Free Excel Training

In the spirit of deals and cyber Monday, I've got some FREE training options for you.

The first - is my Excel mini training - showing you my 3 favorite tricks. You may have seen this when you first signed up for me list - but if it's been a while - these are great tips you might need to refresh.  There's also a PDF you can download and print.

Kari's Mini Training

Kari's PDF

The second - is to show you were you can find Microsoft's training videos.

Microsoft Excel Training Videos

Need More?

Most people need a little more than these generic training resources and tips to truly master Excel but these are a great way to get started and also to help you learn about what you don't know. If you'd like more - connect with me and we can put a custom plan together unique to your company, job, experience, and goals. Contact me [email protected]

SUPER SIMPLE Time Saving Excel Tricks!

So excited to have my 2 college boys home from college. Even MORE excited when they ask me for help with something I know - EXCEL!  I was helping my son with a spreadsheet, and was happy to be able to teach him so TRICKS he didn't know.

These are the kind of Excel tips that are hard to learn - because you don't know you need them.  But here they are :)

Trick #1 - Keyboard Shortcuts

Rule of thumb. Let me preface this by saying - use keyboard shortcuts to navigate a set of data anytime you can't see the destination in the same screen. For example if you are in row 1 - you can probably see 30 rows, if you want to navigate to row 40 or higher - a keyboard shortcut will save time. If you can see where you want to go - just click with your mouse.

CTRL + DOWN ARROW - 

CTRL + UP ARROW - 

CTRL + SHIFT + UP ARROW

CTRL + SHIFT + DOWN ARROW

Trick #2 - Preserve your original sort 

When you get an Excel file, often...

How to Create Mailing Labels with Mail Merge using Excel/Word

This process is not difficult but there are a few steps to watch so I'd recommend the video but I will outline it in text as well in case you like that method of learning.

Step 1: Create Excel File

1. Open a new blank workbook in Excel.
2. In the top row - detail the types of data. For example, First name, Last name, Address etc.
3. Add addresses and save (remember where you save it).

Step 2: Create Label Template in Word

1. Open a blank document  in Word.
   
   
2. Click Mailings...Start Mail Merge..Labels...
   
   
   
3. Choose the type of label and click OK. On the labels is a size, the most common label type is 5160.
   
   
4. You will now have a word document that shows the borders of the labels you've chosen.

Step 3: Link the Excel file to the Labels

1. Click Select Recipients on the Mailing ribbon.
   
   
2. Select Existing File and browse to the file you saved in step 1 and selec the sheet that contains your addresses (if...

Why Use 3D Maps?

It takes more and more to get and keep people's attention. We are all constantly inundated with data, graphics, videos all constantly competing for our attention.  It's always been true that people can better remember data that is presented in graphs, charts, maps or other visual pictures but I think it's more important now than ever.  3D Maps are a great way to present your data for users and allow them to visually process the data. The 3D element also allows users to see things they might otherwise miss in a traditional 2D format.

What's a 3D Map?

If you've ever needed to integrate data with a map, you know it's not always the easiest thing to do.  Excel's new 3D Map feature does a really good job of taking meaningful map related data and allowing you to see it in a 3D map. This makes it so much more meaningful and when presenting or sharing the data, can give a lot more depth of understanding to the user. Excel 2013 used to have a feature called...

Take Notice: Microsoft Office had NEW and IMPROVED Clip Art AKA 3D Models

You've used clip art for a long time, if you're like most people. The funny icons, cute images, interesting graphics. You inserted it into your PowerPoint presentations to give viewers a break from the monotony of just text. In Word, you added images to jazz up your newsletters and reports.

3 Reasons 3D Models are Cooler than Clip Art

1. You can customize it by changing the angle and tilt to show it EXACTLY how you want to.
   
   For example, if you're using a 3D model of a robot, it allow you to view it from any angle, not just one.
   
   
2. If it's animated, you can view the animation from any angle.
   
   For example view the pumping of a heart from the bottom or the side.
   
   
3. You can use the Pan and Zoom feature to control what shows in your "frame".
   
   If the image is too general, you can Pan and Zoom in to show the particular details from a particular angle.
   
