A pivot table is a spreadsheet tool that makes it easy to select a data set from the larger data set in the spreadsheet for the purpose of exploring and summarizing it. It drills down into the data in the spreadsheet based on the parameters set by the user, to make the information more usable and more relevant. These tables rearrange the data, which is also called pivoting it, to showcase it in a way that stands out to the reader.
Learning pivot tables makes it easier to pull significant information from a spreadsheet, database, or business intelligence program that's full of data. You're able to program it to showcase the data set you need, and then you can add up or average the data by entering a command. You can set filters to remove unwanted data from your table, such as outliers, to make the results more relevant and valuable to decision-making purposes.
Career opportunities that can arise from learning about pivot tables include accounting jobs at all levels, from accounting clerks to CPAs. High school teachers and college professors are also jobs that can benefit from having learned pivot tables. Some other careers that may emerge as possibilities after learning how to use this data sorting tool include financial analysts, business managers, data analysts, and data scientists because success in all of these types of work hinges on how effectively large quantities of data are organized and used.
Taking online courses on Coursera can help you learn pivot tables starting at beginner level Excel courses where you apply spreadsheet-building lessons in a hands-on manner. When your skills are more advanced, you can jump into the intermediate and advanced courses that offer a more in-depth learning opportunity for creating pivot tables and data analysis skills that use pivot tables.