Working with Documents & Spreadsheets

18 min

Working with Documents & Spreadsheets

Documents and spreadsheets are the two workhorses of digital work. Free tools like Google Docs and Google Sheets — or Microsoft Word and Excel — let you create, edit and share them.

Documents (word processing)

  • Structure work with headings, paragraphs and bullet lists
  • Use styles (Heading 1, 2…) instead of manual formatting — it keeps documents consistent
  • Spell-check before sharing; read once aloud to catch awkward phrasing

Spreadsheets basics

  • A spreadsheet is made of cells in rows and columns; each cell has a reference like B2
  • Let a formula do the maths: =SUM(A1:A10) adds a column; =AVERAGE(B1:B10) finds the mean
  • Format numbers as currency or percentages so they are easy to read
  • Freeze the header row so headings stay visible when you scroll
Key takeaway: Master headings in documents and simple formulas in spreadsheets, and you can handle the majority of daily workplace tasks.
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