What (besides politics) irritates you?

[drop2d]

Originally Posted by thebridge15

how have they not been fired? I'm imagining a data analyst, really of any sort, not being able to use excel with comfort would probably be churning out some pretty shoddy work, and if nothing else would be doing it very slowly

or are they just really good at managing expectations?

Most of these people have been around in various roles for 20+ years... the reports they put out look 'good'. It's just the shit they have to do to put them together that's excruciating to watch. I'm taking over an account from someone else and it's just driving me insane the slop that I have to correct.

[zajDmB1]

Originally Posted by rconverse

Especially if you have the word analyst in your title.

Exactly. Hell, when I signed up for a temp agency right out of college, they had a whole test on excel competency. Granted, most of it wasn't that much beyond like knowing you can drag through boxes to continue data patterns or something for data entry positions, but still.

[thebridge15]

I guess I'm building models about an average of 70% of any workday, so it's a bit different. if someone in my group didn't have a basic grasp of vlookup for example the amount of time it would be taking them to do anything would be immediately noticable

[rconverse]

Originally Posted by zajDmB1

Exactly. Hell, when I signed up for a temp agency right out of college, they had a whole test on excel competency. Granted, most of it wasn't that much beyond like knowing you can drag through boxes to continue data patterns or something for data entry positions, but still.

Same with me. Test was pretty easy. The only question I missed was on how to record a macro. Seems silly now but when they asked, I said up front I didn't know macros. Keep in mind, this was back in 1998. I don't think Excel was even around that much prior, so kind of exusable to be clueless.

Flash forward to 2013 (fuck, I'm old) and I was talking to a hiring manager and she said you can't test people in interviews on skills they list on their resume. Seems weird because you hear about how Google tests applicants. I don't know. Just sucks when we get a new analyst who says they're good with Excel and they're awful.

If you work at a really great company, there will be different level analysts and you can't move up without mastering the skills from the previous stage. I'd like to start something like that at my company.

[rconverse]

Originally Posted by drop2d

Most of these...

Originally Posted by zajDmB1

Exactly....

Originally Posted by thebridge15

I guess...

Any of you on any Excel websites/message boards? I'm on:

MrExcel.com
VBAExpress.com
Ozgrid.com
DataPig.com

and I think a couple others when I was really learning Excel but haven't been on since, so can't recall the rest.

I also went to a three day boot camp hosted by Mike Alexander (DataPig) and Bill Jellen (MrExcel), which was kind of the genesis of my Excel obsession.

[rconverse]

*sigh*

So it's Friday and the girl who was punched in the face and had her head slammed into a car window on Tuesday is back. Wonderful.

I'm sure they'll celebrate their reunion with hardcore drinking and drugs. Of course, that won't end poorly. I mean, it has EVERY OTHER SINGLE TIME but this time will be different.

[aoeiifreak]

Originally Posted by rconverse

I mean, it has EVERY OTHER SINGLE TIME but this time will be different.

I've told you n times, I've told you n+1 times...

Sad how that shit always happens. I mean I get the tendency to fall into bad habits, but at least all mine are self destructive. Can't imagine putting up with anyone else subjecting me to the same kind of shit.

[rconverse]

Originally Posted by aoeiifreak

I've told you n times, I've told you n+1 times...

Sad how that shit always happens. I mean I get the tendency to fall into bad habits, but at least all mine are self destructive. Can't imagine putting up with anyone else subjecting me to the same kind of shit.

Exactly. I'm not asking anyone to be perfect or silent. But, don't inflict your shit on everyone around you.

[AllifromOhio]

Originally Posted by rconverse

Any of you on any Excel websites/message boards? I'm on:

MrExcel.com
VBAExpress.com
Ozgrid.com
DataPig.com

and I think a couple others when I was really learning Excel but haven't been on since, so can't recall the rest.

I also went to a three day boot camp hosted by Mike Alexander (DataPig) and Bill Jellen (MrExcel), which was kind of the genesis of my Excel obsession.

