Microsoft Excel Courses: Learn More Than the Basics and Take the Best Excel Course for You!

Excel is one of those programs where you can genuinely say, “The sky’s the limit.” Almost everyone has heard of it, even if they haven’t used it yet. Unfortunately, most people are just a little bit intimidated by it. Why is that?  

Since Excel can do so much, a user can either scratch the surface of its capabilities or master it and perform some genuinely outstanding operations. As someone starts out, they often feel they’ll never be able to master the program. They see what others create and think, “I will never be able to do that!”  

Let’s discuss a few questions people might have about Excel and how the right course can be so important to your success.   

In this article, we will talk about:    

• What is Microsoft (or MS) Excel? 
• Who Uses Excel? 
• How Excel Is Used  
• FREE Resources for Working with Excel  
• New in 2024! Master Microsoft Excel with Our Excel Boot Camp  
• Essential Excel Skills: Beginner to Advanced Courses 
• Learn How to Use Excel to Be More Productive  
• Presenting and Displaying Your Business Analytics with Excel  
• Take Your Excel to the Next Level   
• Where Can I Find Excel Courses Near Me? Can I Take an Online Course?     
• Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing a Microsoft Excel Course 
• Learning Excel the Great Canadian Way! 
• How to Get Started 

And while you may have already looked at programs like Udemy, LinkedIn Learning or Coursera, you may need a more comprehensive approach to your professional development. That's where we come in.  At The Great Canadian Training & Consulting Company, we won’t just run through different functions. We refuse to offer dry material; we want it to come alive. We are here to help you be more effective in your day-to-day role.   

What Is Microsoft (or MS) Excel?   

As one of the most powerful and widely used spreadsheet applications, Excel is available for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and iPadOS.   

Excel boasts an impressive set of features for performing hundreds of different types of calculations, charting, data analysis, reporting, and collaborating. It even has a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).   

Its robust feature set and multiple-platform capabilities have made it essential software on devices in countless businesses and organizations worldwide.  

Who Uses Excel?  

Many careers in finance rely heavily on a variety of Excel functions. Nearly everyone who works with numbers has likely used Excel or some other spreadsheet application in one form or another. You might automatically think of accountants, but really, just about anyone who works in an office will use it in some way or another. That includes lawyers, teachers, analysts, and many others. From simple data entry to complex financial modeling, there is so much that it can do.    

How Excel Is Used  

Excel users don’t use it just for calculating formulas. They use it to visualize their data for presenting to other stakeholders, to sort and filter data, and to make detailed analyses and forecasts of their revenues, expenses, and profits. It’s also a potent tool for integrating with databases and other software.  

FREE Resources for Working with Excel 

Boosting your productivity with Excel is not just about mastering basic functions; it's about harnessing the full potential of this powerful tool to streamline your tasks and enhance your workflow.   

Our Excel Tips playlist delves into practical strategies to help you work smarter, not harder. From keyboard shortcuts that expedite common actions to rarely-talked-about hacks, these tips are designed to take your skills to the next level.   

New in 2024! Master Microsoft Excel with Our Excel Boot Camp   

This course is your all-in-one guide to mastering the program's essential features, powerful formulas, and dynamic data visualization tools.  

First, you'll dive into the essentials, where you'll customize your workspace, navigate rows and columns with ease, and make the most of handy tools like Fill Handle. Then, you'll move on to formulas and functions, mastering absolute and relative references, and exploring functions like SUM, AVERAGE, COUNTIF, and even XLOOKUP. 

But that’s not all—transform numbers into insights with our Visualizing Data with Charts section, where you'll build stunning charts, tweak them to perfection, and add eye-catching graphics. Finally, you'll become a data management pro, organizing lists and filtering data like a champ. 

By the end of this course, you'll be handling data with confidence, ready to impress with your newfound expertise! 

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Essential Excel Skills: Beginner to Advanced Courses

We offer Excel Levels 1, 2, and 3 in both public and private classes and in either French or English. Our public classes are kept small – generally around 12 participants – to allow ample time for you to ask questions of the trainer. You have the flexibility to start on any of these three levels according to your current proficiency. You can start with Level 1 if you have little knowledge of Excel and work your way up to our advanced techniques in Level 3.   

