Learn SharePoint: The Best Courses and Resources

In recent years, businesses have been confronted with the increasing need to take their operations online. As a result, companies have placed great value on solutions that can maintain operations remotely while securely simplifying information sharing. SharePoint is an efficient tool developed by Microsoft to assist companies with such functions. If you want to increase your relevance in the workplace, then it’s high time you learn SharePoint. 

This definitive guide will help you learn more about SharePoint, including its applications and its benefits. You’ll also find a range of online resources and courses, free and paid, that can help you get SharePoint training and become a certified professional.

What Is SharePoint?

SharePoint is a cloud-based service developed by Microsoft to allow users to synchronize and share documents and simplify business operations, thus empowering web-based collaboration and project management.

Microsoft’s document management system helps teams set up a centralized space to store, download, edit, and upload documents. This streamlines the management and access of data with the simple entry of a password, opening opportunities for company-wide collaboration.

The SharePoint environment features three licensing options: SharePoint Online, SharePoint Server 2016 Standard license, and SharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise license. Microsoft’s latest version of SharePoint is the SharePoint Server 2019. 

This helps in project management, interaction, and collaboration across different teams. This includes communication sites, storage files, modern lists and libraries, search experiences, and team sites.

What Jobs Use SharePoint Skills?

SharePoint services are of great importance to companies in need of central storage and content management. And knowing how to utilize such services and tools can easily land you an opportunity in these companies. Here are some of the roles you should consider as you learn about the platform:

• Site Collection Administrator. In this role, you should know how to manage content and how lists and libraries work. Although extensive knowledge of SharePoint is not necessary, some foundational knowledge of it is.
  
  
• SharePoint Engineer. This is the most prevalent role among those who are proficient in SharePoint. SharePoint engineers oversee the overall configuration, maintenance, and monitoring of the SharePoint software. Just like other software engineers, they ensure that SharePoint runs seamlessly for the company.
  
  
•  SharePoint Developer. SharePoint developers, as the title implies, develop SharePoint solutions. These include working on upgrade releases and writing and modifying code according to specifications. Due to the very nature of their role, SharePoint developers need to have extensive experience and knowledge about SharePoint products.
  
  
• SharePoint Architect. SharePoint architects work on the blueprint of the software, planning out the entire environment from the server to the network layout. This is then used by SharePoint engineers and developers to create solutions.
  
  
• Project Manager. Whether you use Agile or some other methodology, this role oversees the successful execution of projects on time and to specifications. One must have proficiency in cloud-based data management and organization tools, such as SharePoint, as well as a knack for leading people to thrive as a project manager.
  
  

Steps to Learn SharePoint

Learning SharePoint is not as challenging as you might think. This guide provides you with key steps to learn more about the platform:

1. Install SharePoint 

You can access SharePoint on the Microsoft website. Before you sign up for any SharePoint training, it is essential to familiarise yourself with the tool first. This will help you know which SharePoint areas or features are challenging, allowing you to seek information easily from instructors.

2. Learn from Free SharePoint Resources 

Industry experts have flooded the Internet with different information about SharePoint. Be sure to exhaust these available free resources before investing in any paid ones. YouTube, for instance, is home to various SharePoint tutorial videos for beginners. These teach you the basics of SharePoint and last somewhere between one and two hours.

3. Enroll in SharePoint Courses and Training Programs

Expand your SharePoint knowledge by taking advantage of the numerous courses and training programs with in-depth lessons about SharePoint. Besides conceptual training, these programs will also teach you the best industry practices along with any other developments in SharePoint.


If you’re serious about pursuing SharePoint-related roles, then sign up for professional certification training programs and get licensed. For a list of available training opportunities, click here.

4. Build Your SharePoint Network 

There are plenty of webinars and meetups you can attend that walk you through SharePoint services and solutions. It is a great way to connect with other students like you while gaining relevant knowledge from industry experts.

5. Practice 

Anything you’ve learned about SharePoint is moot if you can’t apply it. Join the Microsoft 365 Developer Program to gain access to a developer sandbox. This gives you access to developer resources and data packs to help you practice. A subscription also grants you access to community calls and global bootcamps led by Microsoft 365 experts.