Are those like Ants for Excel?
I'm decent, I'd like to get better.

[spoot388]

ya, i'd like to learn as well. i've only had minimal experience using excel at work

[rconverse]

Originally Posted by thebridge15

how have they not been fired? I'm imagining a data analyst, really of any sort, not being able to use excel with comfort would probably be churning out some pretty shoddy work, and if nothing else would be doing it very slowly

or are they just really good at managing expectations?

These people just say that "I sent the request to so and so". Somehow that works.

Originally Posted by drop2d

Absolutely. And even when you think you're an 'expert' with excel, there's still a ton more shit you can learn.

100% correct. I've been at my company going on 8 years this September and am absolutely one of the best (if not the) there. However, when I go online, it's just like...Yeah, these guys are mind-blowingly good. That especially applies when you get into macros. There's just some crazy stuff out there.

A good book is "Guerilla Analytics" as well as (something like) "Macros from the Pros". The latter may not be the exact title but it's a book with all this sick stuff that people have Excel doing. It's insane how much here is to this application. And, I'm only familiar through the 2007 version. I haven't seen anything more recent.

Originally Posted by aoeiifreak

Having used matlab extensively at school (and illegally at home), it's likely his workplace doesn't want to pony up the cash for a corporate matlab license.

I'm sure my complany falls under this umbrella.

Originally Posted by drop2d

Most of these people have been around in various roles for 20+ years... the reports they put out look 'good'. It's just the shit they have to do to put them together that's excruciating to watch. I'm taking over an account from someone else and it's just driving me insane the slop that I have to correct.

I took over an account that had a bunch of people who were only in the role for like 12-18 months (the director was horrible to work with) and experienced the same thing. The crap that people can come up with is mindboggling.

Originally Posted by AllifromOhio

Are those like Ants for Excel?
I'm decent, I'd like to get better.

Yes. MrExcel.com has free podcasts and other stuff as well as a message board. I think that particular message board is both the most friendly and provide the best replies timely. Ozgrid I believe is the biggest but it's not that friendly. I took a one week ban on my first post for not using code tags. (Code tags work similarly to quotes on ants.) It just put a sour taste in my mouth for that site. Plus MrExcel.com has a more ants look and feel.

Originally Posted by spoot388

ya, i'd like to learn as well. i've only had minimal experience using excel at work

Best thing I ever did was sign up to learn Excel for free for 1 year on the MrExcel website. Basically, each week, you'd get an email with that week's lesson. With almost no effort, over the course of a year, you can improve your Excel efficiency 4x. Also, as you understand more and more, you can start to envision what stuff can really help you and what can't.

Altight, I'm going to stop nerding out.

[spoot388]

cool, thanks for the insight

[rconverse]

Okay, let's get away from Excel being an irritant (which it definitely can) and get back to the universally known irritant...women.

This is a comment from an article on HuffPo where some cat hoarder was complaining that people asked her too often why she didn't take her husband's name.

Ruby Ruggles · Top Commenter
Well, get this---this morning I was telling a man about a flat tire I had recently, and he ASSUMED that my husband had changed it, rather than me! He was right---but STILL...! I've been SO irritated ever since cuz I'm a feminist!

How dumb can anyone sound???

Also, if you don't want to take your husband's name, fine. Personally if you don't want to take my last name, I'm giving you a $1 shell ring as an engagement ring. You're not getting any month's worth of my salary just for agreeing to marry me and not taking my last name. If I love her, I'll still get married but I'll takethe ring money and put it towards whatever else I want.

[bamadavefan15]

Originally Posted by rconverse

We have so many analysts that have no idea how to use Excel. I don't understand how you can be an analyst and not know how to use it. Also, if you don't know how to nest formulas and utilize pivot tables, you don't really know hot to use Excel. I'm still trying to get my head around array formulas. It's like I kind of get it but don't totally get it.

