How To Include Microsoft Office Skills on a Resume

Having Microsoft Office skills is often a requirement when applying for a job. Listing your Microsoft Office experience can make your resume stand out. Determining which Microsoft Office skills to include and how to list them can help you create an organized and comprehensive resume. In this article, we explore the most common Microsoft Office skills and help you select the most relevant ones to include in your resume.

What are Microsoft Office skills?

Microsoft Office skills are the techniques that an individual learns when working with Microsoft Office programs. They demonstrate a candidate’s experience and comfort using some of the most popular Office programs, such as those used to create documents and presentations and manage communications. Candidates with these skills are often valuable to an organization, so it can be helpful to include them on your resume.

Related: Computer Skills: Definitions and Examples

When to include Microsoft Office skills on your resume

Basic knowledge of the most popular Microsoft Office programs is necessary for many positions, and you should consider listing those skills on your resume. Listing Microsoft Office skills can also be a great way to fill a resume if you have limited work experience. Make sure to include the skills that relate directly to the position or are listed as a requirement in the job description.

You should also highlight any intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office skills you have to further distinguish yourself as a candidate.

Consider including these skills on your resume when applying for the following positions:

Administrative assistant

Administrative assistants and receptionists often use Microsoft Office programs in a variety of ways. They might schedule and manage appointments using the calendar feature in Microsoft Outlook, communicate via Microsoft Outlook and create documents using Microsoft Word.

Teacher

Teachers often use programs like Microsoft Word and Excel to create education materials, draft classroom reports and manage student grades. Some teachers may also use Microsoft Skype to educate children in other locations.

Accountant

Accountant positions often require advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel to track client costs and expenses using the equations and computation features. Microsoft OneNote may also be used to collaborate and share documents with other team members.

Marketing professional

Marketing professionals often use programs like Microsoft Word to draft communications and Microsoft PowerPoint to create sales presentations. Some marketers may also use Microsoft Publisher to create advertisement materials.

Data analyst

Data analysts may evaluate and retrieve information from Microsoft Excel sheets. The ability to create formulas and locate information in this application is important in this position.

Related: Writing a Resume with No Experience

Important Microsoft Office skills to include on a resume

You might include the following Microsoft Office skills on your resume:

1. Microsoft Word

2. Microsoft PowerPoint

3. Microsoft Excel

4. Microsoft Skype

5. Microsoft Access

6. Microsoft Outlook

7. Microsoft OneNote

8. Microsoft Publisher

1. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is commonly used to create professional documents and communications. You should include Microsoft Word on your resume if you are comfortable drafting letters, reports and memos with the program. You might also highlight Microsoft Word skills in: 

• Creating designs or mock-ups for printed materials

• Formatting documents

• Proofreading with Microsoft tools

• Incorporating graphs or charts into reports or other documents

• Building templates

2. Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is used to create professional presentations using dynamic elements, such as videos, visually represented data and interactive modules. Include Microsoft PowerPoint on your resume if you are experienced in using themes, transitions and charts with the program. You might also include PowerPoint skills in:

• Adding notes to slides

• Compiling information in a neat and readable manner

• Organizing information across slides to tell a story or keep audiences engaged

• Creating custom presentation slides and themes

• Using animation tools to increase visuals

3. Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is used to create business spreadsheets, organize large amounts of information and perform complex computations. Include Microsoft Excel on your resume if you are experienced in creating spreadsheets, formatting cells and organizing data into rows. You might also include skills in:

• Editing ranges

• Creating unique formulas

• Editing chart details

• Using pivot tables

• Formatting existing graphs

4. Microsoft Skype

As telecommunication becomes an important part of the business world, experience with Microsoft Skype is a desirable skill because some companies may require employees to meet with clients or team members via Skype. Include Microsoft Skype on your resume if you are experienced in using the advanced features of the program. You might include skills in:

