Compensation and Benefits Plan

Transcript of how to create a table of information

Today I am going to demonstrate how to create a table of information using Microsoft Word. The demonstration will be using Office 2011 for MAC. However, Office for PC operates very similar. In fact, most word processors work very similar.

The first thing we need to do is figure out what information headings we will be using.

Let’s pretend I am looking at a new job. I have been going through the online job boards and researching information about the different positions. I want to know what I am worth on today’s market.

I am looking for a welding position in a factory. The companies I have looked at are:

1. Joe’s Welding and Machine

2. Paragon Pipe Fitting

3. Acme Tool and Engineering

Now that I have identified the companies that are hiring in my area, I need to see what they are offering for the position.

I want to know about some common items that should be offered for this position. So, in order to compare the three companies side-by-side, I am going to create a simple information table.

The information I am interested in includes:

1. Salary

2. Medical

3. Dental

4. Vision

5. Retirement

6. Life Insurance

7. Vacation

Now I am going to create the table.

Go to the top of the page and choose Insert from the menu, then Table.

A button appears on the ribbon that is used to create new tables.

I need to know how many cells I will need to create the table. I have three companies and seven benefits I am comparing. I also need to allow an extra row for headings. So, I will select eight rows by four columns on the table creation tool.

Now let’s fill it the headings.

Now my table is ready to populate with information.

Benefits	Joe’s	Paragon	Acme
Salary	$40,000	$50,000	$55,000
Medical	Y	Y	Y
Dental			Y
Vision			Y
Retirement			Y
Life Insurance	Y		Y
Vacation	40 hours	48 hours	80 hours

Now, I can analyze the information to see which job seems to be the best.

Acme is paying more, has a full benefit package, and has the most vacation. I guess I will be applying for a job at Acme.