using excel in a role where I had to assess and monitor the quality performance of other employees (in a call centre). 24 months ago I had to ask how to hide a sheet.

I got hooked when I discovered VBA beyond Macro recording. I then developed applications and paperless systems to do my job in 1/10th of the time it used to take me. I used that time to develop stronger data analysis and trending applications.
I soon became the Excel expert (as most people here) in my workplace.

I recently changed positions to Reporting Analyst for the Centre - where I now do all the reporting including finance/accounting applications etc. Within 2 weeks I have redeveloped and can achieve far more work with less time and effort as any of my predecessors.

I hope to continue using this to boost my career as Excel/Vba/Access and data analysis has become my entire job and I LOVE IT!

 

[dcwinter]

I started using Excel as a Project Leader for a Six Sigma project i was running, and accidentally landed a job as a 'Data Analyst' which is the wrong job title really as I am more of a Information Manager and try to help improve the data available to people rather than produce the means to collect and maintain data.

Basically, I fill in the holes our I.S. department leaves behind, producing bespoke reports etc. for a small department within a large organisation.

 

[GaryBusinesAnalystsUnite]

If i hadnt accidently learnt excel i probably wouldnt have a career!

So i guess its helped!

 

[--ndn.diva--]

i learned excel in high school, and i caught on really quickly. whatever assignment i was given in excel, i was able to finish fairly quickly. i became very comfortable writing long if statements, and using the various functions that excel offers. because of that experience, i am now being relied on in my internship to automate all of the reports my deparment runs. they had me writing macros the first week i was here!

 

[Noel Holland]

I first came across the concept of spreadsheets when I bought a copy of Micro-office for the ZX81. It included a rudimentary knock off of visicalc and the idea of being able to work out the problem once and then just reuse the same solution everytime but with a new set of variables really appealed to me. At that time I was 14 and I was growing up during the spreadsheet wars.

I'm now 39 and a second generation Oil & Gas industry estimator. As a kid I used to sit on my dads knee making airfix models while he was busy totting up the total installed cost of a new oil platform for the UK north sea. I've seen how things have changed in my industry and discipline as a direct result of spreadsheet technology. In my dad's day he'd have a team of 20 estimators and calulation clerks taking 12 months to work up a total installed cost of a small oil facility. Today I'm expected to work out the cost of facilites topping 10 Bn USD, incorporating engineering detail from a team of over 200 engineers but with only myself and one other to carry out the work and still be within +/-15%.

Without spreadsheets I couldn't do my job and there'd be a decomposing pile of engineers bodies below my office window caused by the comment "oh, er... what happens if we change this part of the process". Trust me, many an un-named engineer has walked away with only a slight limp and mild bruising because I learned long ago how to think spreadsheets.

>Has your Excel knowledge helped your career?

No, Excel knowledge IS my career.

 

[Excel Ranger]

I first really started using Excel day-to-day during my 3-month stint in Bosnia when my boss tossed me the shop laptop and said, "Excel: learn it, live it, love it!". That was in 1996. Over the years I have learned much more, usually by shoulder-surfing and asking "how the hell did you do that?". Now I am the go-to person for any Excel-related issues in our hospital, including outlying clinics. At least it was reflected on several annual ratings! But I would not have gotten the the level of "expertise" that I am at now if it were not for the combined intellect of this forum.

 

[Stormseed]

Tiffany, just make it so. It is exactly what I've done. Fazza

Me too