Excel is a spreadsheet program in the Microsoft Office suite of applications used to record, store, manipulate, and analyze data. It has many built-in functions that allow for mathematical and spatial manipulation of data as well as data representation through visualizations. Data is stored in cells, with each cell having a unique address depending on the row and column value of the cell. Regardless of the industry you work in, Microsoft Office Excel is an invaluable spreadsheet program for organizing and representing data. The functions, formulas, and pivot tables in Excel help to aggregate and analyze large sets of information. Excel first debuted in 1987, when a version was released for Windows. Today, Excel is a complex and powerful software application offering users and companies precise control over the data included in a spreadsheet. Despite its complexity, it's straightforward enough for beginners to dive in and later learn how to unlock additional uses for Excel.

Standing for 'Vertical Lookup,' VLOOKUP is one of the most powerful features in Microsoft Excel. It allows users to pull in a piece of information from a list that is contained in another list by looking for a value in a column and returning a result from a cell in a row where a match appears. This allows you to create relationships between data and lookup tables, search tables/databases, and interactive reports. When examining the formula, the V in VLOOKUP stands for 'vertical,' and 'LOOKUP' applies the function of 'looking up' and extracting data from one table depending on a value. Learning and mastering VLOOKUP is essential for users looking to navigate and use large databases and spreadsheets.

To learn Excel quickly, you must learn to break concepts down into simple components. Before learning more complex tasks such as creating pivot tables or more complex formatting structures, start with the basics. First, understand how cells work. When writing "3 plus 3", it must appear as “=3+3” into the cell for the calculation to take place. When it comes to Excel, Udemy courses can help you master everything from the basics to more advanced uses. They can give you a deeper understanding of how formulas work, how data should be formatted, and the types of powerful visuals to analyze data for the best insights.