Who am I?
I’m Andrew Moss, a technical writer who specialises in Microsoft Excel and data analysis. I’ve published hundreds of articles and social media posts aimed at helping people enhance their skills and spreading good practices.
Since 2022, I’ve also been part of the Global Excel Summit, a virtual event that gathers together the crème de la crème of the Excel community, who deliver sessions to educate and inspire working professionals.
How did my Excel journey begin?
I covered very little Excel at school, college, and university, so it was up to me to learn it in my spare time. In the late 2000s, I combined my interest in football with spreadsheets and started to play about casually. I came to realise that Excel really was more than just a glorified calculator. Functions like VLOOKUP allowed me to create league tables and result grids that could showcase data in flexible ways.
I used to flog scraped football data and betting systems on my website and eBay. I didn’t make a ton of money, but the process behind it all was pivotal for why I do what I do today.
It’s also worth mentioning that up until my current job, I never had one that involved extensive use of Excel. No, I haven’t been a data analyst, data scientist, financial analyst, or chartered accountant. I am as self-taught as they get!
What’s the best way to learn Excel?
Firstly, put yourself in the Excel bubble. Make sure your social media feeds are awash with Excel content. Those quick how-to videos are a precursor for the deeper stuff, so watch them regularly.
Purchase a highly rated Udemy full course, and when time allows, sit down and go through an hour or chapter several times a week. Soak it in, make notes, and complete the practical exercises.
Don’t expect to become an Excel master after completing a 30-hour course, however. Newly acquired knowledge will trickle out of your brain quicker than you think. Cement it by applying your skills to projects or undertaking freelance work.
Also, consider downloading free workbooks from the web and have a look at how they’re constructed. Seeing other people’s habits can rub off on you.
How would I rate my Excel ability?
This is a contentious question. The beginner/intermediate/advanced scale is often used to gauge one’s ability, but in truth, it’s far more complex than that.
People tend to overstate their level of Excel proficiency, but no one in the world knows close to everything about Excel — it’s impossible.
That said, I would place myself in the intermediate category. I’ve written mega formulas, built full-scale projects with VBA, transformed data with Power Query, and worked with big data in PowerPivot.
Despite all that, I still Google stuff frequently and look back at my old work to jolt my memory. However, having all-round Excel knowledge allows me to know what exists and how it can be used, even if I need a little assistance along the way.
Many ‘intermediate’ users are still figuring out VLOOKUP!