• Creating tasks

• Troubleshooting technical difficulties

• Recording and backing up chat history

• Forwarding calls

• Integrating calendars and schedules

5. Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access is used to manage databases and store information. Many companies use it to retrieve and analyze information. The program’s user-friendly database management system also allows users to organize their data and share it with other team members. Include Microsoft Access on your resume if you have used it to record or retrieve data. You might include skills in:

• Creating databases

• Editing existing databases

• Merging Access into other Office programs

• Transferring data to an SQL server

6. Microsoft Outlook

Some companies use Microsoft Outlook as an email platform to communicate with team members, customers and other parties. Microsoft Outlook has built-in features that make communication more convenient, including the ability to schedule emails, organize your inbox and make appointments on a calendar. Include Microsoft Outlook on your resume if you are experienced with skills such as:

• Organizing the calendar features

• Filing emails into storage

• Flagging and prioritizing emails

• Setting up shortcuts

7. Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote allows users to collaborate virtually on tasks and projects. Users can upload images, notes, documents and recordings, and then share them with their entire team in a notebook. Include Microsoft OneNote on your resume if you have experience using the program in a business environment. You might include skills in:

• Recording notes

• Drafting and sharing images

• Filing and retrieving notes

• Organizing notes into sections

• Uploading recordings

8. Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Publisher is a creative tool used for making flyers, brochures, newsletters, advertisements and other publishable materials. It has a series of features that allow users to be creative with their designs, such as by customizing print layouts, editing typography and editing images. The program comes with a collection of templates that can then be customized to meet the user’s design needs. Include Microsoft Publisher on your resume if you have skills in:

• Creating and customizing tables

• Editing images and graphics

• Converting publications to internet access

• Formatting documents

• Organizing attractive layouts

How to list Microsoft Office skills on your resume

In order to provide a prospective employer with a clear description of your experience with each Microsoft Office program, it is important to include more information than the program itself. You can include Microsoft Office skills on your resume with the following steps:

1. Include your level of experience

Establish your level of experience with each Microsoft Office skill. You might categorize it using beginner, intermediate or advanced as labels.

2. Detail your method of use

It can also be useful to include information about the method in which you use each Office program. For example, you might be familiar with Microsoft Excel both on a desktop and mobile device. More positions today require the use of smartphones and tablets, and the use of these skills across all technological programs can be desirable.

3. Describe the tasks completed

You may also include the types of tasks and projects you used each software for. Be sure to identify the tools and features as well as the specific role they played in your work.

4. List any certifications

Certifications in one or more of the Microsoft Office programs can further demonstrate your experience. They often test your knowledge of the tools and features and the ways in which they can be used.

To upload the template into Google Docs, go to File > Open > and select the correct downloaded file.

Examples of Microsoft Office skills on a resume

You might include your Microsoft Office abilities in the skills or work experience sections of your resume. Here are some examples:

In a skills section

You can list your Microsoft Office abilities in the skills section of your resume if they do not coincide with your work experience. You might list them like this:

Additional Skills

• *Microsoft Excel: Advanced skills formatting cells, creating tables and organizing data in Excel on both desktop and mobile devices, using my certification with Excel in both a professional and academic setting*
  

• *Microsoft Outlook: Advanced skills using Outlook features like calendar and scheduling, using the program in a professional manner*
  

• *Microsoft Office: Intermediate skills formatting documents and editing content in Microsoft Office, using the program for research and creation of professional documents*
  

• *Microsoft Publisher: Beginning skills using Microsoft Publisher in a professional manner to create and edit marketing materials*

In a work experience section

If you have used Microsoft Office programs in a previous position, you might include those skills in the work experience section. You can list them like this:

Senior Financial Administrative Assistant
Andersen Financial Agency; Dayton, Ohio — April 4, 2014 – Present

• Manage all clerical documents using advanced skills in Microsoft Office to create, edit and print correspondence

• Create marketing materials for upcoming events using intermediate skills obtained through certification in Microsoft Publisher

• Monitor office inventory and keep track of supplies with advanced skills in Microsoft Excel

• Communicate with executive team members, including scheduling, with intermediate skills in Microsoft Outlook