Which PowerPoint Bootcamp is Best?

PowerPoint bootcamps can be a fast and efficient way to learn the program--but they have proliferated in recent years. How can you know which bootcamp will be the best fit for you? You’ll want to make sure to consider your budget and the amount of time you have available, then decide whether in-person or live online will be right. This article will walk you through the steps to evaluating PowerPoint bootcamps and point you in the direction of the best bootcamps out there.

What are the Most Important Criteria to Evaluate in PowerPoint Bootcamps?

Nine out of ten business presentations are created using PowerPoint, which speaks to its status as the most-used presentation software--but also proves that it can’t be overwhelmingly intimidating to learn. In fact, for many people it’s quite intuitive. The benefit of a good bootcamp is that everything you need to learn about PowerPoint, from basics to advanced features, will be covered in a straightforward and engaging way, leaving no gaps in your skill set. In deciding on a bootcamp, you’ll want to be sure to read the descriptions of each class and determine whether they’ll cover the skills you need. Many bootcamp providers will make a syllabus available on their website, so spend some time comparing them: does the syllabus seem sequential? Is there anything you know you’ll want to learn that you’re not seeing listed?

When deciding on a bootcamp, consider your own learning style. PowerPoint bootcamps are generally offered in three modalities: in-person, live online, or asynchronously. You’ll want to think about how you learn best before committing the time and money to a course. Perhaps you’re someone who wants the independence of a self-paced course so that you can race through the material (or take your time). Then again, you may need the structure and accountability of an instructor-led class. Some people thrive in a physical classroom, energized by the other students and the presence of a supportive teacher, while others prefer to learn from the comfort of home in a live online class. There is no “right” way to learn--only the way that will work best for you.

You’ll also want to be sure that the bootcamp providers are being honest about what they’re offering. Take note of sites that promise you’ll get a job after taking their bootcamp--learning PowerPoint can help you in your current position or can be a great skill to add to your CV, but it won’t guarantee you work. Be aware of statistics that seem too good to be true. It’s great if 90% of students who complete a bootcamp say they feel confident using advanced PowerPoint skills, but it’s suspicious if a service provider claims that 90% of students get a big raise after taking the bootcamp.

Take the time to do the research--not only about what’s being offered, but about who’s offering it and what they’re like. Call the school and ask a few questions to see if their customer service staff is friendly and helpful. If you’re considering taking a class in-person, go there yourself to take a look at the facility. You might even be able to meet the instructor, which can help you determine if their teaching style will match your needs. While the ultimate goal is to learn the material, knowing that you’re working with a friendly and qualified team can help you make an informed choice and give you the confidence to jump into the bootcamp feet first. 

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What are the Top PowerPoint Bootcamps?

While self-paced classes may work for some, in-person or live online bootcamps are generally the best option to learn PowerPoint efficiently and thoroughly. The following bootcamps are some of the best around: taught by industry experts and focused on hands-on learning in a dynamic classroom environment.

NYC Career Center’s PowerPoint Bootcamp: This class is a hands-on intensive with a focus on small, in-person classes at their New York City training center or live online. You’ll get comfortable with PowerPoint over just twelve hours in two days, and you can continue your learning at home with custom workbooks and a PowerPoint video tutorial library. The class combines the material that would typically be taught across an introductory and advanced workshop, so you’ll save both time and money.

Noble Desktop's PowerPoint Bootcamp: With classes live online or in-person at their New York City campus, Noble Desktop’s bootcamp will help you get up-to-speed on PowerPoint skills in short order. Once the two-day class is complete, you’ll also have lifetime access to a suite of customized videos that will help you review material long after you’ve completed the class. Noble Desktop is known for employing industry experts, so the direct instruction you receive will be high quality and up-to-date.

Coursera’s Work Smarter with Microsoft PowerPoint: If a self-paced course feels like a better fit, you’ll find this 19-hour on-demand course provides you with plenty of material to get started on your PowerPoint journey. The scaffolded video tutorials begin with the basics and move on to such advanced features as graphics, SmartArt, animation, tables, charts, audio and video. The final module focuses on presentation delivery, so you’ll be fully ready to take your learning for a test drive in the real world. 

NYIM’s PowerPoint Bootcamp: With a focus on teaching both PowerPoint fundamentals and advanced skills, NYIM’s bootcamp is a good choice for those looking to build dynamic presentations and use PowerPoint to its full potential. The class covers everything from creating layouts that incorporate text and graphics to managing large presentations with sections and custom shows. NYIM prides itself on the excellent reviews it receives from alumni, many of which focus on the high quality of instruction and the thoroughness of their classes. 

LinkedIn Learning’s PowerPoint: Silicon Valley Presentation Secrets: Not your run-of-the-mill PowerPoint class, this offering from LinkedIn Learning provides a combination of short video tutorials and hands-on exercises that will help students become adept at making eye-catching PowerPoint presentations. The self-paced class is a good option for those who have some fundamentals in place but want to focus on increasing the aesthetic appeal of their presentations.

Udemy’s PowerPoint Bootcamp: This class will take students from the basics through advanced features. One aspect of this self-paced course that sets it apart is the focus on branding and design trends, which will help learners to create presentations with a strong impact. Featuring knowledgeable instructors who make the material fun, the class focuses on applicable skills with no theory or extraneous information, so you can start building presentations right away.

Enrolling in a PowerPoint Bootcamp Part-Time or Full-Time

The great thing about learning PowerPoint is how quickly students can advance. In a matter of days, learners can go from opening a new presentation to adding in text, graphics, and animation--in short, building a presentation that makes an impact. Total immersion is an excellent way to learn a new language--and it can be helpful when learning a new computer program, too. This sort of singular focus can be a big advantage: in a society that increasingly rewards multi-tasking, it’s still a benefit to put aside other distractions and do a deep dive. As a general rule, people don’t do well when they are asked to take on more than one task at a time--even seemingly simple tasks--and there’s research from Stanford University that proves it. A PowerPoint bootcamp is a great way to focus your brain on one thing, which may mean learning the skills more efficiently in the long run.

