Here are the top Excel skills on a resume that stand out to employers.

As you navigate your job-seeking journey, it's essential you submit a resume that highlights your strongest skills to show prospective employers you're a viable candidate. One skill that continually stands out across various industries is Microsoft Excel, an indispensable asset in today's data-driven world.

Regardless of your Excel skill level, it's a smart move to highlight such skills on your resume. In this post, we cover:

  • Why including Excel skills on your resume is vital

  • Why employers value Excel skills

  • Excel skills explained

  • Top 7 Excel skills for a resume

  • How to describe Excel skills on your resume

  • Where to include Excel skills on a resume with examples

  • Tips to improve your Excel skills

Why it's vital to include Excel skills on your resume

Employers across industries increasingly require digital competence, and Excel is a tool that can boost your job prospects as a result. 

The National Skills Coalition (NSC) and Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Closing the Digital Skill Divide 2023 report found that 92% of jobs analyzed required digital skills. Prior research from the NSC also showed that 33% of workers don't possess “the foundational digital skills necessary to enter and thrive in today's jobs.” These reports indicate that there is a digital skills gap among candidates that hinder them from meeting the needs of employers. 

It's also important to note that the above-mentioned report indicates there is a high demand for digital skills across all industries – not just the tech industry. Almost all occupations and experience levels require these skills. Further, workers can earn an average of 23% more in jobs requiring just one digital skill compared to those requiring no digital skills. 

The above data collectively indicates that there's a great opportunity for those who have Excel skills to take advantage of effectively highlighting them on their resumes. 

Why employers value Excel skills

In today's digital world, Excel proficiency has become a highly sought-after hard skill across various industries. Excel has been around since 1982, evolving with workplace needs and emerging as one of the most essential tools for businesses across industries. 

Over time, it has grown from a simple spreadsheet software to an intricate system capable of complex calculations and data analysis. It's a powerful analytical tool that helps businesses make sense of vast amounts of information, allowing them to make informed decisions. Excel also provides the ability to analyze and visualize data to provide a competitive edge. 

Employers appreciate Excel skills because they are applicable to many job roles, whether entry-level positions or executive management roles – virtually all positions can benefit from Excel. From financial analysts who use pivot tables to dissect budgets, marketing managers utilizing conditional formatting to track campaign responses, or HR professionals using the VLOOKUP function for employee databases – it's common for employees to need Excel's capabilities at some point in their careers.

Excel skills explained

As part of the Microsoft Office Suite of tools, Excel is software that allows you to input, store, analyze, and manipulate data in worksheets that are part of larger workbooks. A single worksheet can hold large quantities of data broken out by columns and rows. 

Roles that typically required advanced Excel skills include:

  • Financial Analyst

  • Accountant

  • Data Analyst

  • Project Manager

  • Marketing Analyst

  • Administrative Assistant

However, as previously mentioned, virtually all roles at all levels can benefit from applying Excel in their day-to-day work activities. Excel worksheets are used for business tasks like:

  • Managing an editorial calendar

  • Creating departmental budgets

  • Developing business balance sheets

  • Managing projects, including items like schedules, tasks, due dates, milestones, and progress

  • Tracking expense reports

Excel skill levels

There are three levels of Excel skills: basic, intermediate, and advanced. 

Basic Excel skills on a resume

At the basic level, you're able to handle beginner worksheet functions, like:

  • Inputting raw data

  • Understanding basic cell formatting options

  • Using simple mathematical functions like SUM or AVERAGE

  • Creating basic charts

  • Designing templates

These functions are the key building blocks to handling more complex calculations.

Intermediate Excel skills on a resume

Being at the intermediate level means you'll have the skills to manipulate data for a desired goal more easily. At the intermediate level, you'll be able to handle tasks like:

  • Creating charts and graphs, like bar graphs

  • Creating drop-down lists

  • Applying conditional formatting

  • Removing duplicate records

Advanced Excel skills on a resume

An Advanced Excel user will be able to manipulate data to their liking and apply Excel to the max for necessary and vital business tasks. As an advanced user, some operations you might be able to complete include:

  • Creating and using Pivot Tables to sort and analyze data

  • Automating tasks using VBA macros

  • Applying functions like VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, and SUMIFS

  • Designing advanced Excel dashboards 

7 in-demand Excel skills to include on your resume

Now that we're clear Excel skills on a resume are sought-after, let's take a look at seven Excel skills that can help your resume stand out to hiring managers and recruiters. 

1. Capturing and recording important data

The first step to creating any Excel worksheet is data entry or capturing and recording necessary data for whatever task you're attempting to complete. Data for input can be in the form of anything from words and dollar amounts to numerical values and dates. 

2. Data manipulation

Excel is known for its ability to manipulate data to better understand and analyze it. This includes sorting and filtering data, which are often used in organizing large datasets and pinpointing specific information quickly.

3. Using shortcuts and formula functions

Shortcuts and formula functions help to more easily analyze and manipulate data, leading to increased speed and efficiency. AVERAGE, SUM, IF, MIN, and MAX are basic functions you first learn when using Excel. Functions like VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, SUMIF, COUNTIF, INDEX, and MATCH are advanced functions for dealing with large datasets. 

4. Data visualization by creating charts and graphs

Data visualization is an essential skill in today's data-centric world since it aids in understanding complex data and effectively communicating insights. Being able to present complex data visually through charts or graphs enhances communication and aids understanding for both technical and non-technical audiences.

