Concatenation — the act of joining text, numbers, or cell values — is a small Excel skill that pays big dividends in interviews and everyday professional communication. Knowing how to concatenate in Excel helps you build polished resumes, clean contact lists, dynamic email templates, and efficient interview schedules. This practical guide explains what concatenation is, how to use the main functions and operators, common pitfalls and fixes, and exactly how to present the skill in an interview.
What is how to concatenate in excel and why does it matter
Concatenation in Excel is simply combining multiple text strings or cell values into one output. Common tools are the modern CONCAT function, the legacy CONCATENATE function, the ampersand (&) operator, and the more advanced TEXTJOIN for delimited ranges. CONCAT replaces CONCATENATE in recent Excel releases and works with ranges and single items; Microsoft documents CONCAT as the contemporary choice for simple joining tasks Microsoft CONCAT support. For step-by-step examples and basics, resources like W3Schools and Excel Easy are handy references W3Schools CONCAT guide Excel Easy concatenate examples.
Resume and cover letter prep: Merge first and last names, or assemble address lines.
Interview logistics: Create consolidated candidate lists and full contact rows.
Sales and client comms: Personalize greetings like "Dear FirstName LastName" at scale.
Reporting: Build single-line records from multiple columns for exports or summary sheets.
Why it matters
How do you use how to concatenate in excel with the CONCAT function
Syntax: =CONCAT(text1, [text2], ...)
Example: =CONCAT(A2, " ", B2) will combine a first name in A2 and a last name in B2 with a space.
Range support: =CONCAT(A2:D2) will join all values across that range into one string.
CONCAT is straightforward and modern:
CONCAT converts numbers to text automatically.
CONCAT does not insert delimiters unless you add them as literal strings (for example, " " for a space or ", " for a comma).
Notes:
Microsoft documents CONCAT as the recommended function over the old CONCATENATE in recent Excel versions Microsoft CONCAT support.
Prepare a sample worksheet that shows concatenating names with titles, e.g., =CONCAT("Dr. ", A2, " ", B2) to show attention to detail and formatting.
Practical tip for interviews:
How do you use how to concatenate in excel with CONCATENATE and the ampersand
Syntax: =CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], ...)
Example: =CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2)
It still works but is considered legacy; Excel suggests using CONCAT or TEXTJOIN for new workbooks Microsoft CONCATENATE support.
CONCATENATE (legacy)
Quick and readable: =A2 & " " & B2
Perfect for simple, one-off concatenations in interview tasks or live exercises.
Ampersand (&) operator
Use &: quick, concise when doing live tests or editing.
Use CONCAT: when you need consistency and range support.
Use CONCATENATE only when maintaining legacy spreadsheets or compatibility.
When to use which
How do you add delimiters and format numbers when learning how to concatenate in excel
CONCAT and & won’t add spaces or commas automatically. You must insert them as string literals:
Example with comma and hyphen: =CONCAT(A2, ", ", B2, " - ", C2)
Example with &: =A2 & ", " & B2 & " - " & C2
Delimiters
Blank cells are treated as empty strings by CONCAT, which avoids errors but may leave extra delimiters (e.g., double spaces).
Use conditional logic to avoid stray delimiters:
Example: =TRIM(CONCAT(A2, " ", IF(B2="", "", B2))) trims extra spaces when B2 is blank.
Handling blank cells
Numbers convert to text automatically, but you often want controlled formatting:
Example: =CONCAT(A2, " ", TEXT(B2, "0.00")) will join a name and a numeric amount formatted to two decimals.
For date formatting: =CONCAT(A2, " - ", TEXT(B2, "yyyy-mm-dd"))
Number formatting
TEXTJOIN provides delimiter control and can ignore empty cells:
Syntax: =TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], ...)
Example: =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:C2) joins three cells with commas and skips blanks. See Microsoft and tutorial references for TEXTJOIN examples Excel Easy TEXTJOIN info.
Advanced join with delimiters
How do you concatenate ranges and avoid common challenges when practicing how to concatenate in excel
CONCAT accepts ranges: =CONCAT(A2:D2)
TEXTJOIN is usually better for ranges when you need consistent delimiters and to ignore blanks: =TEXTJOIN(" ", TRUE, A2:D2)
Concatenating ranges
No automatic delimiters: remember to add " " or ", " between values.
Unwanted spaces from blank cells: use TEXTJOIN with ignore_empty TRUE, or conditionally concatenate with IF and TRIM.
Number formatting lost: wrap numbers with TEXT to preserve formatting.