A PowerPoint bootcamp will also allow for scaffolding: learning the basics will be quickly followed by an introduction to more advanced skills, so that you’ll have everything you need to take your presentations to the highest level by the time the bootcamp is done. The bootcamp structure can be especially helpful if you are a quick learner, since taking individual classes over a longer period of time might feel as though it’s slowing you down.

A bootcamp will incorporate both an understanding of the technical aspects of PowerPoint such as transitions, features, and add-ins, as well as gaining competency with design elements like typography, color, graphics, illustrations, and animation. Individual classes may focus more on one than the other, or may gloss over design in attempting to teach the nitty gritty of the tech aspects of PowerPoint in a limited amount of time. Learning both can lead to better integration. While the commitment level of a bootcamp--and the amount of material covered in a relatively short period of time--could be a deterrent for some, ultimately it may be the best way to ensure you learn enough about PowerPoint to implement it seamlessly in your work life.

On the other hand, it would be very possible to achieve the same level of mastery over weeks or months by taking multiple PowerPoint classes, slowly gaining the same skill set that boot camp participants get in a short timeframe. The slow build of these individual classes might work well for some people, particularly those for whom it’s a challenge to commit to several days in a row away from the office or familial responsibilities. Some people may also prefer to complete one level and then work on the basics of PowerPoint on their own, fine-tuning their skills by working on independent projects before returning to the classroom. In the end, it all comes down to learning style; knowing yours can mean learning PowerPoint in the way that will work best for you.

Enrolling in a PowerPoint Bootcamp In-Person or Online

With the exception of self-paced on-demand classes (which are only available online), PowerPoint bootcamps are generally available two different ways: in-person at a training center, or live online. 

An in-person PowerPoint bootcamp is the right fit for many people. It 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 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.

Live online PowerPoint bootcamps are 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.

Do You Want to Start a New Career using Your PowerPoint Training?

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. 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 synchronously and asynchronously. Graphic designers, video and technical editors, HR and communication managers: people use PowerPoint in so many positions. Knowing what you’ll need the program for, then, will help you determine which class to take to move yourself toward that goal.

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.

Which PowerPoint Bootcamp is Best For Me?

While the term bootcamp can encompass on-demand, live online, and in-person classes, there are big differences between the three--and it’s important to have a sense of which format will work best for you before committing. Self-paced on-demand bootcamps can be a boon to busy people who don’t necessarily have time to enroll in a PowerPoint bootcamp, whether because of erratic schedules or personal obligations. Students still cover the basics, often through a suite of bespoke videos (and PowerPoint presentations, of course), and they can walk away with a toolkit that will serve them well as they begin to design slide decks for their own work or personal purposes.

One benefit of self-paced courses is the price tag, which tends to be lower than that of live classes--some of them are even free. Be cautious of free classes, though: not only can they prove to be light on learning, but even a modest fee can incentivize students to complete the class and get their money’s worth. The flexibility of working at their own pace can mean that fast learners or those with some PowerPoint experience are able to skip ahead when they come to a unit they understand. On the flip side, slower learners may fall behind without the directed training they’d receive in a more hands-on, instructor-led environment.

This brings up a major drawback to self-paced courses: the lack of instructor oversight and feedback. When issues pop up along the way in a live PowerPoint bootcamp, whether technical or design-related, an experienced teacher can be relied upon to support students and help them get back on track. With an in-person or live online bootcamp, problems can be solved right away, leading to less frustration in the long run. The very presence of a teacher can also encourage you to work harder, implement what you’ve learned, and submit your projects on time, for fear of disappointing the instructor. Even the way a teacher explains things can be sticky enough to stay with you: you may find you’re hearing their voice in your ear when creating PowerPoint presentations long after the bootcamp is over.

There is also a special kind of energy in a classroom, whether in-person or virtual, and it’s not something that can be matched by a series of videos or slide decks. Sometimes, for example, a fellow student may ask a question you didn’t even know you had, or give an answer that provides a slightly different perspective from the instructor’s. PowerPoint bootcamps tend to boast small enrollment, so you can be assured of that perfect balance between peer engagement and personal attention. There’s also a savings over taking individual classes: course providers often incentivize bootcamps by cutting the costs, so that taking level one and level two individually would ultimately be more expensive than covering exactly the same material in a bootcamp.

Having said that, an alternative to live bootcamps is to start by exploring PowerPoint on your own and making use of free resources like video tutorials or presentation podcasts. Once you have a sense of how much help you’ll need, you may be in a better position to decide on the course that will best fit. Consider your schedule, too: determine whether it’s easier to do a self-paced bootcamp on your own time or a live bootcamp over the course of a couple of days. Think about your preferred learning style--some people do better with in-person instruction, while others like to learn from home. And keep in mind accessibility; you may or may not have access to an in-person class, which will limit your options, but everyone with a stable internet connection can take an online PowerPoint class. Finally, don’t rule out the possibility of starting with an introductory PowerPoint class. While bootcamps are an intensive and fast-paced way to kickstart your learning, they may be either prohibitive to your schedule or more thorough than is needed for your purposes.

Whichever PowerPoint class you land on, be sure to do the due diligence. Determine whether the course provider is reputable and whether the class will cover the material you need to learn. Make sure you spend time comparing training centers and syllabi, consider your budget and schedule, and then make the decision that will work best given your particular needs. Whatever you decide, learning PowerPoint skills can increase your employability, help you with personal projects, and build your confidence.