How fast are you at learning computer software?

[Scrambling101]

I'm so slow. Am shit at excel for example but it seems to be a particularly useful one to know.

I just cannot learn stuff like this, maybe it's my age - am on the descent to 40. I'm much better at retaining info for example a summary of a document, compared to needing to know a set of precise steps for an excel formula.

It depends on the software.

You only get good at something like Excel if you use it frequently because you need to.

I’m an accountant and therefore pick up accounting software and payroll packages quite quickly.

However I can’t get to grips as easily with CRM packages because it’s outside of my wheelhouse.

That's a good point, about it taking daily use to become good. The snag is I don't need to use any at the minute, as no job. Not sure what ones to prioritise.

I've noticed that job adverts for even entry level roles require much more experience in different programmes than they used to, often quite specialist.

How are you defining basic though?

I agree with Merryoldgoat.

I use excel a lot, but probably only know a very small part of what it can do. I use the work intranet package and catalogue management software as well. I also use little bits of bespoke software to extract specific files from folders - images, PDFs etc.

I just write things down when I am learning them and refer back to my notes until I feel confident.

I would certainly prioritise excel, as it is very commonly used in offices. I use it at home for personal use for making lists, indexing my recipes, keeping important records etc.

At 40 you are far too young to write yourself off. I am the wrong side of 60.

I’m the same, OP

In my previous job I regularly used a CMS, the only reason I was competent in it was because I had to use it daily

I’m still a bit lost with excel. Never had to use it in a job before - not sure what are the expected excel skills to know if that makes sense
I had to watch YouTube videos to understand vlookup and pivot tables. Def not confident with it

Don't beat yourself up. There's a lot of things about Excel (and other software) that you won't know until you actually need to know it. That's because Excel is quite versatile and there is a programming/maths element if you're moving into using formulas. Other software will have a more explicit purpose and it will be as simple as buying something on a website or signing up to MN.

What sort of job are you aiming for?

I think it is difficult to learn excel if you don't need it as you don't have a use for it. My excel skills aren't very advanced, but I know how to manipulate data, do simple formulas, Vlook ups umpteen times a day etc.

If I can't do something I google it, but often the suggestions are written by techie nerds who assume a lot of prior knowledge and talk in jargon. I can't do macros for example, but I have never needed to.

I learn packages fast, it's how my brain works. Accounting packages are pretty much all the same basic premise, so if you can use one you can quickly learn others. I learned to write SQL for a recent project. What I needed to do was pretty straight forward for that in terms of query structure - the actual arguments were very complicated, which was I needed to write them and not the BA I work with. I'm sure if I spent more time in that environment I'd be an advanced user for that too.

Excel, well I'm stubborn. I do a lot in excel, with large amounts of data (files 500,000 lines +), so being able to analyse that volume quickly requires thought and planning. That's probably the key to excel - work out what you want to do and then how you should structure your data. The way you build your sheets is really important and impacts what you can do. Pretty much if you can think of it, you should be able to do it in excel. Google is your friend to get the right formulas.

Word, pretty good at that too but don't use it for anything flash. PowerPoint the same.

I'm good at learning new software and I'm 47. It's not to with your age if you aren't even 40 yet. However I've always been good at this so I think some people, like with most skills, are better and more suited to some things than others. I am shit at most things. Computers I can do!

If it's Excel that you're worried about, you can often google the formulas by typing what you want to achieve into the search bar. You will become familiar with them over time. All formulas start with '=' then it's just a case of telling it what you want to do and which cells you want to do it to. For example "=sum(A1:A4)" would be telling it to add up the values of the first to fourth rows in the first column (A).

@Scrambling101

How are you defining basic though?

To me excel basics would be knowing what all the options are in the main menus/ribbons, pivot tables, graphs, and some of the basic formulas such as vlookup, sumif, countif, search, if (with and/or), iserror, etc. validation, conditional formatting. You really need some data and a purpose to go in and start exploring what is possible, a lot of it is intuitive and you just keep building up knowledge.

At 40 you've still got another 20+ years of working (unless you can afford to retire early), lots of time to keep learning. I taught myself to write some excel macros in my 40s, 10 years later I've forgotten most of it, but could pick up again if needed (and given time). The internet has loads of help when you get stuck..

I have a rational, logical and analytical brain which is probably why I enjoy playing around with excel.

I'm not the least bit creative.

I pick up new software quickly and I'm in my 50s. I think it's the way my brain is wired, that sort of thing just comes easily to me.

If it's any reassurance, I'm a programmer and I'd still have to look up how to do half the functions WeAllHaveWings mentions. It's not at all unusual in my team for a plaintive cry of "Anyone good with Excel?" to be heard when we need it for something more complex than lists.

It’s not your age. Im older than you and we learned to use spreadsheets in school back in the late 80s.

Sorry, it’s a pet peeve of mine. Implying people my age are too old for tech is damaging. I’ve based my career on being able to learn any software or programming language put in front of me.

I became a software developer at 35, so... I dunno, I try not to get that mindset of being "too old to learn thing." You need focus, which becomes harder to achieve, but if you can get some peace and quiet and some tutorials, you can learn.

I've heard Excel is pretty tough though, I mean, people take courses and stuff on that. You could find a free online course maybe, Beginner or Intermediate level?

My local college does free courses for adults in excel and other packages - have you tried looking into that in your area?

I'm very quick at picking up packages. My whole team had to learn a new software package and we had all the exact same training but some of them just couldn't understand it and I ended up being the go to person for all their questions. Some were older but some were younger than me so it was not necessarily an age thing.
I'm good at excel which my colleagues comment on, but I took 3 courses on it, and use it everyday. I try to explain that, but they think I have some magical excel knowledge
It's all about education, experience & practice.

Not 40 yet means you're quite possibly still in the millennial bracket (and grew up around ever-increasing tech), so I don't think it's your age!

The trick is that EVERYTHING can be Googled. I'm in my early 30s and more old-school officey stuff like Excel etc was taught at school but I don't remember much of it - I just Google formulas etc when I need them. Can't remember how to mail merge? There's a step-by-step tool that takes you through it, or Google it. Don't know how to link to a particular point in a document? Google is your friend! :)

Some of you are so young! Using excel at school!

We didn't even have calculators for O level maths. We had log books that had tables in for logarithms and trigonometry (I took my O levels in 1975)

I didn't even start using Microsoft Office until I was 35.

Pretty fast and I'm in my mid-forties. I'm the person people ask at work to show them how to use new systems.

I think it's because I'm not afraid to mess about and try stuff out!

It’s not your age, it’s just an aptitude and attitude thing.

I’m close to 50 and have a whole new career as a consultant working at top level with technical software apps.

Lots of people I work with are women in their 40s and 50s, and the software we use wasn’t even around until quite recently, so it’s all new learning.

The thing we have in common is relishing the challenge of digging around in a bit of tech to figure out how to get it to do what we need. It’s enormously creative and fun.

I know what I need to know IYSWIM.
I can learn and like learning new things but once you have a new skilll you need to use it or lose it.
I think age is pretty much irrelevant though and more down to your style of learning and how often you use that knowledge.

I find them easy to pick up. Whether it’s the MS Suite or a CRM system.

My brain just gets it.

Standing up without falling over frequently however I can’t seem to master.