Microsoft Excel has advanced a lot these days and there are numerous features in it that help in enhancing the proficiency and capability to work effectively. Here are a few tips that every user must check out to become a Microsoft Excel professional.

Excel shortkeys and tips

1. Using tables to format data swiftly

Tables in Microsoft Excel are amazing and can handle plenty of data immaculately. Simply select any cell having data in it and press Ctrl + T followed by the Enter key.

2. Using Cell Styles

For formatting, consistency is highly preferred. Cell styles can be used to ensure that the formatting of every kind of the similar information available in the workbook would be formatted in the same way.

3. Using Format Painter

One of the most useful tools in every Microsoft Office program is the Format Painter. For example, when you are creating presentations, you can use the PowerPoint Format Painter to streamline your design process and make sure all your slides look consistently with each other. With the help of this tool formatting can be copied from one area to another. Similarly in Excel, you can copy the formatting of each cell into other cells to ensure the book report or spreadsheet looks consistent.

4. Using Ctrl+Shift to Select

That traditional style for selecting a datasheet using mouse dragging has now been replaced with Ctrl + Shift. This is a much faster way in contrast to the other one. Simply click on the first cell and hold down Ctrl + Shift following by hitting the up, down, left or right arrow key.

5. Auto Fill

This is one of the useful features available in Microsoft Excel. It is really helpful especially when you are writing something in series. Once you begin with the series, simply move the cursor to the lower right part of the cell. When the cursor turns into a plus (+) sign, click and drag up, down, left or right to select the cells required to be filled in.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Formatting

Plenty of shortcuts are available that increases the productivity and here are a few of them:

  • Ctrl + 1: It opens the format dialog whether you have selected drawing shapes, charts, cells or anything else
  • Alt + Enter: This helps to add a new line while editing the cell
  • Ctrl + T: With this, table formatting is applied to the cells
  • F4: Last action is repeated with this.

So, if you are also willing to become a Microsoft Excel professional, try out the aforementioned features and tools.