Why this matters
Spreadsheets appear in adverts for admin, data entry, assistant and NGO roles across Ghana. Many people get stuck on formulas. AI assistants are very good at explaining what a formula does, suggesting one for a task you describe, and walking you through cleaning a messy list. Used well, this turns spreadsheet problems that used to take an afternoon into minutes. Used carelessly, it produces totals that look right and are wrong.
Good ways to use AI with spreadsheets
- Explain a formula someone else wrote: paste it and ask "Explain what this does, step by step, in simple words."
- Suggest a formula for a task: describe your columns and what you want.
- Plan a cleaning job: "My column of phone numbers has spaces, some start with +233 and some with 0. How can I make them consistent?"
- Fix an error: paste the formula and the error message.
- Read a table: paste a small, non confidential table and ask what patterns stand out, then check them yourself.
Describe your sheet clearly
AI cannot see your sheet. Tell it:
- Which columns hold what, for example "Column A is date, B is item, C is amount in cedis".
- Which rows the data covers, for example rows 2 to 31.