Microsoft Excel is, next to Microsoft Word, one of the most popular programs in the world. According to Fortune, it’s the most important software application of all time, which makes it a pretty big deal, I guess. Wherever you go, in pretty much every industry known to man, there’s a person, somewhere, working in Excel. The program can do so many things it’s pointless to start counting, with budget building, business listings or sometimes even contacts database being just the very tip of the iceberg.

Ask an average worker if he/she knows how to use Excel, most will answer affirmative, even though they have, in most cases, just scratched the surface. Excel is a huge program, and extensive knowledge of it has its benefits which you should probably not neglect. Here are a few reasons why you should invest in Excel courses:

Easier to find a good job

The Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data are two of the five biggest trends in technology today, with the rest being Cloud, Broadband and Data Centers. Both rely on a heavy amount of data, and if you can transform it into meaningful insights through powerful Excel features such as charts, conditional formatting or pivot tables, it will be a breeze for you to get a well-paying job, or get a raise at your current position. The awesome jobs you can do include Management Consultant (median annual salary of $86,181), or Business Intelligence Analyst (median annual salary of $65,785).

Easier to get the work done

Besides being able to find a (better) job, knowing all the perks of such a program can also make your office life much easier. Excel has many advanced features which are rarely used, but which can save both time and nerves of the average worker. Some of the advanced features worth mentioning are Macros (allow you to automate certain tasks, basically making the computer do the work for you) Pivot Tables (allow to transform the data user enters into column headers, so that the data can be sorted, summed or grouped based on the needs of the project), and Conditional Formatting (real-time formatting, helping you to spot discrepancies or faults in large data sets).

If you're an employer:

“What if we invest in educating our workers, and they decide to leave?” – “What if we don’t, and they decide to stay?”. This is just one of many ethical dilemmas employers are sometimes faced with, but the truth is – if you have workers, investing in their knowledge is one of the keys to success.

A smarter workforce also means more productive workforce, with a smaller risk of error. On top of it all, being known as the business which cares for, and invests in its workers improves your image, and a business with a good image attracts the best talent.

Remember, the key to success is to have things people need, and to charge them for it. Knowing Excel in-depth can give you, and your organization, that subtle advantage to set you apart from the competition. And being better than the competition usually leaves the mark on the bottom line, which is why I’d say every penny invested in Excel courses will be worth it.