Can You Get a Job After a PowerPoint Bootcamp?

Learning PowerPoint can help you build presentations that will wow the people you work with--and it can be a boon to your resume, too. If you’re looking to make a move into a field that relies on PowerPoint to communicate, taking a bootcamp that will teach you the most advanced skills will be a great place to start. Knowing what you’ll need the program for will help you determine which class to take to move yourself toward that goal. This article will help you determine how to use a PowerPoint bootcamp to help you in the job market.

What Job Prospects and Career Paths are available for PowerPoint Bootcamp Graduates?

In FinTech and other business fields, you’ll find you can share information with clients and shareholders using PowerPoint. In education, you’ll be able to use PowerPoint as a teaching tool both in-person and online. Graphic designers, video and technical editors, HR and communication managers: people use PowerPoint in so many positions. So the question to ask is not “What can I do with PowerPoint?” but rather “What do I want to do with PowerPoint?”

In the business world, PowerPoint can be used both synchronously and asynchronously. You can design slide decks for clients, shareholders, or your own team that pair with an oral presentation, or you can use the program to create brochures, newsletters, or videos that speak for themselves. PowerPoint is helpful in HR, too: an employee-facing human resource management PowerPoint, also known as an HRM PPT, will lay out policies and clearly stipulate details about hiring, training, pay, and benefits. Teachers, both in K-12 settings and at the university level, often use PowerPoint slides to create lecture notes; these can be delivered presentation-style in an in-person or synchronous online classroom, or can be shared with students as a take-home resource or in asynchronous classrooms. 

In researching trends and creating campaigns, marketing professionals can use PowerPoint to share information on their strategies with team members and clients. Since PowerPoint presentations can include a wide variety of visuals and other creative elements, they can be particularly effective as a way to convince potential clients. Graphic designers may choose PowerPoint to create logos, vector art, or animations, all without investing in expensive graphic design-specific software. The same holds true for video editing--PowerPoint is an alternative to pricey programs like Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro, and it’s one many people already have access to as a part of the Microsoft 365 suite.

If you’re beginning to guess that PowerPoint opens up doors to all kinds of jobs--you’re right. One of the best ways to determine what to do after taking a PowerPoint bootcamp is to begin the job search right now. Check out Indeed or ZipRecruiter, but instead of typing in a job description, just use the keyword “PowerPoint.” You’ll find there are jobs both in your area and remotely that require PowerPoint skills, and you may discover positions you didn’t even realize were out there--everything from Customer Service Managers to Data Analysts to Case Managers to Payroll Coordinators might require a high level of expertise in PowerPoint.

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Are PowerPoint Bootcamps Good for Beginners?

The most efficient and cost-effective way to learn PowerPoint from scratch is to enroll in an intensive, bootcamp-style class. Generally lasting several days, a bootcamp will cover both introductory and advanced material. There are loads of benefits to taking a bootcamp, one of which is that course providers will often offer a discount for bundling the classes, so you’ll save money over taking level one and level two classes independently. Another benefit is that the material gets covered sequentially and quickly, leaving no gaps in your knowledge--and no time to forget the skills you’ve learned before implementing them. 

An in-person bootcamp provides a stimulating classroom environment, with teacher oversight and a distraction-free place to learn. It can be fun to go “back to school,” in part because of the camaraderie of a group of classmates working on projects at the same time. A good teacher will foster a sense of growth mindset, the idea that our abilities are not fixed but rather that we can continue to learn and improve. This kind of encouraging classroom space will make it much easier to take on material that might otherwise be challenging. One issue with in-person learning is that it may not be accessible to you. Depending on where you live, you may find there isn’t an in-person option for you at all, or it is very limited in terms of scheduled offerings. If that’s the case, or if you learn better from home, a live online class will be the right fit.

A live online class is generally offered over a platform like Zoom and designed to simulate the experience of being in a real live classroom. There is still the opportunity for direct instruction, hand-raising, and trouble-shooting. Many students find they learn better at home, where they can use their own computers and sit in their familiar workspaces. One drawback is that working from home can mean distractions: that sink of dirty dishes might call to you when a project begins to feel challenging, or a chatty roommate or partner may inadvertently derail your learning. If you do decide to learn PowerPoint at home, do your best to minimize distractions: invest in noise-canceling headphones, find a quiet spot, and close your browser windows and apps so you’re not tempted to shop or catch up on your emails.

What Career Services Do PowerPoint Bootcamps Offer?

Career support services will vary from school to school, but there are ways for you to determine how and where you’ll get the most help in translating your bootcamp experience into tangible employment opportunities. Beyond looking at the syllabus and deciding which particular bootcamp will meet your needs, you might consider calling the training center directly and asking the team there how they’re able to help. Do they offer career support, or have relationships in your field that can help you make connections after completing the bootcamp? Most people taking a PowerPoint bootcamp won’t think to ask about career prospects, and you may be pleasantly surprised by what the staff of a training center would be willing to help you with. 

One of the most important things a PowerPoint bootcamp can do is to add an important line to your resume and increase the likelihood of potential employers moving your CV to the top of the pile. Be sure to note that you have advanced PowerPoint skills, and/or list those that will be most helpful given the job you’re looking for (managing large presentations with sections and custom shows, for example). Once you’ve identified specific positions to apply to, take a close look at the job descriptions and scour the company websites to determine how your new skill set might be important. While some people are moving away from writing cover letters when applying for jobs, you may want to write one that highlights your comfort level with PowerPoint and emphasizes the ways in which it can help you perform better in the position than other applicants.

