Leila Gharani Excel Essentials for the Real World, You’d like to do your job faster. You’d like to impress your boss and colleagues. And how about a pay raise or promotion one day?
This course highlights what you need to know for the real world. Our members also consistently report a newfound enthusiasm for using Excel after taking our course, and we’re confident you will too.
Every 6 minutes, a new student enrolls in one of Excel courses. Here are three reasons why people across the world are coming to us to learn Excel.
No matter your background, no matter your job, no matter your experience level – everyone is welcomed. What is your reason for wanting to learn Excel? Here are the types of people who enroll in our courses.
Whether you’re a data / sales / HR / credit collection or reporting analyst, you’re deep in the data. Swimming in it. Or maybe more like drowning in it. You’re combining files, cleaning up columns, and rolling out reports. Excel has a permanent place on your computer screen.
You’d like to do your job faster. You feel like you’re still using Excel the “old way”. You’d like to impress your boss and colleagues. And how about a pay raise or promotion one day? That’d be nice.
You’re in the right place.
Everybody counts on you to do the counting. You follow tax law like most people follow sports. Without a spreadsheet, you’d be wandering the streets lost.
It’d be nice to get ahead of your work. It’d be fun to try out some of those features you’ve seen inside Excel but haven’t taken for a test drive. And you’d sure as heck like to avoid making those “D’oh!” type Homer Simpson mistakes.
You’re in the right place.
It’s tough to keep projects within budget, especially when the scope keeps changing. You plan for resources, manage project risks and monitor progress.
Aside from the project management software you’re using, you need a simple tool to keep you organized. A place where you can easily share results with others in an accessible format.
You’re in the right place.
Consultants are the Indiana Jones of the corporate world. Every new project is an adventure. You get to use a multitude of business skills. You learn fast and develop fast. Speed is crucial.
Unfortunately, many consultants spend much of their time normalizing data rather than analyzing it. It’s a competitive world. Once you know how to use the latest tools, you’ll have an advantage.
You’re in the right place.
In addition to these backgrounds, our ranks are filled with lawyers, managers, civil engineers, freelancers and husbands & wives.
You can see how no matter your reason for wanting to learn Excel, you’re in the right place.
We serve so many people from all different backgrounds. Recently we surveyed our audience, and we were blown away by all the different professions.
You’ve been using Excel for many years, and you want practical ideas to work more efficiently? You’d like to discover little-known features that have been in hiding?
This course will be a game changer for your job.
It’s all too common to read a blog article about Excel and think, “What the heck did I just read?”
It sounds gibberish.
Too often, reading Excel training is like reading a technical manual for your home furnace. You’d have to be an engineer to understand it.
That’s not a recipe for success if you’re an everyday person.
Our students love that we talk to them like human beings – no robots. We’re not here to program you. We’re here to teach you.
Mark Twain makes a good point. Why use a technical word when we can use a simple, everyday word? Rest assured, you won’t find overly-technical or stuffy or pretentious language around here. No way!
You’ll get things explained plain English. No “filler content,” either. You’re a busy person, so we get right to the point.
If you want a real-world, plain-spoken teacher – and not some stuffy academic type – you’re in the right place.
* If English is not your first language, that’s okay. We constantly hear from students about how easy it is to follow our lessons – despite their shaky grasp of English. Each lecture includes English captions and you can slow down the speed of the videos if you need to.
Reason 3 – We’re Lazy (in a Good Way)
Here Is a Rule With Excel …
If something in Excel feels like it’s harder than it should be, it probably is.
That’s another way of saying: There’s always a better way.
When it comes to Excel …
These types of time savings may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s common for our students to come back and tell us how they’ve saved hours, days, and even months by learning a new Excel technique.
But There Is One Final Reason So Many Students Choose Us (and keep choosing us)
When you join one of our courses, you’re not alone. The old type of online course (waaaay back in 2019) made you wander the lessons like a survivor in The Walking Dead. “Where is everybody” you’d think.
Well, it’s 2023, and the world has changed.
You’ll log into our courses and find lively, active discussions. You’ll see our friendly teaching assistants answering questions.
You may not think this is a big deal, but who knows when you might have a question? Who knows what tip you might pick up from another student? Who knows… maybe you’ll be the one chiming in to answer questions, helping your fellow students in the comment section?