Lolololol damn that's bad

Originally Posted by unccrombie

matrices and arrays should be handled in something like MATLAB.
Not Excel.

Eh. No point in MATLAB unless they need it. Excel is probably fast enough for what their doing. If not, python would probably be a much better choice than MATLAB if they just need matrix and array operations due to cost and learning curve.

[Gene Parmesan]

People that use Einsteins definition of insanity. Actually, no, that's not the definition. I hear that phrase way too much.

[Tiduwho]

Nothing more frustrating than getting a new employee that can't use excel and can't type well. Especially when its a woman and as a male superior you have to be naturally nice, friendly, and patient. All the while you are thinking "this is hopeless, why am i even training this person, they clearly don't have the patience to learn excel"

[rconverse]

There's a guy at my work that doesn't understand basic queries at all, so getting him to use something like Hyperion is hopeless. Similarly, I work with a girl who doesn't get Excel at all. Trying to maintain my patience with either is a HUGE challenge. Very frustrating.

[Roose13]

Never understood how some photographers can be lazy. You have one fucking job.

[Tomriddle]

There's always that guy at the bar who is all by himself and keeps yelling/cheering the sports game at the top of his lungs. And then looks around at everybody, like someone's about to go hang out with him. Shut the fuck up, dude.

[AllifromOhio]

Adds on Hulu Plus.

[bartender_man]

Originally Posted by Tomriddle

There's always that guy at the bar who is all by himself and keeps yelling/cheering the sports game at the top of his lungs. And then looks around at everybody, like someone's about to go hang out with him. Shut the fuck up, dude.

[K270]

The usps site for applying for a job. It says that you need a windows based computer running firefox or Internet Explorer. Long story short, I turn off the Block Pop-Up windows thing on my Mac, and BAM, I can apply. After applying you take an assessment test. Took 45 minutes for 200 questions. When done, my results were instant. I'm ineligible for the position I was applying for and as a courtesy, they also told me 40+ other positions I'm ineligible for. I can retake the assessment test in late September of this year. Oh well, looks like I won't be a postal worker.

[TwoStep2888]

Originally Posted by AllifromOhio

Adds on Hulu Plus.

the worst

[Tiduwho]

Originally Posted by K270

The usps site for applying for a job. It says that you need a windows based computer running firefox or Internet Explorer. Long story short, I turn off the Block Pop-Up windows thing on my Mac, and BAM, I can apply. After applying you take an assessment test. Took 45 minutes for 200 questions. When done, my results were instant. I'm ineligible for the position I was applying for and as a courtesy, they also told me 40+ other positions I'm ineligible for. I can retake the assessment test in late September of this year. Oh well, looks like I won't be a postal worker.

Did you say you might have a predisposition to going postal or something?

[Tiduwho]

People that snore and refuse to simply sleep on their side, and can "only fall to sleep" on their back when they are snoring like a fucking lawnmower.

[jojo04]

Originally Posted by Tomriddle

There's always that guy at the bar who is all by himself and keeps yelling/cheering the sports game at the top of his lungs. And then looks around at everybody, like someone's about to go hang out with him. Shut the fuck up, dude.

We have that guy at my regular bar. We call him serial killer Rick. Mostly because we assume he kills people.

[Roose13]

Originally Posted by Tomriddle

There's always that guy at the bar who is all by himself and keeps yelling/cheering the sports game at the top of his lungs. And then looks around at everybody, like someone's about to go hang out with him. Shut the fuck up, dude.

Look at me! I love sports! Yay team!

[aicdmb]

If someone is out watching the game alone, Im feeling pretty bad for them. Not as bad as Bridge's Vegas buddy, but still bad

[AllifromOhio]

Originally Posted by TwoStep2888

the worst

What do I pay monthly for if I still have adds?

[Lcsulla]

Never done this before but jumping out of bed and scrambling out of my bed only realize it was sunday - NHL playoffs are taking a toll on me.