You’ve just come across a job ad that requires applicants to have ‘intermediate Microsoft Office skills.’ You ask yourself, “What does this mean? Are my computer skills up to scratch?” Does your knowledge go beyond a basic understanding, or do you need to improve your skills to have a chance at getting that job?
The truth is, while ‘intermediate’ Office skills can mean different things to different employers, it almost always signifies a jump from basic data entry to workflow efficiency, automation, and basic data analysis. In this article, we’ll help you understand the expectations behind this term so that you can apply for your next job, or ask for that pay rise you so deserve, with confidence.
What Does ‘Intermediate’ Mean in MS Office?
There are a few terms that employers use to describe proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of programs.
If you have the fundamental basic skills to create documents, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations, but your knowledge doesn’t go beyond these core concepts, you’re not yet proficient. To say you have intermediate skills with Microsoft Office programs, you need to have a moderate amount of experience across the Microsoft Office suite.
Some examples of advanced skills include being able to automate email merges or manage documents with complex layouts in Microsoft Word, design customised animations with embedded videos in Microsoft PowerPoint, or use PivotTables to analyse trends in Microsoft Excel. If you can do these tasks, you’re likely to be an advanced user, which will definitely make you stand out in a crowded job market.
Here are some skills you should have across Microsoft Office programs if you’re at an intermediate level.
Intermediate MS Word Skills
Intermediate users of MS Word can perform advanced tasks relating to document formatting and page layouts. They can adjust margins and orientation, are skilled at creating tables to organise information and can import media.
Those with intermediate Microsoft Word skills should also be able to add comments, track changes and create personalised mass documents with mail merge techniques.
Intermediate MS Excel Skills
Intermediate Excel skills include being able to use formulas beyond the basic SUM and AVERAGE to create Excel spreadsheets. Excel functions that intermediate users should be across include searching using XLOOKUP, creating formulas and using IF functions to run logical tests, and creating basic Excel PivotTables for data analysis.
Turning Excel formulas into visual concepts with various chart types is also an essential skill to manage data so that it can be easily expressed.
If you’re lacking some of these Excel skills, you can get to know your way around these advanced features by upskilling with a Microsoft Excel training course with Priority Management.
Intermediate PowerPoint Skills
Intermediate users of Microsoft PowerPoint should be able to use Slide Master for consistency across branding, work with multimedia, and use Presenter View to give polished presentations.
Other skills that intermediate PowerPoint users need to have a grasp of include applying design principles to create clear and impactful presentations.
While PowerPoint is known for being intuitive and relatively easy to learn, it requires practice and patience to conquer the advanced features of this feature-packed program.
Intermediate Outlook Skills
Microsoft Outlook helps users manage communications more effectively using email, contacts, calendars and to-do lists.
Those who are proficient at using Outlook can personalise inboxes, create email signatures, search and archive emails, and use the Calendar function to organise appointments and invite others to join meetings.
Outlook is frequently used with Microsoft Teams to share content and schedule meetings. Those who are skilled in using Outlook are likely to also be proficient at using other features of Microsoft 365 to further improve efficiency and communication, such as Microsoft OneNote and OneDrive.
How to Assess and Improve Your Skills
It’s frequently the case that many of the skills that intermediate users of MS Office have are obtained either through personal use of the programs or learnt on the job. While this is a great way to pick up new skills, it may mean that your experience is limited to specific tasks rather than reaching across the full capabilities and features of the programs.
One of the best ways to merge all of this expertise and fill in your knowledge gaps is to complete a training course with a professional organisation such as Priority Management. It’s also much easier to communicate your level of proficiency with MS Office on your resume when you have completed a professional development course, and it shows your commitment to improving your skills.
How Intermediate MS Office Skills Can Improve Your Job Prospects
Having intermediate or advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office is something that will make your resume stand out from the crowd. Being able to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other programs in the Microsoft Office suite competently will put you ahead of other candidates because they are designed to save time when performing common tasks and communicate more effectively.
Whether your job involves communicating or manipulating data, these well-honed skills are looked upon favourably by employers in a wide range of industries because they help increase efficiency and drive productivity.
How to list Microsoft office skills on your resume
If the job description has a heavy focus on the importance of Microsoft Office Skills, consider including a separate skills section. For example, “Intermediate Excel Skills including Excel macros and PivotTables.” Or “Advanced skills for Microsoft Outlook, including email templates and Quick Steps.”
Another way to demonstrate your Microsoft Office skills could be to include them in your career achievements. “I was able to use Microsoft Excel to create monthly reports for tracking inventory that increased productivity by 50%”
How to Go From Beginner to Intermediate
If you’re looking to up skill, why not try a professional training course that can help you expand upon your knowledge?
Take the example of Emily. Emily has intermediate Microsoft Word skills thanks to her previous academic use. However, she wants to apply for a job where she is required to create spreadsheets, which is something she has little experience in. By completing a course with Priority Management, she gains the confidence to apply for the job because she can add the training to her resume.
Or John. John works for a small business where he is a master of Microsoft Publisher. He taught himself how to use the application for graphic design so that he could create marketing materials. However, John’s boss would love for him to be able to grasp the advanced features of Word so that he can create and manage text-heavy documents such as reports. This would enable him to expand his capabilities within the small team. John is enrolled in Priority Management’s Microsoft Word training course and soon becomes a Word whizz. This boosts his confidence and makes his boss happy, too.
Just as with any skill, it takes practice to stay on top of your game. To step up from a MS Office beginner, visit the Priority Management website or call us on 1300 139 126 to see how we can help you ‘excel’ at using Microsoft programs.
FAQs
What is considered intermediate Microsoft Office skills?
Intermediate Microsoft Office skills go beyond the basics of creating and saving documents and spreadsheets and into those skills that can help improve efficiency of tasks and general productivity.
What are the levels of MS Office?
Hiring managers generally look for three levels of MS Office competency: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.
What are considered intermediate skills?
Intermediate skills in programs like Word and Excel cover things such as being able to format pages, insert tables, create charts and use formulas to search.
How do you describe your MS Office skills in an application?
To describe your MS Office skills in a job application, focus on your specific achievements rather than just listing which programs and features you have used.