Hey everyone! I recently got hired by one of the big four consulting firms, and they've started a mandatory virtual training in Excel for all new hires, even those in tech roles like mine in data science. I wasn't expecting to spend my time on what feels like a boring training, and I'm a bit confused about why it's necessary. Is this common for new employees? I've heard people say, "welcome to corporate life," and it has me wondering if I'm wasting my time or if there's more to this training. If you've gone through something similar or have advice, I would really appreciate your thoughts!
5 Answers
What’s wrong with learning Excel? It’s a powerful tool! I’ve been using it for years and still discover new features. You might be surprised how much you can do with it, even in a data-heavy role.
Mandatory training is pretty standard in large companies, especially the big four. A lot of it might seem dull, but it's likely just their way of ensuring everyone is on the same page with basic tools like Excel. If you don’t know it yet, now’s a good time to pick it up; it can help you connect tech and business sides at your job.
Excel helped me automate some reporting tasks that my team needed; I could get data sorted and sent out without building a whole interface. Learning those basic functions is super practical, and it sounds like it could save you a lot of work down the line!
Honestly, I get why you might feel this is a waste of time, but learning Excel is super handy. It’s not just a boring spreadsheet tool; it’s actually really versatile and used in almost every field. Once you get into the workplace, you’ll find yourself needing it more than you thought, even in data science!
I have a funny story about that! I was once hired for a data science job, but everything was in Excel. When I asked for Python, IT didn’t even know what it was! They had restrictions that made it impossible to use the tools I was trained for. Make sure you’re prepared for that possibility; who knows what they’ll expect you to do!
Interesting! Do you know why they’d want to keep Python off limits? Is it about security or just corporate policy?
Yeah, that sounds rough! I’d want to quit too if I was limited to Excel, especially in a data role.