How does an advanced MS Office user get more advanced?

August 15, 2017 11:19 AM

I, like lots of people, use Microsoft Office almost every day. I like to think of myself as a power user, I can do some basic scripting in Excel, do some cool stuff with Styles in Word, etc. However, I realize that most of the skills I learned in Office I learned a decade ago, and, while they are still supported, there are probably lots of other cool features and shortcuts that have been added, as well as new, better approaches to using these packages. So, my question is twofold: 1) How do I, as an advanced user, learn more advanced things (as opposed to reading stuff written for beginners) and 2) Are there any amazing Office tips/approaches anyone can share?
posted by blahblahblah to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

You could check out the Excel tags on Stackoverflow and Superuser. You'll see some questions you can answer, some that are totally inane, and every now and then you'll come across an interesting and valuable question you never thought to ask.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 11:38 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Lynda.com has some great Office training. You might be able to use a subscription through your local library.
posted by advicepig at 12:05 PM on August 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

Are you still in academia? In Word, get proficient with the tables of contents, footnotes, endnotes, and other publishing tools. Excel can be used as a simple, flat-file database for mailmerges, address labels, etc in Word docs. Charts in Excel are terrific. Powerpoint - create a template for your department. In general, I've cruised the menus and tried to learn every component, some are useful to me, not all, but I can troubleshoot Office very well. Your library will have books, not just tips&tricks, that will help you expand your use of Office. A study guide for certification will, too, and getting certified isn't necessary, but might be a fun challenge.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-hidden-microsoft-word-features-will-make-life-easier/
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-amazing-things-Microsoft-Word-can-do
posted by theora55 at 12:07 PM on August 15, 2017

For Excel, Chandoo dot org is a great resource.
posted by oceano at 12:31 PM on August 15, 2017 [4 favorites]

I would learn Pivot Tables in Excel. It's super useful and it's in high demand.
posted by getawaysticks at 5:46 PM on August 15, 2017