Microsoft Word 2013 Part 2: Intermediate

Overview

Designed for users who have mastered the basics, this intermediate guide from California State University, Los Angeles deepens practical Microsoft Word 2013 skills for producing professional, multi-section documents. Focused on workflows rather than isolated commands, the guide emphasizes consistent styling, layout control, and automation so you can build reports, proposals, and publications that remain easy to update and maintain.

What you will learn

Gain hands-on experience with features that control document structure and presentation. Key learning outcomes include advanced table handling, precise image placement and captions, dynamic headers and footers, flexible page numbering, and effective use of section and page breaks to vary layout within a single file. You will also practice cross-references, bookmarks, and fields so long documents stay synchronized after edits.

Core skills and techniques

Structuring and formatting content

Use built-in heading styles to enable automatic updates to navigational and generated elements. Learn best practices for using styles instead of manual formatting to ensure consistency, speed up global edits, and produce accessible documents that work well with Word features such as automated lists and references.

Tables, columns, and page layout

Organize data efficiently by inserting, resizing, merging, and styling tables. Explore when to apply custom column layouts and where to insert section breaks so parts of a document can have distinct orientations, margins, or headers without affecting the rest of the file.

Images, captions, and object positioning

Master image insertion, text wrapping, anchoring, and adding captions for figures and tables. These techniques keep visuals aligned with text flow and preserve layout integrity when you edit or reflow content.

Headers, footers, and numbering

Create consistent headers and footers, insert formatted page numbers, and configure different headers for sections or the first page. Learn how to restart numbering or apply different numbering formats for front matter and main content.

Cross-references and document automation

Work with bookmarks, fields, and cross-references to link headings, figures, and tables so references update automatically. Practice refreshing fields and updating generated elements to keep long documents accurate after revisions.

Who should use this guide

Ideal for students preparing long assignments, administrative staff producing policy or procedural documents, writers formatting manuscripts, and business professionals assembling proposals or reports. If you are comfortable with Word basics and want to work faster and more reliably, this guide is for you.

How to use the guide effectively

Approach the guide section-by-section: read concise task descriptions, then replicate the steps in your own document. Reinforce learning through suggested projects—design a report layout, build a newsletter with columns, or assemble a multi-section proposal. Practice using styles, section breaks, and field updates until automation becomes natural.

Practical projects and applications

Apply multiple skills together by creating real-world examples you can adapt: a structured business proposal with distinct sections and numbering, a two-column newsletter with anchored images and captions, or a formatted report using automated headings and cross-references. These projects demonstrate how combined techniques improve polish and maintainability.

Short FAQs

Can I restart page numbering mid-document?

Yes. Insert appropriate section breaks and set new numbering for the following section to control where numbering restarts and which format is used.

How do I keep figures referenced correctly after edits?

Insert captions for figures and use cross-references; update fields after changes so numbering and references remain accurate.

Is this approach suitable for long, professional documents?

Absolutely. Using styles, deliberate sectioning, and automated references makes complex documents easier to manage, faster to update, and more consistent in appearance.

Next steps

Follow the step-by-step tasks and try the included projects to transform everyday documents into polished, easily maintained deliverables. The techniques taught here will save time and reduce errors when working with longer, more complex documents in Word 2013.