While there are many office productivity suites out there, Microsoft Office still remains the most popular. Here are 5 reasons you need to sharpen that saw!
1. Employers Expect Microsoft Office Proficiency
It's hard to find an administrative, managerial, customer service or project management job that does not require some level of Microsoft Office proficiency. Go ahead and try! Go peruse Craig's List and see if you don't find a job that requires proficiency in Microsoft Word and/or Excel at minimum. Don't get caught in today's job market with outdated Microsoft Office Skills skills!
2. Microsoft Office Proficiency = Job Security
In today's market of downsizing and layoffs, you need to be as productive as possible to avoid being on the "cut" list. If you're getting more done in less time, you're saving your employer money; and that won't go unnoticed.
3. Make Yourself More Marketable!
Job hunting is harder than ever as the market is flooded with people out of work. How do you get a leg up on your competition when going up for a job? Make sure you have demonstrated proficiency using Microsoft Office. I'm not just talking about using Word to create documents; employers expect that. I'm talking about dazzling them at the interview by explaining how you utilize productivity-boosting skills to get more done in less time.
4. You've Not Taken Training In a While
If you've not taken Microsoft Office training in a while (or at all), or if you've not taken past a beginner's class, listen up! Many of the time-saving (and really cool) features of Microsoft Office are taught in intermediate level classes or higher (if at all). Also, knowing how to use a feature does not mean you are utilizing it in a way that is the most productive; best practices combined with how to's is the key to productivity!
5. Your Company Just Upgraded
If your company made a significant upgrade from one version of Office to another, or changed from another software suite to Office, you need to get some training. Upgrades not only have new features that are always worth checking out, often times existing features are changed. If your company has switched to Microsoft Office, getting training is the first order of business. You can either make time for training now, or be frustrated later and waste time later. Unless of course you like taking more time to get things done. Oh, and the latter is a great argument to your supervisor or manager as to why they need to send you to training.
6. Stay in the Know
Microsoft Office Guru's know and understand that training is an on-going process. I've been using Microsoft Office for 15 years and I still find features and ways to use them that I've not explored before. I'm always asking myself, "Is there a better or faster way to get this done?" You should be asking yourself the same question.
7. You've Been Promoted to a Managerial or Supervisor Position
Congratulations! But now it's time to really step your game up as the pressure's on and you will be expected to get more done in less time; time that you don't have. It's imperative that managers and supervisors are Microsoft Office power users, but so few are. Whether it's creating reports in Word, managing employee hours, tracking inventory or sales figures in Excel, creating marketing or sales presentations in PowerPoint, or communicating and managing you or your team's time with Outlook; management sets the tone and expectations for the rest of the team, and if you're not organized or efficient, no one else will be.
I can help! Visit www.yourofficeguru.com or check out the sidebar to choose the right training solution for you!
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