   

How to Insert 3D Models

1. In your O365 App, click on Insert on...

Excel's New Geography and Stock Data Types

The 2 newest data types in Excel are really cool. There is a geography type and a stock type. The geography type allows you to link related information like population or capital to a state or country. The stock type allows you to look up things like stock price, company location and other information based on a stock symbol.

Both of these data types are REALLY easy to use. The easiest way is to watch the above video but here are some high level steps on how to use the new data types.

1. Select the data (either geographical or stock).
2. On the Data tab, pick either Geography or Stock data type.
3. Add related columns of data

Geography Data Type

With a list of states, cities or countries - in a couple of clicks you can have related information that would take TONS of time to look up.

Stock Data Type

With stock symbols you can access almost 30 different related fields, things like headquarters, employees, 52 week high and more....

Have you used the New XLOOKUP Function?

Now - if you have used VLOOKUP (or HLOOKUP) you will appreciate the XLOOKUP function. Fair Warning: if you're not particularly versed in functions and formulas - this tip might get a little techy BUT I'd encourage you to watch the XXX minute video anyway because you may pick up a new skill or plant a seed for something down the road OR MAYBE you can just throw this around when chatting with your boss or client and REALLY impress them!!

When would I use the XLOOKUP Function?

The XLOOKUP function can be used anytime you previously used the VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP function. BUT it has some great time-saving features built in. If you're familiar with the VLOOKUP (or less common the HLOOKUP) you will REALLY appreciate these.

In general, lookup functions are for referencing data in other data sets. For example, you are wanting to add employee numbers to a table you're working on but you have that information in another list. A LOOKUP function allows you...

Learning Features Like Conditional Formatting

One of the things I have learned about training over all these years on programs like Excel, half the battle is knowing what you need to learn.  Programs like Excel have new features that are constantly being added - yet most users don't know what the features are, much less how to use them. Conditional Formatting is one of those features - although it's been around for a while - most people aren't sure exactly what it does OR how to use it.

I like to put some of the steps together in the blog but I do recommend watching the video - I will go through multiple examples and you'll get a better feel for the features.

What is Conditional Formatting?

Conditional Formatting is when you build logic into your formatting. In simple terms - you automate your formatting. For example - if this cell is above 50 - make it yellow or if this cell contains the word "late" make it red, or if this date is more than 30 days from today -...

Tuesday's Tip: Pivot Tables made SUPER EASY!

I've trained thousands of people in Excel - all levels and I can tell you almost everyone is intimidated by Pivot Tables. Today's blog post has just 1 goal: if you use Excel - you need to know how to create a Pivot Table. It's so much easier than you think - so check it out.

First - When and Why should you use a Pivot Table?

Talking to people - I've learned one of the big reasons for users not learning or using Pivot Tables is they think they don't need them.  So here's the deal, if you use Excel even a little - you need to know how to create a Pivot Table. They are for everyone. sure, you can use them for really complex things - but most people will use them to create super simple summaries of data....daily. 

If someone sends me some data - often times - one of the first things I do is create a Pivot Table to see how much data I have, how diverse it is, how many categories of information etc. It helps me understand...

Tuesday's Tip: 3 Easy Keyboard Shortcuts to Save Tons of Time

As a fellow Excel user AND someone who's trained hundreds of people in Excel - I can almost guarantee you don't know all these keyboard shortcuts and if you don't, you NEED to.

Shortcut 1: CTRL + [ARROW]

First let me clarify, the [arrow] can be any of the 4 arrow keys on your keyboard. Keep in mind that's a little different on everyone's keyboard. For example, my 4 arrow keys are in the lower right hand corner of my keyboard - I work on a Microsoft Surface.

So the Ctrl with the arrow key moves you in any direction to the next blank. For example, if I am in cell A1 and I have 5000 rows of data and row 5001 is blank and I use Ctrl+↓ that will bring me to cell A5001. It's SO FAST! It's such a great easy way to move around a large set of data. Most people think it moves you to the bottom of the data set - but that's only true if there's no blanks in the data.

Keep in mind, this can be done in any direction using any...