I love Excel. What jobs should I look for?

[gsbkv10]

I know it's a bit awkward to ask for career advice here. I would really appreciate it if you guys read my post and share your opinion.

Please allow me to introduce myself briefly.
I love Excel and I'm addicted to it. I don't mind doing Excel all day long. I am so happy when I use the complex features of the application. I started to think about getting a job that requires me to do Excel all the time. It would be wonderful if a job is more than just entering data. But if that's a way to get my foot in the door, I'll take that. However, I don't know where to start. I have no experience in this field. I've been doing flooring after graduating high school. I never had a chance to go to college. I still can't afford to go to college.

What jobs that I should look for? Are there any credentials that I should get except college degrees?
Thanks for reading my post. Please help this poor floor layer. I look forward to your advice.

 

[Jon von der Heyden]

Hi

I don't know where you live and what sorts of job opportunities exist there. However, perhaps for starters you should complete a certificate of some sort in Excel. Have a look at Microsoft Office Specialist Certification here.

I'll share my experience with you, although my experience dates back many years and I am based in the UK.

I moved to the UK in 1999. At the time I had completed 4 years apprenticeship as a cabinet maker. When I got here it seemed the only work I could get was in cold conditions, which totally sucked for a South African who previously worked in Israel (much warmer countries). My cousin took me in and he paid for me to do a part-time course in Excel, Word and Access. The certification I gained got me a job in an office, although the funny bit is I didn't have a PC job, I had to file invoices for an AP clerk. I didn't mind, the office had free coffee and everyone was so darn lazy I found I could have umpteen smoke breaks a day.

Short story is that the AP clerk had a nervous break-down (I have that effect on people) and I inherited her ledger. Mostly it was just data entry. My part of the ledger was a mess and so I asked the main Excel guy in the office to help me build a reconciliation model. It took a while but eventually I was the AP admin guy with the biggest accounts and they were sweet. But something you need to understand, Excel was a tool. I found an application for it. More years in that company had me take on a number of monster reconciliation jobs. Telco had crashed and we were going bust, so needless to say it wasn't a stroll in the park, but I didn't care, because although the coffee wasn't free any more, at least I was warm!

A few years later I was in Australia working for the NRMA in Sydney, yet again doing reconciliation work. They loved my model approach and asked me to teach them. That's when I joined this forum! Thanks to this forum I wrote a completely tailored course for 70 of their accountants and I earned a packet from giving the courses. Not to mention I had a training room on the 26th floor with a view of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

I stuck out this forum. Today I teach accountants how to use Excel, properly! I have never qualified as an accountant. I wish I was a farmer...

 

[Macropod]

Cross-posted at:
I love Excel. What jobs should I look for?
I love Excel. What jobs should I look for?
I love Excel. What jobs should I look for? | Chandoo.org Excel Forums - Become Awesome in Excel

Please read our policy on Cross-Posting in rule #13: http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/board-announcements/99490-forum-rules.html

 

[Smitty]

Welcome to the Board!

I wish I was a farmer...

Yeah, but you also play with deadly snakes Jon! (just plain nasty & stuuupid! )

My background is in Ranch Management (and that's really just being a grass farmer though)

With regards to degrees and Excel, I think it can be largely irrelevant. Find what you love to do first, second an industry you know, and if you can make an impact with it in Excel then go for it. In your case I might look for openings with your suppliers, or look at places like Lumber Liquidators. Take a look at a book called "What color is your Parachute?" by Richard Bolles. It'll be worth more to you in the long run than any certification.

HTH,

 

[Macropod]

Yeah, but you also play with deadly snakes Jon! (just plain nasty & stuuupid! )

But only when we need something handy for muzzling crocodiles so they can't open their jaws to let the sharks they've bitten get free...

 

[Jon von der Heyden]

Yeah, but you also play with deadly snakes Jon! (just plain nasty & stuuupid! )

Alas that feels like a lifetime ago. I haven't handled snakes since returning to the UK. These days I have to handle a far more frightening creature - accountants!

I'm doing a show and tell at my daughters primary school today... We're showing off her two bearded dragons.