I would like to introduce myself..........

[mark9988]

Hello everyone,

My name is Mark and I just finished college a couple of months ago. I came across this site during work one day at my new job and I can't get over how knowledgeable all of you are with Excel.

So I'm a financial analyst for a very large financial firm in NYC. As of right I feel as if I should of became a pharmacist or something because I spend about 8-10 hours a day on Excel when I could be spending only 4 hours a day if I knew how to.

I just feel that If I were more experienced in Excel, my job would be much more enjoyable. I can't believe how much there is to learn in Excel and how powerful it can be. So my question.............How long did it take all of you to become a "pro" in Excel? How did all of you do it? Did you read books or do all of you work for Microsoft? I would love to become a "pro" in Excel, but I just don't know where to start.

Thanks for the great site and keep up the great work!!


Mark

 

[RichardS]

Hi Mark, and welcome to the Board.

As my number of posts indicates, I'm hardly a pro, but...

You will have noticed that Excel is capable of achieving a lot of outcomes, it's a matter of learning how to get to where you want to be. The Excel help files are very useful, as is the formula paste function. I would suggest you look at what you're doing, imagine a way of improving it, then use those tools.

Searching this and other forums will also often throw up some incredible solutions. Then if you still can't find what you want, post a question here, stating clearly what you are trying to achieve, what you've done so far, and what is holding you back.

Personally, I haven't read a book on Excel since Excel version 2 (circa 1988).

Good luck!

Richard

 

[Tazguy37]

I just feel that If I were more experienced in Excel, my job would be much more enjoyable. I can't believe how much there is to learn in Excel and how powerful it can be. So my question.............How long did it take all of you to become a "pro" in Excel? How did all of you do it? Did you read books or do all of you work for Microsoft? I would love to become a "pro" in Excel, but I just don't know where to start.

Thanks for the great site and keep up the great work!!

Mark

There's a great deal to learn about Excel. Some of the formulas and solutions here will make you (even experts) say: "I didn't know Excel could do that!"

I don't consider myself a pro (at least not in Excel), but if somebody has come up with an answer to a problem previously, I'm pretty good at finding it. I'm better with VBA than formula solutions (especially things like array formulas) but I do my best to answer all of the questions I can.

I've read several books on Excel and VBA (I have one in front of me this very moment), some from the store on this site, and at least one (I've forgotten how many) by John Walkenbach. Great stuff!

"Work for Micro$oft"? Um...no.

Here's a couple posts you may find interesting as well: http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?t=161616&
and, on the lighter side:
http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?t=52989&

Have a look at the top 20 posters list and see some of the stuff they've done. Many of their posts just make you go: Cool!!

 

[tactps]

Mark,
I've been around spreadsheets for 20 years now (gosh...has it been that long - my god I'm old!!!!) from Visicalc to Lotus to Excel and learned as I've needed to.

Books are fine to learn what you can do, not how to do it - if I gave you a test after you read 500 pages on an Excel book, you'd probably know what could be done, but the actual syntax would likely escape you (unless you've got a photographic memory). By all means, read whatever you can, but try to discover what you can do - when you need it you can always look it up again.

I agree with the comments by others, and I'm sure Taz'll be the first to tell you that I'm no expert either.

Richard raises a good point -
"I would suggest you look at what you're doing, imagine a way of improving it, then use those tools."

Don't be disheartened - you know more than others, but less than some (like most of us).

To be a "pro", find the person in your section of the company who knows the most about Excel and learn one more thing than them!

 

[Tazguy37]

To be a "pro", find the person in your section of the company who knows the most about Excel and learn one more thing than them!

Especially if you don't like them. Become smarter than they are, get promoted to be their boss, and then fire 'em!

 

[tactps]

You are a harsh man, Taz!

but that's why we get on so well...

 

[Zack Barresse]

Hello there, nice to meet you.

I started learning Excel the day I joined this site. I didn't know anything then except may be SUM, MIN and MAX. Oh yeah, and AVERAGE. But that was about it. I almost forgot, I'd just heard about this Conditional Formatting, but was unsure of what it was or how to use it.

That was December 2003, not quite two years ago. I learned most of what I know now in the first 6 months. By reading posts on this board. Taking problems and finding othersolutions to them. I was actually able to answer questions shortly after I had a few answered of my own. It started snowballing from there. Pretty soon I was answering a question a day, then a half dozen a day. At that rate, I just kept picking more and more up along the way.

In March of 2004 I recorded my first macro. Cool stuff. I was in love with VBA. My main focus at work actually shifted this way as my boss wanted more automation. Actually, he just wanted more work, and I couldn't do it on my own. So I automated almost everything except the data input. I don't have to email anybody anymore, it's two clicks away; no more report formatting, checking my daily balances, none of that. It does it all automatically for me, taking my brain work out of it and reducing my work load by about 300%. I fill about 3 positions now on my own.

Use the free forums, they're your best friend. And if you keep with it, and really try to learn this stuff, it'll come to you eventually. Keep testing on your own. Copy what you see on the board, use it in your spreadsheets. Don't be afraid to fail or crash your Excel, because it will happen; it's not a question of if, it's a question of when. So prepare yourself, it's going to be fun.

And read all of Tazguy & tactps posts you can. Don't let them fool you, they are Experts! Guru's! Pro's! :D

 

[tactps]

Awww...Zack, you are too kind!

Mark, Zack has learned more in 2 years than I have in 20. Maybe I don't have 20 years experience - maybe just 1 year 20 times.

When you get a little experience under your belt, also check out VBA express (see zack's links to new articles), but don't stray too far from this forum or pookie will get upset with me for plugging other sites (lol).

 

[Chitosunday]

I have been with excel for 5 years and i have not mastered it . I just learned more and more......... Now , i believe i have learned 50% of excel going 99% by year 2020 maybe, wnen there are trying to replace excel with another spreadsheet .

 

[Cbrine]

Mark,
I started working with Excel back about 3-4 years ago. We had about 14,000 employees in about 700 locations to produce merit workbook for. Prior to me taking the position, it was completed manually(I have no IDEA how), over about 2 weeks. I created a process that let us produce the formated worksheets in about 3 hours. Looking back now, at that original code, I wonder what the hell I was thinking at the time. It always a learning experience, keep pushing the edge of your knowledge, and when it comes to vba programing, always remember the macro recorder is your friend. It might now give you what you are looking for, but it will point you in the right direction. Also, if you can do it with a formula, don't try to do it with code. So that means learn as many formulas as possible. Just knowing what they do will be a big help, when that particular thing comes up.

Here's some homework:
Learn vlookup, it's a great help.
Index(Match())
Offset()
Again, you don't need to be an expert, but having a general idea what they do is a big help.
And like Zack says, post to this board. If you participate and get it wrong, we will help you figure out the best way.
It's going to be a wild trip.

Cal