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Personally, I probably know just about every trick there is when it comes to using MS Word. I use it on a daily basis, and I put in a lot of hours using it, so I've had to learn the ins and outs of the program. On the flip side, what I know about Excel could be summed up in one sentence: It makes spreadsheets. I don't have any reason to use Excel, so I've never learned more than the basics of it. My wife is just the opposite. She works in medical billing and uses Excel on a daily basis so she knows the ins and outs of the program. She doesn't have much incentive to type out documents or create advertisements, however, so she knows the basics of Word.
MS Office proficiency and computer literacy in general, seems to vary widely by region and age group from my observations. I noticed there were far more proficient and competent MS Office users when I was working in NYC metro area. Then I relocated to San Antonio and was and continue to be astonished at the lack of rudimentary knowledge to use the product, let alone Windows.
I thought this was attributable to the possibility that San Antonio was technologically behind other cities such as Austin in the late 90's early 2000's. But here we are almost in 2014 and I am still seeing users struggle to use a product that has been on the market a long time. What pushes me over the edge is when they vehemently push back when introduced to an upgrade (ex. Office 2007 to Office 2013.)
And the push back isn't simply protestations regarding a different layout, but has been accompanied by tears, anger and resentment towards IT for "forcing" this upgrade upon them. I was told by one user that she is so stressed out now because of the upgrade to MS Office 2013 that she cannot focus on her job. Far too many companies in San Antonio use their IT departments to actually "tutor" users in how to use MS Office; this is a waste of the IT department's time and resources because MS Office proficiency was REQUIRED for the end users as a part of their job description!
I instructed my staff to only provide support for the product insofar as installation, upgrade and troubleshooting when errors occur with MS Office. But slowly, over time, our company has hired employees who are actually requesting what amounts to training in the basic use of the product. And we're being compelled to do it! I've come to realize that a majority of San Antonians are barely computer literate but it doesn't mean these candidates should be hired for positions requiring significant expertise in the use of Office.
These programs didn't even exist when many of us were in college, so expecting everyone currently in the workforce to have learned them then is ridiculous. For example, Microsoft didn't roll out Office in any form until three years after I got my degree.
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In all due respect I think it always comes down to the baseline of standards. Take a look at your states minimum requirements for graduating high school, specifically with computers. If you cannot match that then it looks bad.
Kids are typing at 6th grade now (swiftkey be damned!). Papers are largely in Word as that's mostly the default program although it might depend on what version.
Now I think it can be debated what version you use. Personally I'm used to 2007 and 2010. I haven't touched 2013 but it does look nice. I don't think there's that much of a reason yet to upgrade.
The ribbon introduced in 2007 upset some but it isn't that hard after awhile. If you want to use a product that looks like preribbon office by all means use libreoffice. I think Calligra Suite shows some promise but it is still going to take awhile.
I would also add that there's a huge difference between being compatible and being 100% the same in terms of a file format. If a paper is a sold paper with no changes to be made create it as a pdf. Pdf's look the same no matter what system. .docx isn't. I've seen two pages balloon up to three. If someone doesn't have the same fonts, font sizes and formats it can be totally different.
I learned MS Office on my own, mainly in the workplace. I will admit to being the kind of person who can simply sit down and noodle around with a piece of software for a while and figure it out, though. My proficiency with Word and Excel exceed that which I have with Access and PowerPoint, if only because I've used the former pair far more than the latter two. Nevertheless, I can manage in all of them, and again it's mainly a matter of having simply taught myself. I walked into my first instance of using MS Word after having used WordPerfect and WordStar in previous jobs, and I learned those on the job after having done my last year or so worth of college papers on a mainframe word-processing utility called Mass 11 (anybody remember that?). Before Mass 11, I typed my papers on an electric typewriter, having previously learned to type on a manual typewriter.
Yeah, I suppose I am old. Ack.
But honest to apples, I can run rings around a lot of people in Word. Good thing, since in another aspect of my life outside the office, I'm a novelist. Word is very much a tool of my trade.
I came to using Excel by a slightly different route, having taken a two-week seminar course in Lotus 1-2-3 during my last year of college. (Or was it the year before? Hard to remember now.) It just seemed like something worth learning. I think I subsequently used that program in the workplace for only a couple of years before Office was released and I found myself transferring those skills to Excel, but fortunately they transferred with relative ease.
And yeah, don't get me started on compatibility settings... I think I've invented at least four entirely new terms of profanity over those at one point or another in my life...
Not everybody is computer-literate. My uncle intentionally avoided a raise in position because it required basic computer skills.
I just wonder if my age group (i.e. about 18 to 35) was born at the perfect time to learn desktop computer applications, and to familiarize themselves with the basic structure of them (which allows for much easier and far more intuitive learning). The younger generation seems to be raised on mobile entertainment devices, while we were raised on the PC.
Wow, how about a little compassion for people who don't think computers are the most wonderful thing ever and base their 24/7 existence on sitting in front of one?
Typing (AKA keyboarding) wasn't required in my high school, and my college's computer was housed in a big room and used only by the engineering and business students...who used a whole lot of the university's paper and electricity producing Playboy pinups...digitized with 0s and 1s.
Yet at 61, I am high proficient at Word, pretty darn good at Excel, can operate PowerPoint and have a working understanding of Access. All with 1 Radio Shack class on basic computers (TRSDOS, anyone?) and 2 community education classes on Access.
But my husband, who runs a successful company, can barely figure out how to read his e-mail.
Then again, he and our 4-year-old grandson can operate husband's Ipad with proficiency, while I am only proficient in cursing it at not being to do what my desktop and laptops can do.
Computer education is NOT a universal thing, not even in affluent areas with highly rated school systems.
I agree, it needs to be. Too many of today's jobs rely on computer skills.
Then again, I had to laugh when the electricity was off for 4 days and my son, who relies on his debit card for almost all transactions, was pretty much up a creek.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBest
You'd be amazed how many people say they know word or excel but really don't.
Out of all the software applications I still can't see how Powerpoint is really required. I find it to be easier than word. If a presentation is just text it will be pretty boring. Making it with some audio and video and photos does add to it but frankly it's pretty easy.
Lotus is actually kinda still around though the IBM symphony program. It's free :-D
I remember using electric pencil on a TRS-80. The only issue was that this was 1993! School district didn't buy new computers for nearly a decade.
Cloud computering does make it easier although there can be security concerns.
Other systems on the other hand can cost a great deal. If you want SPSS for a single license forget it. It's about $5,0000! I also know some software packages that are proprietary to the point where you cannot buy them. The only way is to work for the companies licensed to use it.
I would think college students are familiar with Word, no? What other word processing programs would they use to type their term papers?
Having to do something basic such as typing a term paper and really knowing the ins-and-outs of Word, perhaps adding sequential numbers after figures that reset after each section, are two different things.
I encounter people all the time who "know" MS products and then ask stupid questions such as does capitalization matter in Excel formulas. I can see why some employers might test for skill sets as two people's idea of "expert user" can be quite different.
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