What Jobs will a PowerPoint Bootcamp Qualify Me For?

While the title “Assistant” may bring to mind images of a smiling person handing cups of coffee to the bosses, the job has changed markedly in recent years. For many people, the role is not the bottom rung of the corporate ladder, but rather a career in itself. In many fields, from FinTech to education administration to nonprofit, executive and administrative assistants will rely on the Microsoft suite that includes Excel, Word, and PowerPoint--so a bootcamp on your resume will be an excellent indication to potential employers that you’re the right fit for the job.

Entry-level positions in HR and payroll will be good places to look as you update your resume with the PowerPoint skills you’ve learned, and analyst jobs in particular may rely on a high level of comfort with the software. While product manager and project manager positions tend to require some experience, keep an eye out for these types of roles--you may discover that you have many of the necessary skills, and that adding a PowerPoint bootcamp will put you in contention for the position. Jobs in procurement, data entry, mortgage operations, customer relations/solutions, healthcare compliance, and creative services may all be possibilities, so be sure to cast a wide net.

Can I Freelance After Completing a PowerPoint Bootcamp?

Freelancing, for many, is an ideal way to design a schedule that is perfectly tailored to work-life balance. It’s also an excellent way to determine what sort of work is the right fit. For those who want to use PowerPoint skills to begin a career as a full-time freelancer, the first step will be to determine whether PowerPoint is the main focus or simply a useful tool. If you were planning to offer your services as a PowerPoint expert, it’s worth noting that you could charge anywhere from $35 to $150 an hour to build a high-quality slideshow for a client. Impressing clients with your portfolio--a portfolio that you can easily create while taking a PowerPoint bootcamp--can allow you to bill clients at the higher end of that range.

On the other hand, you may determine that you’d want to freelance in a specific field--healthcare, for example--and use your PowerPoint skills as needed, along with any other skills that would fit the client’s needs. Look for freelance gigs in fields you’re interested in, and then tailor your resume and portfolio to that field. Make sure the slide decks and other work samples you present to clients are relevant to the field, use up-to-date language, and demonstrate an understanding of the industry. This will ensure the client has confidence in your abilities from the get-go.

Are PowerPoint Bootcamps Good for Upskilling?

Given how many industries rely on PowerPoint, it would be hard to go wrong with a PowerPoint bootcamp to increase your effectiveness at work. PowerPoint can be used to create synchronous and asynchronous presentations, interactive maps, timelines, infographics and social media posts, brochures, and digital portfolios. While anyone can toy around with the program and design very simple projects, a class will be helpful for those who want to take their skills to the next level--and impress the higher-ups.

A smart way to determine whether a PowerPoint bootcamp will help in your current position is to take a close look at the syllabus to see what skills are being taught. Compare those skills with what you need to create at work, and see how a higher level of comfort with PowerPoint might translate into improved performance. One advantage to upskilling is that you may be able to persuade your bosses to help: be sure to ask whether the company will pay for you to enroll in a bootcamp, and/or whether you can take the course during work hours. In order to make the best case possible, do your research ahead of time. Compare prices and syllabi, and consider what will matter to your supervisors. Take note of specific skills you’ll learn that can be helpful in your current role (as well as anything that may benefit you as you move up the ranks), and share the information with those who have the ability to approve work- or professional development-related expenses.

What Does a PowerPoint Bootcamp Offer Over Other Means of Finding a Job?

It’s important to remember that a PowerPoint bootcamp, for better or worse, has a narrow focus. In most cases, a PowerPoint bootcamp alone will not ensure your employability or be the key to moving from an entry level to a managerial position. If you are thinking about PowerPoint as part of a larger digital landscape--everything from computer coding to AI to design to cybersecurity-- you are probably a candidate for a college degree in computer science or a related field. You could pursue an Associates degree, which can generally be completed in two years as a fulltime student, or a Bachelors, which is a four-year degree--and you can even move on to post-college degrees, getting a Masters or PhD in the field. Learning PowerPoint may not figure prominently in these degrees, but understanding programming languages and computers more generally will make it fairly easy for you to pick up PowerPoint basics, whether in school or after you’ve finished.

The flip side of collegiate-level computer training is on-the-job experience. This is the way many people learn user-facing programs like PowerPoint, since the barriers to entry are low: the program is well-priced, included in the Microsoft suite that many employers already provide, and intuitive for beginners. If you are taking on a new position that requires PowerPoint, you may be taught basic skills by a supervisor or colleague, or you may be expected to pick them up on your own. If that’s the case, you can begin by experimenting with the software to see how easy it is for you to understand. Watch a few tutorials on YouTube or the Microsoft support website, open a document, and begin to explore the functions. Ask the people you work with how PowerPoint is expected to be used, and shadow someone in order to pick up the basics that will directly relate to the job. 

While a lot can be learned on the job, enrolling in a PowerPoint bootcamp will be a faster and more efficient way to learn the program and set yourself up for success. In a new position, you’ll likely have a boss to answer to or clients to impress. Building a skill set in PowerPoint means having the ability to deliver projects that look professional--and if you’re already in an entry-level position, a bootcamp shows that you’re investing in your career. Letting the higher-ups know that you’ve completed a class or mentioning it in a performance review can impress the powers that be, encouraging them to trust you with higher-level projects. Whether you’re looking for a new position, then, or going for a promotion, a PowerPoint bootcamp is a great way to advance your career.