UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA (UiTM)

CAWANGAN PERAK KAMPUS SERI ISKANDAR

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (HONS.)

BA273 (PART TIME)

BUSINESS APPLICATION ESSENTIALS

(BTM452)

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT:
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MICROSOFT WORD
SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

PREPARED BY:
SAZWIN NAZIRAH BINTI ABDUL SAMAD
(2024853676)

PREPARED FOR:
TS. NUR HASNI BINTI NASRUDIN
PAGE 2 TABLE OF CONTENT

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION 3
History of Microsoft Word 4
THE MICROSOFT WORD 5
Features of Microsoft Word 5
Benefits of Using Microsoft Word 6
Statistic 7
CONCLUSION 8
REFERENCES 9

TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE 3 INTRODUCTION

Digital literacy has emerged as a crucial skill set for a variety of businesses and job
responsibilities in the modern workplace. Microsoft Word is one of the most popular tools for
producing, editing, and formatting documents among the various software applications that boost
office efficiency. Since more and more businesses are communicating internally and externally
through digital documentation, people who are proficient in Microsoft Word are better able to
handle a range of activities, from generating presentations and analyzing data to writing reports
and proposals. Additionally, as technology develops further, Microsoft Word adds new features
and capabilities that working people need to master to stay competitive in their areas. Therefore,
based on research, this paper will show how having a firm grasp of this software not only makes
daily tasks easier but also puts people in a successful position in a fast-paced, more digital
workplace.

INTRODUCTION
PAGE 4 HISTORY OF MICROSOFT WORD

The history of Microsoft Word starts in 1981. This is when Xerox programmer, Charles
Simonyi, was brought to Microsoft to develop Word. The first version of the productivity
software was launched in 1983.

It was the first word processing application to use the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you
get) design framework, which ensured that whatever was displayed on screen translated to print.
This allowed users to create documents on the computer so they could see them exactly as they
would appear when printed.

Microsoft Word was the first application to incorporate bold-faced and italic fonts, as well as line
breaks. By 1985, version 2 of Microsoft Word was released, which included spell check and
word count features.

In 1989, Word was released as an application for the new Windows operating system. Other
word processing technologies did the same, namely WordPerfect. However, Word for Windows
adapted better to the graphical interface, leading to its eventual dominance. Microsoft Word was
also one of the earliest programs to appear on Mac computers. The early 1990s saw Microsoft
develop original code for Macintosh software.

In 2003, both Windows and Mac versions were renamed to Microsoft Office Word, to align with
the wider Microsoft Office suite of applications. Subsequent versions have been developed over
the years to allow for versatility and the ability to operate on several operating systems, such as
Mac, Android and Windows. Microsoft Word has since become the world’s most used word
processing software.

INTRODUCTION
PAGE 5 THE MICROSOFT WORD

Features of Microsoft Word

1. HOME This has options like font color, font size, font style, alignment, bullets,
line spacing, etc. All the basic elements which one may need to edit
their document are available under the Home option.
2. INSERT Tables, shapes, images, charts, graphs, header, footer, page number,
etc. can all be entered into the document. They are included in the
“Insert” category.
3. DESIGN The template or the design in which you want your document to be
created can be selected under the Design tab. Choosing an appropriate
tab will enhance the appearance of your document.
4. PAGE Under the Page Layout tab comes options like margins, orientation,
LAYOUT
columns, lines, indentation, spacing, etc.
5. REFERENCES This tab is the most useful for those who are creating a thesis or writing
books or lengthy documents. Options like citation, footnote, table of
contents, caption, bibliography, etc. can be found under this tab.
6. REVIEW Spell check, grammar, Thesaurus, word count, language, translation,
comments, etc. can all be tracked under the review tab. This acts as an
advantage for those who get their documents reviewed on MS Word.

Apart from all the above-mentioned features, the page can be set in
different views and layouts, which can be added and optimized using
the View tab on the Word document. Margins and scales are also
available for the benefit of the users.

THE MICROSOFT WORD

PAGE 6 BENEFITS OF USING MICROSOFT WORD

Improve Your Resume

Microsoft Word and its accompanying suite of programs, Microsoft Office, is used by over a
million companies worldwide. With Microsoft Word’s popularity, its nearly 30-year history, and
its availability on a variety of operating systems, many companies expect job applicants to
possess Microsoft Word skills already. Efficiency in the program is required for thousands of
positions. And when it isn’t required, most job positions across industries require documentation,
data handling, or presentation skills. Microsoft Word, and by extension Microsoft Office, is a
must-have skill for the modern business professional.

Boost Your Productivity

Microsoft Word bills itself as a productivity software with an intuitive interface. The program
also features ready-made templates, allowing beginners of the program to quickly create a
variety of documents. The program’s what-you-see-is-what-you-get interface means there’s no
guesswork from what the user sees on their computer screen to what is printed. Additionally,
Microsoft Word possesses a host of efficient features, including keyboard shortcuts,
customizations, and configurations to make the formatting of documents quick and easy. Word’s
lookup tool allows users to conduct research and find synonyms without leaving the program.

Learn to Work within a Team

Microsoft Word possesses several collaboration tools that allow editing and document creation
between team members. Teamwork capabilities are one of the main reasons for Microsoft
Word’s popularity within businesses, allowing entire departments to come together on a project
or share that project across departments. Users of Microsoft Word can boost their skills in
collaborating with others by providing feedback with comments, suggesting edits, and sharing
workloads.

THE MICROSOFT WORD

PAGE 7 STATISTIC

Microsoft Word Usage Statistics

According to statistics, Microsoft Word's use increased significantly following the COVID-19
pandemic as more people began working from home, and the program remains one of the most
popular apps globally. Over 1.2 billion people use Microsoft Word on several platforms as of
2024, demonstrating its ongoing popularity in both personal and professional contexts. The
software's continuous upgrades, improved functionality, and smooth interaction with cloud-based
platforms like OneDrive and Microsoft 365 are the main causes of this spike in usage.

THE MICROSOFT WORD

PAGE 8 CONCLUSION

In summary, since the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work and digital collaboration
became commonplace in many industries, the importance of Microsoft Word in the office has
only increased. With its comprehensive functionality and easy-to-use features, Microsoft Word
has been essential to sustaining productivity throughout this shift. Word is now a vital tool for
remote and hybrid work environments because of its seamless document creation, editing, and
sharing capabilities across teams as well as its cloud connectivity through Microsoft 365.
Besides, being proficient in Microsoft Word not only increases productivity but also promotes
professional development and career advancement as organizations continue embracing digital
technologies. Thus, because Word is so widely used, becoming proficient with it is now essential
for success in the fast-paced, document-driven workplace of today.

CONCLUSION
PAGE 9 REFERENCES

Admin. (2022, December 21). What is MS Word? - Basics, Uses, Features & Questions.
BYJUS. (admin, 2022)

Aithor. (2024, June 11). The impact of using Microsoft Office tools in enhancing productivity in
the workplace. aithor.com. (aithor, 2024)

(Waghorn., The evolution and history of Microsoft Word, 2024)

Microsoft Word Usage Statistics. (n.d.). (Microsoft Word Usage Statistics, n.d.)

Why Learn Microsoft Word? (n.d.). (Why Learn Microsoft Word?, n.d.)

REFERENCES