We will cover how to manage simple to complex formulas, all the way to using pivot charts and tables and much more!   

Did you know? Excel levels 1-3 are our most popular courses.  

Between Levels 1, 2, and 3, you will gain all the knowledge you need to perform almost any spreadsheet task that would be asked of you in a standard professional setting.   

Our Level 1 course is ideal for newer users who want to gain confidence navigating the interface, using functions and formulas, and formatting their work to maintain consistency and present it clearly. This beginner course will make you comfortable creating, editing, and formatting worksheets and workbooks. We'll also share some great tips that will help you become more efficient and familiarize yourself with formulas, functions, and cell references.  

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The Level 2 course is best for those who are already familiar with Excel and want to explore some extra functions and tools to better organize and analyze their data. Students will understand how to use some of the more advanced formulas and functions and how to enhance their spreadsheets using data tables, filtering, charts, and graphs.  

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Our Level 3 course is perfect for users who are already familiar with this program but wish to expand their ability to work with Excel’s more advanced data analysis and time-saving features. It’s for those users who want to streamline their workflow by automating tasks through conditional formatting and macros. This course will help you advance your data analysis and manage multiple workbooks through linking and data consolidation.  

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If you want to take all three, our Excel Complete package is for you. This package is unique and specifically designed to give you a robust and comprehensive understanding.   

Learn How to Use Excel to Be More Productive

Our extended courses can increase your speed, confidence, and productivity. Our Excel Tips, Tricks, and Time Savers Complete course will teach you additional valuable techniques to help your workflow. We will share helpful tips and tricks to enhance your user experience by taking our 12-hour (2-day) course for basic to advanced users.   

This class is perfect for anyone—from beginner to advanced Excel users—who would like valuable tips and tricks to enhance their user experience and boost their productivity. It is for anyone who wants to work faster and more efficiently.  

In this class, you’ll modify your spreadsheets quickly and efficiently with shortcuts and other useful tools. You will also explore many new ways of displaying data in the section dedicated to charting techniques.   

• Modify your spreadsheets quickly and efficiently 
• Explore valuable tools and techniques during this 12-hour (2-day) course. 
• Create various charts and discover new ways of displaying your numeric data. 

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Presenting and Displaying Your Business Analytics with Excel  

Collecting and organizing your data is not the only use for Excel. The next step is how you present and display that data to others. It does this in three main ways: through dashboards, charts, and other visualizations.   

Dashboards  

Dashboards are an exciting development that allow you to display quick overviews of your data reports rather than wading through large volumes of data. They visually represent key metrics that will enable you to quickly view and analyze your data in one place. Do away with generating multiple reports for different people or departments depending on their needs. Instead, use a dashboard to allow users to quickly filter the data the way they want with Slicers and a Timeline.   

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Our Microsoft Excel Dashboards courses are designed for students with foundational knowledge and skills. They are for those users who would like to take advantage of some of the higher-level functionality to summarize and interact with functions, charts, and tables in this format.  

Did you know? Dashboards improve the decision-making process by displaying the vital parts of your data in one place in just one window.  

Mastering Charts and Graphs  

When trying to make a point, the first rule is to show, not tell. Collecting and analyzing data is done to create actionable insights – whether you are confirming the benefits of a particular action or demonstrating the need for a change.   

Rather than showing pages of data and relying on your audience to come to the same conclusion as you, Excel offers many tools that allow you to explain the insights from your data.   

Did you know? Excel has 20 different types of graphs, including pies, columns, and line charts. It also has more advanced options like Histograms, Waterfalls, and Geospatial Heat Maps.  

Master charts and graphs:  

• We offer a 6-hour (1-day) Mastering Charts and Graphs course  

This course is great for users of all levels who want to substantially improve the quality of their reports and create more powerful ways to communicate information in the best possible manner.  

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Pivot Tables

Our course, Pivot Like a Pro: Mastering Excel Pivot Tables, will help you take this feature to the next level.   

