In today’s competitive job market, leveraging your expertise in products can help you to stand out as a candidate. One such credential that employers find valuable is the Microsoft Office Certification — now referred to as the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) designation. This can help you land coveted jobs in various industries when you become a candidate through an Atlanta GA staffing agency.  Just because you know how to use various programs that come with Microsoft Office does not mean that companies will consider you to be an expert. If you acquire a certification, it proves you know this suite of products well and can use them effectively on the job.

Here’s what you need to know about achieving the Microsoft Office Certification.

Various Certifications Available

Microsoft certifications are available in the entire suite of programs or for individual programs within the Office suite. You can earn your certification in only PowerPoint, Excel or Word. If you need a certification in one of the programs, you can earn just one instead of the entire suite. But, it might be better off to earn a certification for the entire suite.

Take Microsoft Office Courses

One of the best ways to learn the various programs available in the Microsoft Office suite is to enroll in courses that teach the programs. These courses can be taken online or at traditional college and universities. The coursework in these classes will teach students how to use all of the programs from top to bottom. This is the best way to prepare for certification tests.

Choose the Certification Program

The next step is to choose the certification program you need. This can be for the entire suite or for individual programs. What you should know is that even when you choose to become certified in the entire suite, you will still need to take individual tests for each program to achieve the entire certification. If you are not sure which certification is right for you, we have outlined various job duties below.

• Employees responsible for creating and uploading newsletters, press releases, manuals, invitations and other documents should consider becoming certified in Microsoft Word.
• Employees who constantly create and update databases would benefit from becoming certified in Microsoft Access.
• For those who are required to give presentations as part of their job, a certification in Microsoft PowerPoint should be their goal.

One program we did not mention earlier is Microsoft Outlook. This is the email client from Microsoft. Any employee who works for a company that uses Outlook may want to consider acquiring a certification in Microsoft Outlook so they know how to use it daily.

Take the Microsoft Office Certification Exams

The final step in the process is to take the certification exams. These exams are only administered through approved Microsoft testing centers and each certification exam takes 90 minutes to complete. So, if you are taking one for each program, be prepared for a long day at the testing center. The tests will require the student to perform tasks using each program.

For more tips on earning job related certifications and career development opportunities with GAA employers, contact a staffing representative at Staffing Resources a leading Atlanta GA staffing agency. You’ll want to find out what employers consider this to be a plus in their hiring decisions too, so you can focus on your job search.