Students are demanding more from online courses. When you trust us for your education, you’re not just getting a course — you’re getting a community.
Learning Excel Is A Journey – Your First Destination Is This Course
You’re not going to learn Excel overnight. It’s a journey. And every journey begins with the first step.
Want to start things off right? You’re in the right place. This Excel Essentials course is perfect if:
If any of the above apply to you, keep reading, and see how my course can help.
First off, you’ll have to get used to my Star Trek references. Big Trekkie over here.
Now, doing my best Captain Picard impression… “Welcome aboard!”
My name is Leila Gharani, the captain of this ship. I’m the founder of an education company called XelPlus.
When we first started posting videos to YouTube, we had no idea we’d one day have millions of subscribers. It’s been the thrill of a lifetime and an honor to reach so many people through YouTube.
But while I love our YouTube channel, it’s not everything. Yes, YouTube is great for tips, techniques, and announcing new Excel features. And it’s great because not everyone can afford our courses, so people can still get a ton of value for free (we have over 70 hours of free content on YouTube, and counting).
But it’s inside our courses where the magic happens. Going from YouTube to our online courses is like walking out of the school cafeteria and into a quiet classroom. You’ll leave a loud, distracting environment and enter a place of optimal learning.
Today, I’d like to invite you into a classroom where you’ll learn the Essentials of Excel.
Enroll in Excel Essentials
Take the same course others like you have taken to get started with Excel.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to confidently:
And so much more.
You’ll start with Excel basics to make sure you have a strong grasp of the fundamentals. You’ll get a tour of Excel, learn where to find things in the menus, enter numbers into cells, and even try out a few basic formulas.
You’ll then move on to more advanced topics like conditional formatting, creating charts & graphs, and even get a taste of Power Query (but only if you’re ready).
Important: I don’t just cover the purpose of a feature or formula; I show how you can take advantage of it using practical, real-world examples.
Along the way, there will be challenges and quizzes to test your new Excel skills.
Before you jet off, I want to explain what happens after payment…
After payment, you’ll be automatically enrolled in our online school. Our online school runs on software called “Teachable.” So, if you see the name Teachable, that’s what it means.
Teachable will send an email to the address you enter on the next page. Inside that email will be a link to your student area.
Now, if you’ve purchased a course from us before, first off – welcome back . You’ll simply use your existing username and password to access your new Excel Essentials course.
If it’s your first time buying one of our courses, you’ll create a password and then you’ll get access to your new course. Future courses you buy will appear in this same course area.
Okay, let’s recap how to get up and running with Excel Essentials:
☑️ You’ll click the button above
☑️ You’ll enter your usual details on the next page to complete payment
☑️ You’ll receive the email and click the link to login to your course area
How to Get the Most Out of This Course (3:01)
Download Course Files (1:09)
Pre-assessment Quiz (track your progress)
Course Outline for Quick Reference
Quick Check-in
Excel Workbook, Worksheet, Cell Structure (8:43)
Quick Tour of Excel – Ribbon & Quick Access Toolbar (3:45)
Customizing the Excel Interface (6:00)
Summary: Overview of Important Excel Features
Quiz: Excel Fundamentals
Overview – Data Input & Hidden Excel Features
Data Entry and Editing
Basic Excel Formulas
Text to Speech (Hidden Feature)
Correctly Input Dates and Time Stamps
Use AutoFill To Do Your Work
Flash Fill for Major Time Saving (Become Pro)
Custom Lists With AutoFill (Hidden Feature)
Inputting & Editing Comments & Notes
Finding Formula & Input Cells with ONE Click (Become Pro)
Data Validation to Reduce Time Checking Data
Adding Tool Tips (Screen Tips in Excel)
Learn to Work with Pictures, Shapes & Other Objects
Quiz: Data Input in Excel
Challenge: Data Manipulation & Preparation
Solution: Data Manipulation & Preparation
Summary: Key Features to Impress & Save Time
Overview – Worksheet Navigation
Useful Excel Shortcuts for Navigation (Become Pro)
Copying, Moving & Hiding Worksheets
Freeze Panes (Lock Rows, Columns) & Split Screen
Hide & Unhide, Insert, Adjust Columns & Rows
Copying and Pasting Data (Hidden Features)
Protecting Worksheets & Specific Ranges
Challenge: Update & Protect Report
Solution: Update & Protect Report
Quiz: Worksheet Navigation
Summary: Important Worksheet Features & Shortcuts
Overview & Finding Excel Functions from Insert Function
How Excel Calculates – Order of Precedence
Simple but Useful Formulas
Essential Excel Rule (Don’t Skip!)
