Main image via Retire Before Dad + TheNextWeb
Do you consider yourself a pro at creating Excel spreadsheets? Do you know all the sums without having to Google them first? Then we’ve got news for you.
There is reportedly a world championship for Excel sheets and it’s offering the champions thousands.
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If you’ve had to fill in an Excel sheet, you’ll know that though it seems easy at first, the program can actually get very daunting.
But for those who excel in the art of spreadsheets and more, there’s a possibility that you could make some serious cash from your skills at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship.
The championship is a global competition that puts students’ proficiency, problem-solving skills and more in Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint to the test.
However, before an individual is allowed to partake in the competition, they’ll have to be enrolled in an approved, degree-seeking academic institution that’s recognized by their country.
According to the rules, the competition is only for those between the ages of 13-22.
If you’re wondering what winning a contest will get you, the upcoming 2021 championship will see the first place winner winning $7,500 (RM31,102), a trophy, a medal of achievement, a winner’s certificate and other prizes supplied by Microsoft.
The second place winner will win $3,500 (RM14,514), a medal and a certificate, while the third place winner will receive $1,500 (RM6,220) along with a medal and a certificate.
“The MOS Championship doesn’t end with the awards ceremony,” the championship’s website reads. “Winners go on to compete and succeed in higher education and the job market.”
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“Some of the foreign countries, they’ve been training for hours and hours and hours on end,” previous winner John Dumoulin told the New York Post. “When you first meet the international students, everyone’s friendly, but when they find out you’re competing against them in the same category, they get this fire in their eyes. They want to win.”
The annual competition draws huge numbers of competitors each year, each striving to prove their mastery of the programs. In its 18th year in 2019, the championship saw over 850,000 candidates from across 119 countries.
In the final round, 161 students competed fiercely to win the grand prize.
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“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Aaron Osmond, the general manager of Certiport – the company that helps run the championship, said. “Most of us in an office think that we know how to use Excel. These kids really know.”
Though this year’s deadline to enroll in the championship has past, you can always start brushing up on your skills now! We know we will be!
Are you an Excel master? Do you know someone who is? Share this with them!
Info via UNILAD