How to become a Microsoft Excel MVP

As an Excel MVP, I occasionally get questions about how to become an MVP, what the process involves, and what the benefits are. To help answer these common questions, I’ve put together this blog post outlining everything you need to know about the MVP program.

While Microsoft’s MVP (Most Valuable Professional) program recognizes experts across many technology domains, my experience specifically centers around Excel. If Excel is your passion, the insights below will resonate most clearly, although much of this advice is broadly applicable across other MVP domains.

Step One: Getting nominated

To apply to become an MVP, you first need to be nominated either by a Microsoft employee or someone who’s already an MVP. That’s why building real relationships in the community is so important. That said, don’t make the mistake of thinking that simply asking around about how to become an MVP is enough. You need to consistently show that you’re adding value, sharing knowledge, and establishing true expertise in your area. The next section details some tangible steps for doing so.

By genuinely engaging with the community and building relationships rooted in mutual respect and contribution, you’ll naturally attract attention and ultimately nominations from MVPs and Microsoft employees alike.

Paying it forward

The heart and soul of becoming an MVP revolves around the principle of paying it forward. Microsoft MVPs are recognized for consistently providing meaningful contributions to their community without expecting direct reward or recognition. There are several practical ways to do this effectively:

• Writing informative blog posts: Regularly publishing high-quality content that helps people learn and master Excel tips, tricks, and best practices.
• Hosting free webinars, meetups, and livestreams: Sharing your knowledge openly through online and in-person events, making your expertise accessible to a wide audience.
• Answering community questions: Actively participating in forums such as Microsoft’s Tech Community, Stack Overflow, Reddit, or LinkedIn groups by providing clear, thorough responses to users’ Excel queries.
• Reporting bugs and suggesting features: Helping Microsoft refine Excel by submitting detailed bug reports and thoughtful feature requests, which demonstrates your deep engagement with the product and community.
• Creating educational videos: Regularly producing engaging, educational video content that simplifies complex Excel topics for a broad audience on platforms like YouTube or LinkedIn.

While ideally this kind of work is driven by a sincere desire to help others, there’s an increasing overlap today between purely voluntary community contributions and strategic content marketing. Many Excel experts, for instance, mix genuine community service with efforts to build their personal brand or advance commercial goals. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with this blended approach, it has created some tension. Some individuals have effectively leveraged social media algorithms to rapidly gain followers and attain MVP status, bypassing the deeper, more organic engagement traditionally linked with the award. However, depending solely on the hope of “going viral” isn’t a dependable strategy, so genuine, traditional community engagement still remains the best way to achieve MVP status.

The application and waiting process

After you’ve received a nomination, the next step involves filling out a detailed application documenting your community contributions. This application asks for specifics like dates, types of activities, audiences reached, and tangible impacts of your community engagement.

Unfortunately, Microsoft provides minimal feedback on unsuccessful applications. If your first attempt is not successful, you’ll need to wait until the next evaluation cycle, typically a full year, to reapply. This waiting period can be a bit disheartening, but consider it an opportunity to build your community contributions even further.

You’re an MVP…now what?

If you’re successful, congratulations! Becoming a Microsoft MVP is an exciting milestone and opens a wealth of new opportunities and resources:

• Direct line to Microsoft product teams: MVPs enjoy direct access to Excel product managers and engineers, providing unique opportunities to influence future product developments and improvements.
• Community mentorship and networking: A spontaneous and supportive mentoring system often emerges, with experienced MVPs helping newer members navigate their roles, responsibilities, and opportunities within the program.
• Annual MVP Summit: MVPs are invited annually to Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, WA, where they can engage directly with product teams and other MVPs in person. Although this event isn’t compensated (which can be a barrier for many), it remains a valuable networking and learning opportunity. There are also plenty of virtual events and meetings throughout the year.
• Software perks and benefits: MVPs receive several useful perks, including free Office 365 licenses, LinkedIn Premium subscriptions, access to premium software tools, and sometimes additional discounts and offers.

Is becoming an MVP worth it?

To become and remain an MVP, intrinsic motivation is key. Realistically, the MVP title often doesn’t resonate with hiring managers, many of whom either don’t recognize its significance or view it merely as a vanity metric rather than evidence of true expertise. Ironically, although fellow Excel enthusiasts deeply respect and understand the value of MVP recognition, these highly skilled individuals are typically self-sufficient and often not your primary customers, creating somewhat of a professional catch-22.

However, if your core motivation aligns closely with genuinely helping others—improving their productivity, reducing stress around data handling, and enhancing their sense of control at work—then the MVP designation will certainly complement your personal mission. Personally, I got into Excel precisely for this reason: to empower professionals by making their data-driven tasks simpler, clearer, and less stressful.

For me, being an MVP has significantly strengthened my ability to serve that broader purpose. While MVP status might not directly increase business opportunities, its real value lies in enabling deeper connections, influence, and impact within the Excel community.

Conclusion

Ultimately, deciding to pursue MVP status should stem from a genuine passion for your field, a deep commitment to community contribution, and a desire to continuously learn and grow alongside peers and colleagues. The intrinsic rewards such as personal satisfaction, community respect, and the opportunity to positively influence a widely-used technology often far outweigh extrinsic factors.

Still have questions about becoming an MVP or the process involved? Please share them below. I’d be happy to provide more insights. Also be sure to check out Microsoft’s official resources on the MVP program.