Smart Nation. Data analytics. Digital transformation. These words buzz around like bees, keeping us awake with growing anxiety over how we can find our way in this — here’s another one — knowledge economy. To survive and excel in the workplace from now, we need to keep growing our repertoires of digital skills.
In this spirit of data, check out these statistics: 59% of organizations in the US plan to increase jobs requiring data analysis skills, with 78% finding difficulty in filling these positions. The Singapore government is also making this pivot: “About 20,000 public servants, or 14 per cent of the public-sector workforce, will receive data science training over the next five years… to turn Singapore into a Smart Nation.”
Job seekers who ignore this digital buzz will likely face an impending sting. So, where can you start? Pause for a second and name the first software that comes to mind, which can help you to process rows and rows of numbers. Your answer is most likely Microsoft Excel, the tech-savvy sibling of Word and Powerpoint. Whether for data entry or budget tracking, most of us should have input numbers into Excel spreadsheets.
Have you, in your desire to excel, delved into exploring formulas and analysing data in such spreadsheets? If you have, you stand a fighting chance of entry into these career opportunities:
List of Jobs Requiring Excel Skills
1) Accountant / Auditor
As a company accountant or independent auditor, you will need to record financial transactions, create balance sheets, monitor income and tax statements, scrutinise all of the above for discrepancies and make recommendations. Having a firm grasp of spreadsheets’ filtering and formatting capabilities will allow you to focus on maximising value for your employers.
2) Actuary
If you dream of predicting the future, the job of an actuary will likely appeal to you. Actuaries conduct complex analysis to calculate the probability of different outcomes, in relation to phenomena such as illnesses, accidents, investments, and consumer demand. Having excellent Excel skills is vital for such interpretive analysis, and the subsequent reporting to a variety of industry-specific stakeholders.
3) Business Analyst / Strategist
If you take delight in recommending product options to friends, this may be your vocation. Business analysts take a solution-oriented mindset, analysing and assessing the value of specific business systems and products to maximise value for companies. Having advanced data analysis and graphing skills will help you make convincing pitches to your team, clients and future consumers.
4) Data Scientist / Data Analyst / Data Engineer
To be a data scientist, you will need to be familiar with a range of complex statistical tools and programming languages. Mastering Excel can be considered a starting point—especially if you lack coding and database skills—to secure a job position at the forefront of the unfolding Smart Nation drive. There are also easy switches to other careers like web design and website development.
5) Financial Analyst
Like data scientists, financial analysts are often required to be familiar with various financial software tools. Nonetheless, spreadsheets remain highly useful for compiling data and analysing trends. Having these skills are fundamental for you to become your company’s specialist in financial planning.
6) HR Analyst / Manager
While not as statistically-oriented as most other jobs on this list, human resource analysts are required to deal with copious amounts of employee information. Being adept at spreadsheet functions will help you manage and make sense of these data and justify your HR initiatives and recommendations.
7) Market Research Analyst / Marketing Specialist
Digital marketing is on the rise, with the advent of tools to help brands outfox competitors and target consumers far more precisely. The big data available is set to transform the entire marketing industry. Obtaining Excel credentials will help in positioning you as a job candidate with the sensitivity to data required to thrive in this increasingly digital field.
8) Project Manager
Advanced Excel skills do not only benefit the specialist. Project managers are expected to assign roles, maintain budgets, allocate resources and liaise with other stakeholders. Like their counterparts in HR, proficiency in Excel will help you to process important information efficiently.
9) Reporter / Journalist
If you think you lack the eloquence to tell stirring stories, you can still be a data journalist! Mastering Excel and a host of other software will be necessary for you to leverage on statistical data to deepen the insights of your reporting, eventually setting you apart in fields like financial crimes and even sports commentary.
10) Teacher
Finally, Excel can be a particularly useful tool for teachers. Spreadsheets are convenient for organising attendance and performance records of students in various classes. They may also help in constructing lesson outlines. If you can turn the data into compelling diagrams, your students will surely be impressed and brand you a cool teacher!
Advancing with Your Excel Skills into Better Jobs
Opportunities await those who are adept at adapting to the digital transformation of the economy. Now, the catch: There are many others who are as attuned to market conditions as you. To stand out to employers, you ought to build on your existing skills and turn yourself into an expert.
You can advance further by learning advanced Microsoft Excel from our experts at Coursemology. Apart from an in-depth exploration of Excel functions — logical functions, nested functions, statistical functions, financial functions, database functions, lookup and reference functions, etc. — you will get to perform data analysis using Pivot Table and Scenario Manager!
If you are attracted to any of the job options above, but have little or no prior experience with spreadsheets, it is still not too late to begin your pivot to the world of data with our Microsoft Excel 2016 course for beginners.
Jobs will likely buzz around those who are ready to Excel.
