Is Knowing How To Use Microsoft Excel Correctly Important?
Microsoft Excel is a computer application that can be applied in many business organizations as well as government institutions. Microsoft Excel is mostly used in data analysis to make sense of raw data. It helps in the formation of graphs and pie charts to give a pictorial perspective of what raw data is trying to communicate. It is, therefore, essential that individuals learn how to use Microsoft Excel.
Importance of Microsoft Excel Knowledge
Below are the top 3 reasons why you need to learn how to use Microsoft excel:
1. Increased Value in the Job Market
Microsoft Excel knowledge is applicable in almost every job industry. The application can be used at the office to create schedules for employees, manage budgets for organizations, track expenses and incomes, and create charts and visualizations to analyze data. If you do not know how to operate the excel sheet correctly, you might make huge mistakes in information analysis that may end up being costly.
For example, Public health England was all over the papers for misrepresenting information related to the number of COVID 19 cases in the UK. The agency explained that it was a technical error where the information was not entered correctly into the excel sheet. Such a huge mistake was because the person drawing the graph did not know how to use the excel sheet correctly.
2. Increased Efficiency at Work
The correct use of excel sheets at work helps to make work easier and more efficient. It is far more convenient to deal with trends shown through graphs and charts unlike those shown by disorganized charts. Microsoft Excel is what transforms data in tables and text into graphs and charts that are easier to understand. However, if you do not know how to use the excel sheet correctly, you are likely to end up with the wrong graphs and charts. This was the case for Public Health England.
The wrong use of the excel sheet is what made the Public Health England agency come up with the wrong trends and graphs to represent the number of COVID 19 cases. The number of cases that were fed into the excel sheet exceeded the maximum number making the agency omit 15841 cases. Such a huge omission could mislead the government when it is coming up with initiatives to control the spread of COVID 19. This shows just how important it is for you to know how to operate a Microsoft excel sheet correctly.
3. Wide Range of Applications
Last but not least, Microsoft excel knowledge is important because of the wide range of areas it can be applied. It is not only applied in the job market but also in schools by students at well. Project management companies also use excel sheets to analyze the viability of different projects. Basically, you will need to use Microsoft excel in your everyday life.
Final Remark
The mistake that was made by Public Health England could have been avoided if the person analyzing the COVID 19 statistics understood how Microsoft excel should be used. The lack of such simple but important knowledge could mislead decision-makers and cause loss of life. In the case of England, if the government had utilized the wrong information, more lives would have been lost as a result of COVID 19. That said, enroll yourself in a computer class and learn how to use Microsoft excel correctly!