Absolute and Relative Cell Referencing
Improve Clarity with Range Names
Referencing other Workbooks or Worksheets
Circular References & How to Locate Them
Combine Values From Two or More Cells to ONE Cell
Challenge: Allocate Yearly Value Based on Percentages
Solution: Allocate Yearly Value Based on Percentages
Quiz: Excel Formulas
Summary: Key Points when Writing Formulas
Overview & Finding Excel Functions from Insert Function
Important! Working with Functions
COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK
COUNT based on a Condition (COUNTIFS)
SUM & AVERAGE Functions
SUM by Criteria (SUMIFS, AVERAGEIFS)
MAX & MIN (MAXIFS & MINIFS)
Rounding Values (ROUND, ROUNDUP & ROUNDOWN)
Essential Excel Date Functions
Time Calculations – Total Time Worked
Handling Excel Formula Errors
IF (Then, Else) Function – Conditional Formulas
VLOOKUP Function – Lookup Values from Another Place
Challenge: How Good Are you with Excel Functions?
Solution: How Good Are you with Excel Functions?
NEW 365 Functions: FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE, XLOOKUP & More
Summary: Important Excel Functions
Overview – Data Cleaning, Analysis & Management Tools
Sort Data (Organize & Create Order)
Unsort Data to Revert to Original Order
Add Subtotals to Sorted Data
Filter Data to Extract What you Need
Delete Blank or Empty Rows in Excel
Fill Empty Cells in One Go (Become Pro)
Remove Duplicates to Get a Unique List
Find, Select & Emphasize
Find and Replace Values & Formatting (Hidden Feature)
Why Excel Tables Can be a Time Saver (Become Pro)
Challenge: Data Management
Solution: Data Management
Summary: Tools to Organize, Clean & Manage Data
Special Message – You’ve Got This
Overview – All About Formatting
Formatting Tips – Alignment, Borders & More
Better Than Merge (Become Pro)
Justify Text Length (Hidden Feature)
Number Formatting Options (& Special Formatting)
Conditional Formatting (Top Bottom Analysis & More)
Icons & Data Bars with Conditional Formatting
Quiz: Excel Formatting
Challenge: Format Report
Solution: Format Report
Summary: Useful Formatting Tips
Checklist Before Printing
Useful Printing Options
Adding Page Breaks & Printing Parts of a Sheet
Printing Large Datasets (Make sure you include this!)
Header & Footer in Excel (Logo, Page Numbers, etc.)
Saving as PDF & Printing Many Sheets
Challenge: Prepare Report for Printing
Solution: Prepare Report for Printing
Summary: Important Printing Options
Good Spreadsheet Design Principles (with Examples)
Adding Hyperlinks (Plus a Smart Workaround)
Define Cell Styles & Set Defaults (e.g. for Excel Tables)
Workbook Theme & Color to Save Time
Use Your Own Excel Templates
Quiz: Workbook Design
Summary: Workbook Design Principles
Overview – Create Helpful Charts
Chart Basics for a Quick Start
Adding More Series to a Chart (Comparison Charts – Method 1)
Comparison Charts – Actual & Variance (Method 2)
Combination Charts (Plus a Hidden Feature)
Dynamic Chart Ranges with Excel Tables
Pareto & Histogram Charts (Excel 2016)
Treemap Chart (Excel 2016)
Sunburst, Pie & Doughnut Charts
Sparklines – Mini Charts Inside Cells
Quiz: Excel Charts
Challenge: Treemap for Management Report
Solution: Treemap for Management Report
Summary: Working with Excel Charts
Benefits of PivotTables & Starting Checklist
Inserting a PivotTable
Why You Should Use Tables as Pivot Source (Become Pro)
Sorting Pivot Data & Analyzing Multiple Items
Adding Calculations & Multiple Reports with PivotTables
Using Slicers & Timeline (Working with Dates)
Creating PivotCharts
PivotTables or Formulas? When to Use What
Challenge: Data Analysis with PivotTables
Solution: Data Analysis with PivotTables
Summary: Important PivotTable Features
Power Query, Power Pivot & Power BI – When to use which?
