How to: Excel in Excel

If you've ever met me, you probably know that I'm not exactly numerically inclined. I nearly cried tears of joy when I finally fulfilled the math requirement. Language is just more comforting than numbers to me, as you might image.

For that reason, Microsoft Excel was always one of those programs that sat untouched, among the likes of Solitaire and Notepad. I had no use for it. I assumed that Excel was for people who derived joy from inputting numbers into a grid. That isn't to say that it was totally foreign to me. I definitely knew how to use the program, thanks to a high school computer class, but I didn't think it was actually useful for someone like me.

That is, until the Career Center enlightened me to the non-mathematical ways Microsoft Excel makes life easier. Beyond its number-crunching capabilities, Excel is an excellent tool for making organized lists and keeping track of multiple interacting factors. In terms of the job search, Excel is a life-saver.

And if you live in a 2002-era music video, you can even text in Excel!
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The process of finding a job can be extremely overwhelming. You need to keep track of  different moving parts, like company research, applications, and interviews. While it's easy to believe that you can keep it all organized in your head, that isn't always true. For me, keeping things in my head only leads to confusion and stress. I start thinking about too much at once and it gets easy to lose track. Lists are my way of combating that. You'd be amazed how much writing things down can help clear a cluttered mind.

As I recently learned in my cognitive science class, your memory isn't infinite. By writing things down, you lighten the load for your brain. With Excel, you can mark each part of your job search process so your mental power is used more effectively. If you don't have to concentrate on remembering the exact date you sent in applications, you can spend more energy prepping for interviews.

Here are some visual examples of excel sheets that organize the job search:

Click to zoom.

In the first example, Excel is used to keep track of different companies and the application process. The second example involves networking. You can create a spreadsheet which tracks all of the different people you connect with. It's easy to forget when exactly you met someone or what you spoke about, so this is an amazing reference to have. Whenever you decide to reach out to them, you can mention something from your first conversation.

Believe me when I say that these spreadsheets can make you feel like you actually have your life together. You can be as specific or as general as you want to be with the details, so do what's best for you. After all, this is for your eyes only (unless you want to come to the Career Center and get advice from one of the counselors, of course).

Happy Excelling!

Signing off,

Kelly F. Vieira
Class of 2015