Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation graphics application that was designed for creating slideshows that convey important information to an audience in a manner that’s accessible and engaging. PowerPoint provides users with the tools for word processing, graphing, drawing, outlining, and managing presentations. Those who work with this application find it to be intuitive and easy to use.
PowerPoint users can easily create presentations with the help of the provided templates or design their own presentations from scratch. In addition to textual elements, images, videos, and art can also be incorporated into PowerPoint presentations. Because of its wide range of uses, PowerPoint has been a staple in the business and academic sectors for decades, helping presenters better inform and connect with audiences around the globe.
The Power of PowerPoint
A killer presentation not only impresses an audience, but informs them, sways them, and provides them with important information in a memorable format. To accomplish these goals, PowerPoint provides users with an array of professional design options. For example, it’s possible to add cinematic motion and animations to PowerPoint presentations. In addition, three-dimensional objects can be directly embedded into PowerPoint from a library of content or even the user’s own files. This application provides free templates in 40 categories, such as newsletters, menus, calendars, and address books. Users can also animate corporate or brand logos so that they can be displayed at the forefront of their presentation.
The editing process is transparent when working with PowerPoint. When presentations are saved in Microsoft OneDrive, the file is converted from Reading view to Editing view. In the Editing view, it’s possible to see the presentation as a slideshow to spot any errors, as well as to add or edit content. In collaborative projects, the “While You Were Away” feature allows users to monitor changes that were made by others in the time since they last visited the presentation. These helpful tools ensure a grammatically clean presentation.
Another helpful PowerPoint feature is its ability to transcribe spoken words during a presentation and place them in captions on the screen. These subtitles can be displayed in the language that is being spoken or translated to a different language for optimal accessibility.
Because it is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, PowerPoint integrates with other Microsoft applications. It’s possible to import documents from PowerPoint into other Microsoft products, such as Excel and Word. In addition, once a presentation is created, it can be saved to OneDrive, then accessed on a phone, tablet, or computer.
Which Industries Use PowerPoint?
PowerPoint plays an integral role in professions across industries that rely on presentations to convey information. Here are just a few of the careers in which PowerPoint skills are an asset:
- PowerPoint Specialist: Also known as Presentation Specialists or Presentation Designers, a PowerPoint Specialist’s job involves ensuring that the intended audience of a presentation is able to receive the message in the most direct and meaningful way. They are masters of PowerPoint’s basic and advanced features and have the training and know-how to present visual designs that reinforce the written and spoken components of presentations, regardless of the style or client. PowerPoint specialists offer creative support to internal teams within an organization to assist them with important projects for stakeholders. Their knowledge of PowerPoint helps them to promote brands, convey vital information, offer clarity about a product or service, and ensure that audience members understand the information being presented.
- Graphic Designers: PowerPoint helps those working with images to perform a variety of tasks, such as blurring or deleting backgrounds from images, generating custom shapes, and transforming text into shapes.
- Video Editors: This application’s video editing capabilities help Video Editors perform crucial tasks like trimming videos, transferring the same video to multiple slides, and exporting presentations as videos.
- Freelancers: Not only does PowerPoint play an important role for in-person jobs, but those with training in this application have freelance employment options as well. Many companies and organizations hire freelance workers with training in PowerPoint to help with specific projects, such as presenting a new product launch or car design.
- Communication Managers: These Managersincorporate their skills with graphic design and storytelling to create PowerPoint presentations that can break down complicated material into compelling narratives for a more general audience.
- Technical Editors: PowerPoint helps Technical editors to develop communications geared toward specific audiences, a well as edit presentation content, format, and arrange slides and graphics.
- Data Analysts: Not only are Data Analysts responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting information, but they must also find a way to present it that’s engaging and informative. In this capacity, PowerPoint can help Data Analysts by offering a platform through which to present data visualizations.
- Teachers and Educators: Those in the world of academia use this versatile app to present class material to students in a way that’s interactive, fun, and memorable.
- Students: Learners of all ages have been using PowerPoint for years to share work with their peers. Elementary and middle-school students presenting at science fairs use this app, as do high-schoolers sharing history reports or final literature presentations. In higher education, many students also rely on PowerPoint to share final projects and research findings.
- Academic Administrators: In addition to educators and students, Academic Administrators also use PowerPoint for daily tasks. They rely on PowerPoint to create and disperse educational statistics, reports, and budgets to stakeholders.
Regardless of the profession, PowerPoint plays an integral role in helping to convey information to audiences in a way that’s interactive, engaging, and memorable.
Start Learning PowerPoint with Hands-On Classes
Those who know how to create stunning PowerPoint presentations have many job opportunities across industries and careers. If you are interested in learning more about how to use this Microsoft Office application, then Noble Desktop’s live online and in-person PowerPoint courses are for you. These small group classes prepare students at all levels to work with this industry-standard presentation software.
If you are looking for a more rigorous and intensive PowerPoint class, look no further than Noble’s PowerPoint Bootcamp. Throughout this 14-hour, two-day course, participants create different layouts, as well as learn how to layer objects and customize text. More advanced features are also covered, such as how to make your own reusable PowerPoint template, as well as how to import Excel charts.
There are also over 50 PowerPoint courses available from Noble Desktop and its affiliate schools. If you want to learn more about which of these courses you can take nearby, Noble’s PowerPoint Classes Near Me Tool is designed to help prospective students explore all learning options.