Availability of Power Query / Get & Transform
Import Text File with Power Query
Merge data in Power Query (for PivotTable)
Clean up (Very Messy) Data (multiple headers, unpivot etc.)
Challenge: Data Cleanup with Power Query
Solution: Data Cleanup with Power Query
Summary: Key Takeaways Power Query
Excel Dynamic Arrays & New Functions in Office 365 & 2021
Availability of the New Excel Functions
Excel’s New Calculation Engine: Spill Error and @(at) sign
Excel UNIQUE Function: Get List of Distinct Values
Excel SORT & SORTBY Functions
Excel FILTER Function: Return Multiple Match Results
Excel XLOOKUP Function: The New Power Lookup Function
Challenge: Get Total Salary by Division
Solution: Get Total Salary by Division
Your Next Steps & More Learning
Yes, you get a bunch! It’s a safe bet that if you need help with a topic in Excel, you’ll find it covered in these lessons.
At the same time, this curriculum may intimidate you. Don’t let it. Let me explain…
We’ve made it as easy as possible to learn Excel, but dangers still lurk along your path. Don’t fall prey to one of these common Excel pitfalls.
Treat this course more like an Encyclopedia (remember those?). You wouldn’t open an Encyclopedia and start reading cover to cover.
Instead, when you log into this course, scroll down the lessons. See what jumps out at you, and dive into whatever looks appealing.
Now, I do recommend going through the two modules (the Intro & Tour of Excel) to get familiar with the basics. But after that, see what strikes your fancy.
Imagine that for the past month, when you’ve had some time to yourself, you’ve been opening YouTube navigating to your “How to Dance” playlist (you know you’ve had the urge).
The next day, you get a letter in the mail – an invitation to your cousin’s wedding. Time to bust out your new moves!
Sure, it may be a little scary. So maybe you start with something safe. Maybe you just bob your head from left to right. Over time, as you get better & more comfortable, you might throw in a spin move.
It’s the same thing with learning Excel. You’re learning fun new skills – try them out! Before you know it, you’ll have moves like Mick Jagger.
This is a biggie…
Please, if you get stuck, don’t ghost. Are you new to online courses and afraid you’ll have trouble navigating around? Send an email to our support desk asap. We’ll help you out.
Stuck on an Excel formula and can’t figure out why you keep getting errors? Post a comment in our forum. Another student or one of our friendly teaching assistants will come to your rescue.
It’s okay to not know the answer. You’re not supposed to. But it’s not okay to stay silent. Fortunately, we make it fast and easy for you to get help. Just ask.
Once you enroll in the course, you’ll have the opportunity to take a pre-assessment test. This way you can assess your current knowledge and check for gaps.
Once you complete the assessment you’ll get your score.
Don’t worry! Your score is not shared with anyone. This test is only for you and your own progress.
Once you’ve completed the course, come back to this test and take it again. Note your score and document your progress.
Aside from tracking your progress, the benefit of a pre-assessment test is to help you pay closer attention as you learn.
Plus you’ll get an additional post-assessment test for a more comprehensive check.
To make sure you haven’t missed important parts, we’ve added a separate post-assessment test for you.
In case you missed something, we’ll tell you which part of the course you need to revisit – like this:
Both tests are optional of course. You can skip them if you’d like.
If you’re on the fence about joining, maybe these awesome bonuses will put you over the edge.
Can You Afford To Not Get Better At Excel?
It’s not an exaggeration to say getting good at Excel can change your life.
How much longer will you do things the manual way? How much hair will you pull out while you wrestle with formulas? How many more mistakes will the boss tolerate?
Put an end to your Excel frustrations for good. This course will get you up & running with Excel – fast. There is no risk to joining as we have a 30-day guarantee. If you change your mind, no problem. But you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.
Let’s summarize all you get:
Hope to see you inside.
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