The 10 Best Courses to Learn SharePoint

It is quite daunting looking for a course that will offer you quality content from qualified instructors. Many online platforms offer educational material about SharePoint, but not all of them embrace high-quality standards. To avoid signing up for a mediocre class, we have compiled a list of the best available courses to learn SharePoint.

Mastering SharePoint

This is an instrumental course to learn the basics and best practices of SharePoint. You’ll learn to create and manage SharePoint publishing sites and web pages as well as work with other Microsoft products and services. These include using OneDrive for document management and the SharePoint Framework for an enhanced user experience. 

The course also features a varied range of topics from SharePoint Search, PowerApps and Flow, SharePoint WebHooks, and Integrate SharePoint and Office 365. Note that this course centers on the mastery of SharePoint 2019, particularly its new features and how it can help streamline business operations today.

SharePoint 2016 Foundations

This program will help you learn the building blocks of SharePoint, particularly: 

• The fundamentals of SharePoint Server
• The differences between SharePoint Online and On-Premises
• Configuration of web and service applications 
• SharePoint administration
• SharePoint security
  
  

The program is divided into seven courses that will bring you from beginner to expert. A bonus: it offers a 10-day free trial to interested learners.

SharePoint 2013 Complete Training

This course unlocks the full potential of SharePoint 2013. From building SharePoint sites and pages to conducting secure document management, this course promises to transform you into a SharePoint Pro. Enrollment guarantees full lifetime access to their materials and a certificate by the end of the program. To date, nearly 35,000 students have taken the course. 

Microsoft SharePoint Training Courses and Certifications

This is a full list of SharePoint courses taught by the New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, a premier IT training provider worldwide. The company is known to provide training and certifications to big companies, such as Microsoft, CompTIA, and Adobe. 

Browse the page for SharePoint courses and certifications, categorized by SharePoint version. The platform contains well-structured lectures with compelling introductory videos that provide an overview of the content. The certification course is self-paced, leaving you entirely in charge of your schedule.

SharePoint Online Essential Training: The Basics

This is an excellent beginner course to learn the basics of SharePoint Online. You will also learn how to manage default level permissions, identify useful apps, share and sync documents, and use them on iOS.

 

Completion of the course grants you unlimited access to course content and five continuing professional education credits redeemable with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. The course comes with a one-month free trial for you to sample the class. 

SharePoint Online Essential Training: Beyond the Basics

As the title suggests, this is an upgraded version of the preceding course. Its curriculum covers more intermediate and advanced lessons, including the creation and customization of web parts, pages, and SharePoint Workflows. 

Completion of the course grants you a certificate and 3.4 continuing professional education credits. Nearly 20,000 students have signed up for the course.

Microsoft 365 SharePoint Sites

This is an excellent introductory course to Microsoft 365 sites. The curriculum teaches you how to navigate SharePoint sites, libraries, newsfeed, and permissions. The course is created by Intellezy Trainers, a team of industry trainers. It comes with full lifetime access, a certificate of completion, and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find the course unsatisfactory. 

SharePoint Online for Administrators

Microsoft has over 15 courses to help you advance your skills in working with SharePoint. This certification course will help you learn about SharePoint Online Administration in Microsoft Office 365. By the end of the program, you’ll have practical knowledge about how to configure and set up SharePoint Online for your company.

Search in SharePoint 2016 for Beginners

This course is designed for any SharePoint user who wants to gain some experience in using SharePoint Search. You’ll learn how to configure a Search Service Application and the Query Suggestion feature. You’ll also learn how to enhance search navigation and tidy up the search results.

SharePoint 2019 Essential Training: The Basics

This beginner course is useful in helping students learn the essentials of SharePoint 2019. You’ll learn how to set up permissions for different security groups, upload and download documents from local storage, and update security policies. This is a certificate course that awards three continuing professional education credits upon completion.

Why Learn SharePoint? 

Learning SharePoint improves your job prospects. According to Microsoft, 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies use SharePoint, marking its significance for content management, sharing, and collaboration. Learning SharePoint is thus a necessary step if you want to boost your chances of getting hired. 

SharePoint certification courses are instrumental in providing you with reliable resources to create effective business solutions for large and small corporations. The changes in the SharePoint Environment dictates that there will be a need for people who are up to date with the platform’s recent developments. Learning more about the system is highly profitable and rewarding.