Some of the additional features you'll learn include adding calculated fields and using VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP to combine information from separate data sources. You will also understand how to visualize and analyze your data more effectively with pivot charts and interact with your tables using slicers, along with many more valuable features.  

The course is 3 hours (0.5 days) long and is designed for students who already have basic skills but would now like to use this feature more extensively to analyze and summarize data, create powerful ways to present data, and communicate insights more effectively.  

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Data Visualizations  

Combining Excel’s graphic tools and charts allows you to create several non-standard, visually compelling charts, pictographs, gauge charts, and progress bars. Create more eye-catching data visualizations which you can use as a one-off data summarization tool.   

Take your data visualizations to the next level:   

• We offer a 6-hour (1-day) Custom Data Visualizations in Excel course.   

This course is designed for all Excel users who want to significantly expand their objects and charting skills to create more eye-catching data visualizations, which can be used as a one-off data summarization tool or to create stunning dashboards.  

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Power Query and Power Pivot  

Power Query is a free tool available as an Excel add-on (up to the 2013 version). In 2016, Microsoft renamed Power Query to “Get & Transform”. You can use Power Query or Get & Transform to combine your data from different sources, such as Access, Text, CSV, and many others, and then reshape it as needed.   

Understand Microsoft Power Query and its advanced features:   

• Connect and combine external data sources 
• Transform and cleanse your data 
• Pivot and transpose the data as desired 
• Create custom-calculated columns 

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With Excel Power Pivot, you can substantially increase this program's already very powerful abilities by combining different kinds of data from multiple sources. Using the Data Analysis Expression language (DAX), you can create custom functions inside calculated columns.   

Excel Power Pivot Complete is a 12-hour (2-day) course. You will import multiple data sets, refresh that data, and create meaningful and powerful tables and charts to help you easily analyze your data. You will also explore DAX and how to use it.   

With Power Pivot, you can analyze your data in ways you’ve never thought possible.   

This course is best for individuals familiar with the basics and who wish to add Power Pivot to their arsenal. You may already use pivot tables but would also like to import and refresh data from multiple sources or use functions to extract data from your tables. If so, then this is the course for you.  

Discover how to use Power Pivot and its advanced features:   

• Excel Power Pivot is the perfect course to get practice in creating pivot tables 
• Manipulate Power Pivot data using DAX 
• Import and refresh new data 
• Add calculated columns to your tables and manage table relationships 
• Use functions to extract data directly from tables 

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Did you know? If you want to learn more about DAX, we also offer this class: Discovering the Power of Data Analytic Expressions (DAX) Using Power BI and Excel.  

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Take Your Excel to The Next Level  

Using spreadsheets is just the beginning: Excel has advanced features that range from simple macros to complex statistical analysis.   

There are two areas where an advanced knowledge can serve you well in the workplace. The first is VBA (or Visual Basic for Applications), a programming language that allows you to automate repetitive tasks and create custom tools. The second uses Excel’s advanced tools, functions and formulas to calculate financial and mathematical information.   

Take your Excel use to the next level with one of these courses:   

• Microsoft Excel VBA, a 12-hour (2-day) course designed to give you a strong foundation in programming with Excel VBA.   
• Microsoft Excel Advanced Functions and Formulas is a 6-hour (1-day) course that will take you beyond the basics of formulas and functions to use them for more sophisticated financial analysis.   

Our 12-hour (2-day) Microsoft Excel VBA course is designed for students who need to automate repetitive tasks and create simple macros that will run in spreadsheets. A good knowledge of spreadsheets is recommended.  

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The Microsoft Excel Advanced Functions and Formulas course is ideal for users who know how to enter and work with financial data but would like to explore some of the many deeper mathematical and analysis functions.  

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Where Can I Find Excel Courses Near Me? Can I Take an Online Course?  

One of the things that makes Great Canadian Training great is that we offer training across North America. Whether you want to take your course in person with your colleagues at your workplace, go to our downtown Ottawa location, or learn online wherever you are, you have options. Our commitment to providing convenient and comprehensive options sets us apart. Regardless of your location, we ensure you can build your Excel skills and advance your career.  

