Why you should still learn Excel

Author

Karina Samsonova
October 04, 2024

People often ask me, “What’s the point of learning Excel when I already know Python?” or “Why spend time learning Excel if AI is going to replace all the jobs?” It’s a fair question, but the reality might surprise you.

Excel and Google Sheets are still widely used across most organisations. No matter how advanced your company’s data infrastructure is, you’ll likely encounter situations where quick Excel analysis is needed. Even in companies with tools like Tableau or Power BI, you’ll find people downloading reports as CSV files and doing their own analysis in Excel.

Here’s the truth: Even if you’re comfortable manipulating data in Python, Nigel the CFO still wants his model in Excel. Why? Because he can quickly tweak assumptions and make changes on the fly while talking to the board or investors. Excel’s flexibility and familiarity make it the go-to tool for many decision-makers.

Excel as a Foundation for Data Analytics

For those just starting their data analytics journey, I always recommend Excel as the first tool to learn. Here's why:

  1. Understanding Tabular Data: Excel provides a visual and easy way to understand how tabular data works, a fundamental concept for all data people.

  2. Transferable Concepts: Many Excel functions have direct parallels in other data tools:

    • LOOKUPS in Excel are similar to JOINS in SQL

    • VSTACK in Excel is like UNION in SQL

    • FILTER, SORT, and GROUPBY in Excel are similar to Python functions

By mastering Excel, you're building a strong foundation that will serve you well as you learn more advanced tools and languages.

Why Excel Remains Essential

Excel might not be the trendiest and coolest tool in data analytics, but it is versatile, accessible and universal. And it is still my favourite tool.

If you’re ready to master Excel, my eBook is available here - link 

In case you missed it, check out my latest Excel tutorial on YouTube - Master VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP and HLOOKUP

And last, but not least, if you are getting ready for an Excel interview, here is my list of key topics to review:

 

1. SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, AVERAGEIFS: Aggregate your data using multiple criteria with these versatile functions.

2. Text Functions (LEFT, RIGHT, MID): Extract specific characters from text strings for better analysis.

3. VLOOKUP & HLOOKUP: Search for data efficiently in both vertical and horizontal formats.

4. SUMPRODUCT & INDIRECT: Perform advanced calculations in complex scenarios.

5. INDEX & MATCH: Combine these two powerful functions for flexible lookups.

6. Pivot Tables & Charts: Summarise and visualise large datasets with these essential tools.

7. COUNTA: Track data presence by counting non-blank cells in your range.

8. Sorting & Filtering: Organize your data by sorting and filtering for better clarity.

9. Removing Duplicates: Ensure data accuracy by eliminating duplicate entries.

10. Logical Functions (IF, AND, OR, NOT): Build conditional logic into your calculations.

11. Date and Time Functions (TODAY, NOW, EOMONTH, etc.): Handle and manipulate dates and times effectively.

12. Text to Columns: Split text into multiple columns for better organisation of data.

13. XLOOKUP & LET: Use modern functions to streamline lookups and define variables.

14. Slicers & Timelines: Enhance pivot table interactivity by adding filters and timelines.

15. Error Handling (IFERROR, ISERROR): Efficiently manage and correct formula errors.

16. Data Validation: Set rules to ensure data integrity and consistency.

17. Advanced Filtering: Use advanced techniques to filter data based on specific conditions.

18. Conditional Formatting: Apply formatting rules to highlight key information in your data.

19. Nested Functions: Combine functions within each other to solve complex problems.

Keep pushing 💪

Karina

Need more help?

Just starting with Python? Wondering if programming is for you?

Master key data analysis tasks like cleaning, filtering, pivot and grouping data using Pandas, and learn how to present your insights visually with Matplotlib with ‘Data Analysis with Python’ masterclass.

More from me: YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn