Remember the early days of the internet? I do. It was like discovering a new world. I spent hours diving into the depths of cyberspace, amazed at the endless information just a few clicks away. I felt like I had the world’s largest library right at my fingertips. Fast-forward to today, and we’re moving from the era of search engines to the age of the prompt. Now, instead of just typing keywords, we craft detailed, thoughtful queries with precision and intent. If you’re looking to stay current with AI, learning these new skills isn’t just useful—it’s a career-defining move.

In this transformative era of computing, as AI promises to revolutionize our lives and businesses, Microsoft Copilot stands out as a powerful ally. Technical learners can start building their Copilot skills on the Copilot learning hub on Microsoft Learn. And there are many ways that other learners can skill up to fully harness its potential.

Remember, Copilot is for everyone! It can enhance productivity, collaboration, efficiency, and more, and for the learner, understanding its nuances and adapting effectively are key to maximizing its benefits!

As a Microsoft Technical Trainer actively engaging with learners on Microsoft Copilot usage, I’m glad to share my advice here on six essential learning opportunities that can help you realize the full potential of Copilot at work.

Craft effective prompts. A key skill for many learners is the ability to create effective prompts for Copilot—making the most of its efficiency to crush their everyday tasks. If you need to write clear, concise instructions that yield accurate results in the Microsoft 365 apps that you use regularly, I recommend the Craft effective prompts for Microsoft 365 Copilot learning path on Microsoft Learn.

Refine completions. Occasionally, Copilot provides an unexpected answer. In this scenario, you need to validate its output and refine it as necessary. But how do you do this?

Focus on the art of the prompt. Get a good start on Examine how to build an effective prompt, specifying goal, context, expectations, and source. This article offers detailed guidance on crafting a highly effective prompt to get exactly what you’re looking for.

Use grounding and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Grounding feeds your model the right info for spot-on answers, and RAG fetches the freshest data to keep it current. Together, they help ensure that your Copilot completions are sharp, relevant, and on point. To get the expert’s edge on how to source your prompt, I recommend the section on grounding in Prompt engineering techniques in the Azure OpenAI Service documentation on Microsoft Learn.

Understand relevance. Knowing how to integrate Copilot effectively into your everyday workflow is crucial. To learn how Copilot can directly align with your specific job tasks or career, check out the Empower your workforce with Microsoft 365 Copilot Use Cases learning path on Microsoft Learn. It offers detailed use cases for operations, finance, marketing, HR, IT, sales, executives, and more. If you’re looking for ways to see how Copilot is relevant to your personal life, read Microsoft Copilot personal and work experiences explained.

Clarify privacy. Many learners have questions about Copilot and their private information. It’s important to know that Copilot is designed with data safety in mind. Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed with top-notch privacy and security measures that respect your organization’s data security and is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other regulations. Your data stays yours, and Microsoft doesn’t use it to train its models. Find out more in Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Make the most of Copilot—everywhere. Copilot is available in many Microsoft technologies and services, including Microsoft 365 apps, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. For specifics how to use Copilot in each Microsoft 365 app, see Microsoft 365 Copilot and Reinvent productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot. It’s also available in Windows on the Start menu or taskbar and more, as highlighted in Discover the power of AI with Copilot.

Boost collaboration and more with Microsoft 365 Copilot Teams and discover how to accelerate efficiency with Copilot in Dynamics 365. Learn to harness the power of Copilot in Microsoft Fabric to find actionable data insights for your organization. Build better apps faster with Copilot in Microsoft Power Platform. Plus, streamline Azure operations and management with Copilot in Azure. Find out how to make the most of Copilot in Microsoft Edge. You can even use Copilot to create unique images and designs with Image Creator in Bing.

Build your proficiency. If you’ve used Copilot for a while and you want to advance to the next level, I recommend integrating this cutting-edge technology into your everyday tasks to maximize your efficiency. Practice and exploration can accelerate your learning process. And level up your prompting skills with advanced prompt engineering techniques, as explored in the Azure OpenAI Service documentation on Microsoft Learn.

Try a free version of Copilot, or download the Copilot mobile app to get started. Now that we’ve explored some of the top opportunities for learning about Copilot and perfecting your skills, use this cutting-edge AI technology with confidence to drive your everyday projects, making the most of your everywhere, always available assistant.

Meet Barbara Andrews, Microsoft Learn expert 

Barbara Andrews began her professional career as an accountant but soon discovered that she loves technology and has a passion for learning and teaching. She has worked with almost every on-premises Microsoft server technology (except Exchange Server) and has worked her way through many Azure services. As a Microsoft Technical Trainer, Barbara specializes in Azure infrastructure, data, and AI. She has a passion for helping working professionals and career changers build skills and pursue their dream careers, and she has upskilled more than 20,000 students, both online and in person.

Learn more about Barbara Andrews.

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