How to Write an Excel Resume (Step by Step with Examples)

Key takeaways

Make your Excel resume stand out by featuring your experience and the industries where you’ve applied specific Excel skills.

• Excel is a valuable skill for a wide range of careers, including accounting, where you can earn an average annual salary of $81,680 [1].

• To strengthen your resume, consider earning a certification, such as the Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate.

• You can choose from several formats when creating your Excel resume, such as chronological, functional, or a combination of the two.

Discover how you can create a strong Excel Resume. If you’re interested in learning more about what you can accomplish using Excel, Excel for Data Analytics and Visualization Specialization from MacQuarie University can help you use advanced Excel functions to wrangle data, analyze it, and turn it into interactive dashboards and visualizations.

What is Microsoft Excel?

Excel is a part of the Microsoft 365 software suite that focuses on spreadsheets. The program allows you to organize data by sorting, analyzing, and making calculations for data analysis.

Excel skills can be essential in fields such as finance, administrative work, engineering, management, and sales and marketing positions. Learn how to showcase your Excel skills in your resume.

How to add Excel experience in resume details

You can use your Excel resume to showcase your knowledge and experience when looking for a job. Follow these steps to build a resume that may help you stand out to employers who need employees skilled in working with Excel.

Step 1: Create an Excel resume template.

One of the first things to consider is how you want to structure the presentation of your experience on your resume. Consider these options based on which version works best for your information:

• Chronological resume: A chronological resume presents your information chronologically, starting with your most recent work experience and moving on to your older experience. This can be a good option if you have previous work experience with Excel.

• Functional resume: Use a functional resume format to highlight your particular skills and strengths using Excel. Consider this choice if you don’t have much work experience and want to emphasize your skills using Excel. It can be useful to showcase what you’ve recently learned.

• Combination resume: A combination resume highlights your skills and experience equally, combining functional and chronological resumes. This format is usually appropriate when you're in your mid-career stage and have gained relevant skills and several years of experience.

Step 2: Fill in your basic Excel resume essentials.

Potential employers may contact you after reviewing your resume, so remember to include your contact information. Add your name, email address, and phone number at the top of your resume so they are easy to find. 

Consider adding a link to your LinkedIn page or online portfolio if you have one that showcases any Excel projects you’ve worked on.

Step 3: Add your resume summary.

A resume summary is a quick way to introduce yourself, your experience, and the type of positions you’re looking for. You can also highlight your years of experience working with Excel or the industries you’ve worked in, where you’ve applied specific Excel skills.

If you have previous experience, focus on where you’ve worked and what you’ve done. Recent graduates can focus on the skills they’ve picked up in school or the types of places they want to work.

Step 4: Showcase your Excel skills.

Excel can be used in various projects, so it’s a good idea to highlight the different ways you use Excel based on your skill set. Some skills you could showcase include:

• Sorting and filtering data: Excel jobs may require you to work with large amounts of data, so it’s important you understand how to sort and filter data to get the information you need.

• Functions: In Excel, you can quickly calculate information using functions such as SUMIF, COUNTIF, and VLOOKUP.

• Charts and graphs: Present data in a visual way by building charts and graphs in Excel to communicate data and concepts visually.

• Pivot tables: Pivot tables can help you work with big data sets to summarize and analyze information.

Workplace skills such as adaptability, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate with other team members and clients can help you be successful in your Excel career.

Step 5: Include your professional experience.

Your previous experience can provide examples of your work and the skills you’ve acquired, making you an appealing candidate for potential employers.

Start with the names of your previous employers and when you worked there. Then you can add the title of your position and what you did while working there. Remember to include your responsibilities and how you used Excel to be successful. It’s also vital to include projects you completed and tangible accomplishments.

Step 6: Feature your certifications and awards.

Add a section for certifications if you have any credentials relevant to your work with Excel. You can earn certifications from Microsoft, such as the Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate (Office 2019) or Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Expert (Office 2019). Certifications like these can prove your proficiency and expertise with the software. Some employers could also require certifications depending on the particular position.

You can also include accolades such as innovation awards or industry awards for your work with Excel.

Step 7: Include your education.

Your education is important for potential employers to consider, whether you’ve just graduated or have some work experience. This section can highlight your degree and major, the school you graduated from, and any other relevant education information.

How to describe Excel skills in an interview

When you’re asked technical questions in your Excel interview, explain what specific Excel features you would use, and consider using real examples to convey your experience. Following the STAR method can help you structure your responses to situational interview questions where you’re talking about your experiences.

Learn more: 9 Excel Interview Questions + How to Prepare Answers

Jobs that require Excel skills

You can choose from various jobs that require Excel skills or Excel certifications that appeal to your talents, interests, or previous experience. The jobs below reflect options in different fields and salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):

• Accountant: $81,680 [1]

• Financial analyst: $101,910 [2]

• Human resources specialist: $72,910 [3]

• Marketing research analyst: $76,950 [4]

• Project management specialist: $100,750 [5]

Excel resume tips

• Choose a format that best suits your experience and skills with Excel.

• Include important information such as education, experience, certifications, and how to reach you.

• Tailor your resume to match the job description you’re applying for.

• Limit the length of your resume.

Explore our free data analysis resources

Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat, where you can gain industry insights into popular tools, skill-building resources, and certifications. Then, check out some of our other free resources to learn more about analyzing data.

• Watch on YouTube: Essential Excel Shortcuts | Navigate 1000+ Rows Efficiently

• Take the quiz: Microsoft Excel Skill Assessment

• Gain insider knowledge: 6 Questions with a Microsoft Data Analytics Leader

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