Microsoft Excel is a robust application with many features and options that allow you to organize and calculate data in a number of ways. As a JAWS user, it can be frustrating to wade through all of the data in front of you let alone create it yourself, but when armed with the right information, it isn’t as difficult as it seems. When working with spreadsheets, remember that not all are formatted alike, and the options for adding to an already existing sheet or entering data into a new one altogether are endless. Knowing important tasks as well as their corresponding keyboard commands are essential. You want to get a clear picture of the data you are dealing with while being able to manipulate it yourself. Here are three tips that will help you accomplish these tasks.
Format Your Worksheets
When creating worksheets, you should consider formatting them just as you would a document. Attributes like font, size, and color are important, especially if you want certain areas to stand out. A well formatted worksheet will present data in a way that is easy to read and understand.
Know Multiple Ways of Entering Formulas
If your worksheet requires calculations, you’ll want to know the different ways you can enter formulas. One method is to manually type the formula you want to use into a particular cell and designate the cells containing the data to be calculated. Another is to use the “Insert Function” option in the Formulas menu on the Ribbon. There are multiple ways of entering formulas, so you’ll have plenty of options when working with numerical data.
Sort Your Data
Sometimes you may need to view data in chronological order by date, or perhaps you want to sort alphabetically or numerically. You can do this quickly with the “Sort” feature found in the Data menu on the Ribbon. This allows you to carefully examine specific data in one place or organize your worksheet, so the data is presented in a logical order.
Want to learn more about these tasks and much more? Join us tomorrow at noon Eastern for FS Skill Building and Review, Improving JAWS Skills in Excel. We’ll walk you through completing a series of tasks and give you the opportunity to ask questions.
Registration is not necessary for this training event. Just join us in our virtual classroom in the Zoom Conferencing platform and participate.
Is there a particular feature of Excel you find extremely useful? A specific function you’ve always wanted to master? Place it in a comment below. As always, we’re eager to hear your thoughts.
I want to know how to do control breaks in excel.
Hello Elizabeth. Let’s say that you are tracking sales of products by department and you sort your worksheet by department. You want to have a row that shows the total sales for each department. This is an example of a control break. How do you do this in excel?
Hello. Is the training event recorded? Please give me the download link if it is possible. Thank you.