5. Pivot Tables

Pivot Tables provide a way to summarize and analyze large datasets quickly by creating summary reports. This reorganization and summarizing of selected columns and rows of data allows you to see connections that weren't previously evident. This skill alone could save hundreds of hours per year for employees and their employers compared to manually sifting through raw data sets, looking for trends or outliers.

6. VBA (Visual Basic Application) Macros programming

Using the Visual Basic Application, VBA Macros are applied to automate processes through the creation of custom user-generated functions. While not always necessary for every role, knowledge of macros can automate repetitive tasks and save time, increasing efficiency. 

7. Conditional Formatting

This feature allows you to highlight or format cells based on certain conditions. Conditional formatting comes in handy when analyzing trends or patterns in data.

How to describe Excel skills on your resume

The tips below highlight how to describe Excel skills on a resume best, tying into the next section about where to highlight them. 

  • Provide specific details about each Excel skill you possess. This includes proficiency level, skill type, and number of years of proficiency.

  • List Excel experience using specific examples. Include how you used Excel and the results achieved with data when possible.

  • Include Excel training and certifications. In the appropriate sections, include your Excel training and certifications to highlight your skill level and willingness to learn. 

Where to highlight Excel Skills on a resume with examples

You have a few options in terms of where to highlight Excel skills on your resume, including your:

  • Resume Summary section

  • Core Competencies or Skill sections

  • Work Experience section

  • Certifications section

Excel skills on a resume: Resume Summary section

You might opt to include something about your Excel skills in your Resume Summary section at the top of your resume. However, you want it to be a valuable Excel skill or key achievement using Excel that's related to the job. If you were applying for a job as a Data Analyst, Marketer, or Customer Service Representative, you might include something like: 

Specialize in designing detailed consumer data reports in Excel, providing valuable insights regarding consumer behavior and retention assessment to improve marketing efforts. 

The following example could be used by any number of professionals, including HR, Data Analysts, Accountants, and more. 

Certified Microsoft Excel Expert (MEE), providing advanced techniques to create robust dashboards, utilize macros, apply Pivot Tables, and incorporate other advanced functions to enhance data analysis, reduce errors, and improve business strategies and revenue based on areas of focus.

Excel skills on a resume: Work Experience section

Another area where you could choose to incorporate your Excel skills is in the Work Experience section of your resume. Here, include standout achievements in the bullet point list related to each position you include. 

Where possible, use results and quantifiable data vs. simply listing what you did. Below are a few examples you might find in a Work Experience section, broken down by Excel skill. 

Data Manipulation

Analyzed data, interpreting large advanced datasets to provide guidance for improved business strategy

Macros

Automated manual administrative tasks applying Excel Macros, boosting productivity by 13%

Automated data entry processes using Excel macros, improving data integrity and cutting manual labor hours by 24%

Template design

Designed over 50 editorial calendar templates uniquely designed for each client within MS Excel

Pivot Tables

Utilized pivot tables in Excel to categorize previous budget reports for easier interpretation and more efficient quarterly budgeting

Dashboard Development 

Designed dynamic Excel dashboard to track key performance indicators (KPIs) for sales team, resulting in 19% quarterly revenue increase

Created a complex Excel dashboard to optimize supply chain inventory management, reducing stockouts by 17% per month

Data Visualization

Developed and presented 8 monthly executive reports focused on operational effectiveness, utilizing Excel graphs and charts for enhanced understanding of datasets 

Excel skills on a resume: Core Competencies or Skills sections

Maybe the most obvious place to incorporate your Excel skills on your resume is in a Core Competencies or Skills section. Generally, it's best to include a list of the types of skills you're proficient at when using Excel. For example: 

Microsoft Excel - 4 years proficiency using Pivot Tables, Advanced Dashboard Creation, Shortcuts, & Data Visualization

Certifications 

If you have Microsoft Excel certifications, you can list those in your core competencies or skills section mentioned above. Alternatively, if you choose to include a Certifications section on your resume, you can list them there instead. 

Tips to improve your Excel skills

To learn, improve, or master your Excel skills, consider the following empowering tips:

  • Search for online tutorials and courses. Websites like ExcelJet or Udemy offer free courses at basic and advanced levels. Some courses are offered by a specific Excel skill, while others focus on using Excel as a whole.

  • Practice. As they say, practice makes perfect - or better, at least. Open an Excel spreadsheet and play around by creating your own spreadsheets or manipulating current datasets. Instead of using templates, you can also attempt to create projects or reports from scratch.

  • Ask for projects at work. You can improve your Excel skills by asking for projects at work that require them. This not only improves your Excel skills, but also shows initiative. 

  • Join forums. Learn skills from others by joining forums like MrExcel. You can work together to solve problems and ask for advice or guidance from others. 

  • Obtain a certification. Take a course that allows you to get certified in Excel. Some options include a Microsoft Fundamentals Certification, Microsoft Office Specialist Certification, and Microsoft Excel Expert Certification. You can also search for a Data Analyst certification that incorporates Excel training, as well. 

Excel on a resume = high value in the digital age

Excel skills on a resume are highly valued, as employers continually seek employees who are well-versed in Excel in today's digital and data-driven world. Use the tips above to incorporate Excel skills into your resume effectively. And, if you have some areas to improve so you're confident about adding Excel skills to your resume, you also have some great tips to support you in learning and honing your skills!

Are you confident that your resume effectively represents your Excel skills? If you're still unsure, why not take advantage of our free resume review? Our experts are here to help you showcase your Excel skills to their full potential.

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