The online help feature in Excel is a comprehensive resource for new and experienced users alike but it has its limits. When using Excel, Microsoft training with certified instructors gives you access to support that isn't possible with an online resource.

When You Don't Even Know What Question To Ask

Have you ever had problem with the thing by the other thing? You know, that command with the menu and it generates those numbers? It's got a picture that looks kind of like, well not a banana exactly but sort of a yellow blobby shape.

Try typing that into Help and see what you find.

Especially if you are a new user you often don't have the vocabulary even to know how to ask the question. You might get the concepts but can't put them into concrete terms understandable by the Help function in Excel.

Training provides you with the vocabulary and the basic concepts you might be missing, even if you have been using a feature for years. Not only can this add to your understanding of a function it can give you the tools to ask the right questions in Excel.

An instructor can also help with vague questions. You may not know what the thing by the other thing is called, but with a little information an experienced user can figure out what you are talking about and point you in the right direction.

Discover New Features You Never Imagined

Once a user figures out how to do something, it is common to stop exploring the features of Excel. Training exposes you to features of the application you might not even know existed.

A surprising number of people still use Excel as nothing more than a bookkeeping spreadsheet, happy with simple equations and maybe an occasional function. They may not realize that Excel's advanced analysis and database functions make it the right tool for a huge array of functions not just simple arithmetic.

Support After The Course

When you take a course you not only learn new information but you make important contacts that will help you use the application later. The training provider may offer help forums that allows you to get help from certified instructors long after the course is complete.

Another great resource is the other students. You are all at a similar experience level and are likely to have questions and experiences that will be helpful to the others. Stay in contact with your fellow students and compare notes as you all learn to use Excel better. That way when you figure out the thing by the other thing, you can tell them all about it.