Microsoft Office Training Courses

You know Microsoft Office is the world's most popular productivity suite, but you might not realize just how dominant the software bundle is--and how an advanced knowledge of Office can help prospective workers land employment or advance an existing career. A May 2011 search of CareerBuilder.com found 27,614 job listings mentioning Microsoft Office or MS Office, with sentences like "An individual should have knowledge of standard Microsoft Office Applications" and "Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)" appearing in job postings ranging from Blast Furnace Account Manager to Vice President Knowledge Management/Brand Development.

Microsoft Access

With everything from Microsoft's online Office training to self-study and continuing education courses, as well as official MOS certification, there's no shortage of ways to master this popular database.

Microsoft Excel

Those who work numbers are probably already familiar with Excel, but often only take advantage of a small portion of the software's offerings. MS Excel training provides novices and advanced Excel users instruction on how to get the most out of the tool.

Microsoft Outlook

Millions of email messages are sent every day. MS Outlook courses can help professionals ensure that they are making the best possible use of Microsoft's popular email client.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint training can give professionals in many fields the skills needed to make attention-grabbing presentations that relay information with style and flair.

Microsoft Project

It can be a project manager's best friend, but the complexity of MS Project can also be overwhelming. Here, learn how MS Project training or certification can help enhance one's career.

Microsoft Visio

Microsoft's Visio is one tool today's professionals can put in their belts to help them create dynamic, visual diagrams for flow charts, infographics and more. MS Visio is used in the IT industry to diagram the configuration of networking equipment and more. learn more about training centers offering MS Visio classes.

Microsoft Word

Professionals of all kinds rely on MS Word courses to prepare for work that requires mastery of routine word processing tasks.

Microsoft SharePoint

SharePoint training helps a range of users take advantage of the diverse tools offered by Microsoft's collaboration software.

Who should pursue Microsoft Office training?

In any prospective employee's career toolbox, knowledge of Microsoft Office is the hammer--versatile, essential, used for large jobs and detail work alike. Expertise with Excel or PowerPoint can make one resume more appealing than another, potentially leading to more interviews and higher-skill positions.

On the Microsoft Office Specialist certification page, the company specifies who benefits from training with Office. "The certification benefits business workers who want to present themselves as truly knowledgeable and differentiate themselves in a competitive job market," the site notes. "Managers who hire candidates with a Microsoft Office Specialist certification are helping minimize training costs."

Which jobs demand training?

From administrative assistant jobs requiring a strong knowledge of Word to project management positions demanding strong Excel ability, training yields real benefits in the workplace. GoCertify reports median salaries by Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification as of May 2011, reported by PayScale:

Senior financial analyst: $71,348
Trainer, employee/human resources: $45,509
Help desk analyst: $44,123
Executive assistant: $51,089
Executive secretary or administrative assistant: $42,554

While no training program or certification can guarantee a student will secure a certain job, training is a smart way to help boost one's technical skills without the commitment of a full degree program.

Areas covered by MS Office training

The Office suite includes a swarm number of products with their own individual uses. Take a look at the areas covered by Microsoft Office training:

Project: Effortlessly improve project management with scheduling, budgeting and time reporting tools
Excel: Create professional spreadsheets for data analysis and budgets
Access: Track inventory, plan events and use marketing tools with this advanced database
Word: Microsoft's flagship word processor includes formatting, page layout, editing and other advanced tools
Outlook: Email and calendar software relied upon by many modern offices
PowerPoint: Used for presentations and training sessions, PowerPoint is often essential for training and human resources professionals
Visio: Organizational charts and network diagrams are simplified with this powerful tool
SharePoint: Share information, manage documents, publish reports and build custom applications
OneNote: This versatile note-taker--which can be used on PC, phone or Web--is a valued tool for administrative assistants on the go
Publisher: Create newsletters, brochures and flyers quickly and professionally with this desktop publishing program
FrontPage: Create professional websites without an advanced knowledge of Web programming
InfoPath: Build advanced business forms and collaborative workflow with easy-to-use tools

Training in Microsoft Office means gaining a deep level of understanding of a crucial group of programs. Explore Office training today and take control of your job search.

Does Office training prepare students for certification exams?

Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is the vendor standard certification exam for any individual looking to prove his or her skill in the program suite. The exam itself comes with three levels of expertise:

In order to earn Microsoft Office Specialist certification, individuals must pass one of the following tests: PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Access or Outlook.
In order to earn Microsoft Office Expert certification, individuals must pass either the Excel Expert exam or the Word Expert exam.
In order to earn Microsoft Office Master certification, individuals must pass three exams--Word Expert, Excel Expert and PowerPoint--plus either Access or Outlook.

Each certification exam costs $75 to take. If an individual does not pass, the exam money will not be refunded--another reason to train for the exam ahead of time.