Formula length and argument limits: legacy CONCATENATE allowed up to 255 arguments and up to 8,192 characters total; be aware if building massive concatenations — modern Excel functions and dynamic arrays reduce the need to hit these limits CFI CONCAT notes.
Common challenges and fixes
If a concatenation returns unexpected results, check each cell for trailing spaces using LEN and CLEAN to spot hidden characters that affect outcomes.
Debugging tip
How can how to concatenate in excel help you prepare for interviews and professional communication
Show concrete examples: "I combined candidate names and contact details into a single row for quick filtering and emailing" is stronger than just listing functions.
Create templates: a 'Candidate Contact' template that concatenates name, phone, email, and notes demonstrates preparedness.
Personalization at scale: use concatenation to produce mail-merge-style greetings for outreach or post-interview follow-ups.
Translate skill to impact
Interview round-up: combine interviewer names and ratings into a single summary cell to present during debriefs.
Sales outreach: create a "Salutation" column using =CONCAT("Dear ", A2, " ", B2, ",") to power email templates.
College/administrative tasks: join address lines and student IDs for registration exports.
Practice scenarios
Knowing the difference between CONCAT, CONCATENATE, &, and TEXTJOIN.
Handling edge cases: blank values, formatting, and large ranges.
Demonstrating repeatable templates that save time and reduce errors.
Skills interviewers look for
Bring a worksheet where each candidate row includes:
Full name: =CONCAT(A2, " ", B2)
Contact line: =CONCAT(C2, " | ", D2)
Personalized salutation: =CONCAT("Dear ", A2, " ", B2, ",")
Real-world example you can show
Showing this during a conversation proves you can both write formulas and apply them to workflows.
How can Verve AI Copilot Help You With how to concatenate in excel
Verve AI Interview Copilot can accelerate learning and live practice for concatenation. Verve AI Interview Copilot gives targeted exercises, real-time feedback and sample Excel tasks that simulate interview scenarios where how to concatenate in excel matters. Use Verve AI Interview Copilot to rehearse explaining formulas, to get suggestions for cleaner templates, and to refine answers about why you chose CONCAT versus TEXTJOIN. Learn more at https://vervecopilot.com and try the Interview Copilot tools to practice concise explanations and on-the-job examples before your next interview.
What Are the Most Common Questions About how to concatenate in excel
Q: Can I combine numbers and text when learning how to concatenate in excel
A: Yes use CONCAT or & and TEXT for controlled number formatting
Q: Which is better CONCAT or CONCATENATE when asked how to concatenate in excel
A: CONCAT is modern; CONCATENATE remains for legacy files
Q: How do I avoid extra spaces with how to concatenate in excel
A: Use TEXTJOIN with ignore_empty or TRIM and IF to skip blanks
Q: Can I concatenate entire ranges when exploring how to concatenate in excel
A: Yes CONCAT accepts ranges; TEXTJOIN adds delimiters and ignores empties
Q: Will concatenation break numbers when practicing how to concatenate in excel
A: Numbers become text; wrap TEXT( ) to preserve numeric formats
Quick reference cheat sheet for how to concatenate in excel
CONCAT
Example: =CONCAT(A2, " ", B2)
Best for: modern simple concatenation and ranges
Docs: Microsoft CONCAT support
CONCATENATE
Example: =CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2)
Best for: legacy compatibility
& operator
Example: =A2 & " " & B2
Best for: quick, readable joins during live exercises
TEXTJOIN
Example: =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:C2)
Best for: range joins with delimiters and skipping blanks
For practical walkthroughs and examples see beginner-friendly tutorials like W3Schools and Excel Easy which cover syntax and use cases W3Schools CONCAT guide Excel Easy concatenate examples. For professional-oriented write-ups on limits and function behavior consult Corporate Finance Institute resources CFI CONCAT notes.
Conclusion
Knowing how to concatenate in Excel is a compact, high-impact skill that shows attention to detail and efficiency — two traits interviewers value. Practice with real interview and work examples: build templates, handle blanks and formats, and be ready to explain when you’d use CONCAT vs TEXTJOIN vs &. With a little practice you’ll not only write cleaner spreadsheets, you’ll be able to tell a concise story about how that skill improves workflows and communication in real professional settings.
Microsoft CONCAT documentation: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/concat-function-9b1a9a3f-94ff-41af-9736-694cbd6b4ca2
Microsoft CONCATENATE documentation: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/concatenate-function-8f8ae884-2ca8-4f7a-b093-75d702bea31d
Corporate Finance Institute overview of concatenate: https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/excel/concatenate-function/
W3Schools CONCAT guide: https://www.w3schools.com/excel/excel_concat.php
Excel Easy examples: https://www.excel-easy.com/examples/concatenate.html
References
