Working with PPT presentations could be dull and boring: you need to format dozens of slides and align hundreds of objects. Spend some time to improve your knowledge of PPT functional and this time will pay off in a week or two.
1. QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR
It is hard to stress out enough, how useful this toolbar is.
As well as in Excel, you could add your most useful buttons to a Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) and refer to them with a nice shortcuts: Alt + 1, Alt + 2, etc. It is reasonably to add buttons, which are:
- needed several times a day;
- hard-to-reach on a standard panel.
This toolbar is also could be used to display some useful information, for example, current folder for this presentation. As well as usual buttons, you could add macros to this panel (macros discussed below).
Customization process is the same as for Excel. You could also find ready solutions, from breakingintowallstreet.com/biws/powerpoint-pro/ or other resources.
2. COURSES AND TRAININGS
There is no doubt, that the true learning come from practice. But this fact does not cancel usefulness of a good piece of theory. The earlier you go through some trainings, the better for you. There are many options and it is not a problem to find a suitable for your needs:
- breakingintowallstreet.com/biws/powerpoint-pro/;
- https://nutsandboltsspeedtraining.com/;
- www.udemy.com/courses/search/?q=powerpoint&src=sac&kw=power and so on.
3. MACROS
When you get understanding of PPT functional, it is time to automate it!
Macros in PPT are not so convenient as in Excel: you even do not have a Macro Recorder! But overall it is the same VBA and basic understanding of it will be useful.
4. LEARN AS MUCH KNOW-HOWS AS YOU CAN
In general, the more instruments at your disposal, the better professional you are. Our posts will expand your toolbox and show main loops for PPT:
- create table of contents for your presentation,
- alternative table of contents
5. CONCLUSION
Overall, there is no need to become an expert in PPT shortcuts and VBA guru. All formatting and casting work could be and will be outsourced to low-paid staff (and you want to receive promotions and increase your salary, right?).
So do not waste too much time on such technicalities. There is a diminishing marginal utility from this learning, but on a job-entry level jobs it could distinguish you from your colleagues.