I recently sat down to do a “quick” email cleanup before launching a client’s customer survey—only to discover the contact list was a complete mess. You know how it goes: multiple spreadsheets from a client, vague memories of the right formulas, ten out-of-control VLOOKUPs, and fifteen minutes until your next meeting.
But this time, I had help. ChatGPT and Copilot turned my spreadsheet chaos into clean, functional data—fast.
I made my meeting. On time.
That moment got me thinking—not just about productivity, but about what happens when AI tools shift from helpful sidekicks to full-blown replacements, especially for new grads still learning the basics.
It’s personal for me. My daughters will enter the workforce in three and six years. What kind of jobs will even be waiting for them?
Back to the Spreadsheet Nightmare
Using AI to write Excel formulas was one of the first ways I started prompting. I’m no Excel wizard, and I used to dread cleaning up client data. Now, I just ask ChatGPT to do things like:
- “Write a formula that separates the number before the dash from the phrase after it in column B.”
- "Find the MODE in Row 2, columns C–F. If the MODE is zero, default to the highest number above zero. Make it easy to copy down the rows.”
- “Replace column F with data from column Z, based on the value in column D, using VLOOKUP.”
The AI responds with clear, usable formulas. When I give more context or ask follow-ups, it adjusts instantly.
With Copilot, it’s even better—it lives inside Excel, auto-completes formulas, offers suggestions in real-time, and explains everything like a built-in tutor.
No guessing. No Googling. No rewriting formulas ten times.
Just... done.
Excel for power users—minus the power struggle.
What AI Gets Right (and Wrong)
Using ChatGPT for Excel gives me:
- Speed: No syntax errors. No need to relearn functions I forgot years ago.
- Clarity: Explanations that feel like a seasoned coworker walking me through it.
- Momentum: I used to procrastinate when I didn’t know how to start. Now I don’t, because I know help is right there.
- Time back: I don’t waste 30 minutes building a solution I don’t trust. I use that time to think and refine the bigger picture.
But AI is only as good as your prompt. You don’t need to be a “prompt engineer,” but you do need to know what you want. I had to know I needed the MODE, not the MEDIAN. I had to define the steps for merging the data. The AI didn’t know that—I did.
What It Means for Entry-Level Roles
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: If your job is just building formulas like these, AI already does it—faster, cheaper, and with no coffee breaks.
These tools aren’t coming for entry-level analyst roles. They’re already here. And they’re quietly rewriting what “entry-level” even means.
New grads used to build skills by grinding through these kinds of tasks. Now, they risk missing those reps entirely. But maybe there’s a better way—where junior team members ramp up faster, and focus more on strategy than syntax.
But If You Know What You’re Doing…
If you already understand the logic of spreadsheets, this isa superpower. You still need to ask the right questions, validate the results, and frame the logic—but now, you do it three times faster.
It’s not about typing. It’s about thinking.
AI didn’t take my job. It took the parts that slowed me down—the repetitive, brain-draining stuff that felt like “work” instead of “value.”
Final Thought
This isn’t about AI replacing you. It’s about AI replacing the version of you who doesn’t have time to think.
If you’re early in your career: learn the tools—but more importantly, learn the thinking.
If you’re experienced: congrats. The machines just cleared your runway.
Now you’ve got time to think bigger.
