By Stephen Smoot
This month, two Lincoln High School students entered a world of technology opportunity by “earning multiple certifications to enhance their portfolios and skills.”
Addison Andrews and Nicholas “Nick” Beatty earned a broad spectrum of certifications recognized industry-wide as demonstrating mastery of skills.
Beatty earned the following credentials and/or distinctions: Microsoft Office Specialist-Expert, Microsoft Office Specialist – Associate, Office Word 2019 Expert, Office Word 2016 – Expert, Word 2019 Associate, Office Outlook 2016, Office Power Point 2016, Power Point 2019 Associate, Office Excel Expert 2019, Office Excel 2016, Excel 2019 Associate.
Certifications and distinctions help those who earn them elevate themselves for high paying technical jobs. They show potential employers that they can expect a certain level of proficiency in a certain skillset and do not require intensive training.
The certification for Microsoft Office Specialist – Expert, will, according to the Microsoft website, “demonstrate that you have the advanced skills needed to get the most out of Office.”
Addison also earned certifications and distinctions in Microsoft Office Specialist – Expert, Microsoft Office Specialist – Associate, Word 2019, Word 2019 Expert, Excel 2019, Excel 2019 Expert, Outlook 2019, Power Point 2019.
Excel 2019 Expert certification opens the door wide for different applications in the business or technological world. According to Microsoft, those who earn the certification “demonstrate… ability to apply the main features of Excel 2019 at an expert-level, such as creating, managing, and distributing professional spreadsheets for a variety of specialized purposes and situations.”
Excel serves as almost basic infrastructure for most businesses, providing easy ways to build and use spreadsheets to manage and share data.
Other programs prove expertise in different fields, such as doing presentations with Power Point.
According to Southern Careers Institute, certifications can lead to a number of helpful results. First is increased job opportunities. SCI explains that “most hiring managers that hire for positions that involve working with software require or prefer candidates who are proficient with Microsoft Office. Therefore, if you have an MS Office certification, it can show potential employers that you have the skills and knowledge to effectively complete assigned tasks.
Furthermore, being certified can set you apart from candidates who do not have the certification. This is because it can clearly show you’re willing to put time and resources into improving your skills which is an attractive trait to potential employers.”
Additionally, Microsoft Office has a wide variety of in-depth features that casual users often miss. Certification shows that the earner knows the program inside and out.
Other advantages of certifications include gain recognition in your place of work, improved efficiency and productivity, enhancing your credibility and marketability, staying current with the latest software and better teamwork and collaboration.
According to a school press release “their Lincoln High School Business Teachers, Mrs. Savannah Burns and Mrs. Julie Yearego are very proud of both of these hard-working students who have set a very high bar for future CTE students to achieve! These soon to be graduates have a bright future ahead of them with the skills they have learned and mastered in high school.”