For those in the Ottawa area, our downtown location provides a dynamic and immersive learning environment. You can benefit from in-person instruction, hands-on exercises, and the opportunity to interact with fellow learners.  

Registering for an online course offers a fantastic option if you want flexibility in your learning journey. You can join our virtual classrooms from anywhere, whether in a different city in North America or from the comfort of your own home. Our online courses provide the same high-quality content and engaging instruction as our in-person offerings.  

Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing a Microsoft Excel Course 

When it comes to choosing the right course for you, we frequently get a number of questions. Let's review them below:  

Should I Use Excel or an Excel-Related Program Like Power BI? Can I Also Learn Power BI with The Great Canadian Training & Consulting Company? 

Excel is best for simple data analysis, calculations, and creating customized reports. It's ideal for smaller datasets and detailed formula work. Power BI, on the other hand, shines brightest when handling large datasets, creating interactive visualizations, and integrating data from various sources. We offer many Power BI courses designed to help you master this program. Learn more here. 

How Do I Choose the Best Excel Course for Me or My Team? What If My Team's Skills Range from Knowing Excel Basics to Needing More Advanced Training? 

To choose the right Excel course for your team, start by evaluating their current skill levels and specific learning goals. Think about how Excel is used in their daily tasks and ensure the course content aligns with these practical applications. For instance, if your team frequently works with data analysis, look for a course that focuses on more challenging functions and pivot tables.  

To that end, we are happy to offer evaluations to determine your team’s Excel skills. Our brief evaluations will allow us to see where each team member’s strengths and gaps lie. Then, we can recommend which course is best suited to them or how best to customize your training. This personalized approach ensures that what you learn is relevant and effectively addresses your team's needs. Speak to one of our Training Coordinators to learn more.  

 Why Should I Take Training? Couldn't I Just Use LinkedIn Learning or Learn Excel Online for Free?  

Learning Excel with The Great Canadian Training & Consulting Company gives you a structured outline with expert guidance, which can be more effective than just using self-paced platforms. 

While self-paced platforms have their place, our live instructors provide personalized feedback, hands-on practice, and a tailored curriculum that matches your needs. This approach can help you better grasp and retain complex concepts. 

Learning Excel The Great Canadian Way! 

At The Great Canadian Training and Consulting Company, we like to do all we can to help you reach your goals. To that end, we also provide several free resources to help you. Our free resources have you covered whether you like to read, listen, or watch. We have free webinars, podcasts, informative blog articles, and even free downloadable guides and tip sheets.  

Here is a short overview of just some of our fantastic free offerings:   

1. We have a downloadable pdf with some of our favourite Excel shortcuts 
2. We have some helpful webinars about various Excel features 
3. Pivot Tables Made Simple 
4. Excel Tips and Tricks   
5. Turning Data to Decisions with Excel Dashboards   
6. The Power of Excel’s Data Analytics   
7. Power Up with Power Query 
8. Advanced Pivot Tables for Deeper Analysis 
9. Our YouTube channel has all sorts of tips and tricks 
10. Our blog article that covers recent features you should be using in Excel 

We also help you with a selection of options that will fit your needs. We offer public and private training, along with various special learning packages.    

Our online public training is both flexible and cost-effective. It’s a great option if you are looking to train fewer than six people.   

Our private online or onsite training provides a tailored experience for your company or organization. You can book a session for a specific group and customize the outline.   

We also offer special learning packages designed to help you take the guesswork out of selecting the best courses for you and your team. Each package is designed with results in mind – to guide you to greater success by being more productive and effective.   

For example, our Excel package includes all three levels and an elective course. Not only will this give you a strong foundation in what Excel has to offer, but it will also give you real-world, practical experience for accomplishing your daily tasks with more ease and less frustration.  

• Public training – flexible and cost-effective. Here is a link to our calendar 
• Private training – a tailored, customizable experience available for a specific group or team 
• Learning packages – a strong foundation, meaningful progression, and real-world practical experience