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I'd say Word is common to the point of high school level, then excel and then access. You might find some asking for publisher but I find that a bit rare.
I don't find MS products to be bad but frankly the open sourced market pretty much killed the market for them. Libreoffice is free and is nearly 99% the same.
There's plenty of resources online that illustrate how to use most of these programs. Having said that not all employers specifically teach programs because they want to keep it proprietary!
Why teach a skill that has a value somewhere else in the private sector? I know companies that run old legacy systems that they couldn't hire a programmer to update so they run a 1985 era program in emulation because they don't want to invest the money for something else!
There's complete industries that never really used ms software like hospitals. I know of airports that up until 10 years ago used early 1980's computer to broadcast flight arrivals and departures because it's just displaying text, it's not doing anything else.
If you want more advanced programs try SPSS, GIS software, Math Lab, Blender, AutoCad etc.
I'd say Word is common to the point of high school level, then excel and then access. You might find some asking for publisher but I find that a bit rare.
I don't find MS products to be bad but frankly the open sourced market pretty much killed the market for them. Libreoffice is free and is nearly 99% the same.
There's plenty of resources online that illustrate how to use most of these programs. Having said that not all employers specifically teach programs because they want to keep it proprietary!
Why teach a skill that has a value somewhere else in the private sector? I know companies that run old legacy systems that they couldn't hire a programmer to update so they run a 1985 era program in emulation because they don't want to invest the money for something else!
There's complete industries that never really used ms software like hospitals. I know of airports that up until 10 years ago used early 1980's computer to broadcast flight arrivals and departures because it's just displaying text, it's not doing anything else.
If you want more advanced programs try SPSS, GIS software, Math Lab, Blender, AutoCad etc.
Don't forget the Google Docs line and OpenOffice. All very good alternatives as well that can at least allow people to get a feel for word processors, as well as spreadsheet and database suites.
I graduated college at a time when Microsoft office was not taught. I have learned it on the job. Most large companies used to train people to use whatever program was in use (I learned Lotus notes at the bank-never used it). Excel is what I have used the most.
...Anecdotally, I find anything MS related to be very substandard in many ways. From crashing to not leading a user with intuitive programming are two of any MS programs flaws.
...
I spend 90 percent of my workday using different MS Office tools and crashes are extremely rare
You graduate college in the late 80s or early 90s, which probably puts you in your 40s or 50s.
And yes, I do know how to use them.
Yeah, I graduated college in the early 90s. MS Office merely adopted these millenials. It was born with Xers. Molded by us. It didn't see a millennial user until version 6.0 at least.
There are many people that don't know how to use Excel. I have taught the v-lookup function to vice presidents and senior vice presidents. I get asked all the time about Excel.
The most common questions are:
1) How to open text file in excel? It is usually for a file with different delimiters like pipes(||).
2) How to view the underlying in a pivot table?
3) How turn on/off autofilter
4) How to use freeze pane?
5) How to do a v-lookup?
6) How to convert YYYYMMDD integers to dates?
How do you even graduate college without knowing these programs?
By earning your degree when Microsoft was in its infancy?
And yes, I know how to use Office as well ... despite my advanced age. I probably couldn't whip up a complicated Excel budget sheet without some gnashing of teeth, but then again in my profession I don't need to. I have budget managers who do that.
theres different user ability as well. most people that say they know how to use excel and word are just beginners, there are intermediate and advanced skill levels...the majority will never have to exceed the beginner level but if you have not had time or the need to use office then your skills will be sub par
Yes, I've seen people claim they are expert level in those who really can do no more than a third grader can do. They might now how to put things into excel columns but they can't use any formulas, they can't even set up spreadsheets that use the same headings as the first one, they keep typing in every single thing.
And when you see what they do in Word, it's incredibly beginner. They can't figure out their problems in formatting because they don't even know how to look at it.
By earning your degree when Microsoft was in its infancy?
And yes, I know how to use Office as well ... despite my advanced age. I probably couldn't whip up a complicated Excel budget sheet without some gnashing of teeth, but then again in my profession I don't need to. I have budget managers who do that.
But I would think anyone with a degree, no matter what their age is would have enough intellectual curiosity to learn them even on their own. Finishing college doesn't mean you have to stop learning new things. I don't think age is any excuse.
There are many people that don't know how to use Excel. I have taught the v-lookup function to vice presidents and senior vice presidents. I get asked all the time about Excel.
The most common questions are:
1) How to open text file in excel? It is usually for a file with different delimiters like pipes(||).
2) How to view the underlying in a pivot table?
3) How turn on/off autofilter
4) How to use freeze pane?
5) How to do a v-lookup?
6) How to convert YYYYMMDD integers to dates?
I think I might have got you beat. I had to train three coworkers hired saying they had office experience. The company meant MS office, they thought just working in an office
After three months I had to cut them off. Two of them made it but one had to be let go.
Don't even get me started about the one that didn't know how to double click a mouse! That was at a different place but when they let her go she had a sailors mouth.
For excel I highly recommend the youtube channel excelisfun it lists EVERYTHING.
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By earning your degree when Microsoft was in its infancy?
