What You Will Learn
By the end of this course you will be able to create, format and deliver professional presentations with confidence. You will know how to work with slides, text, images, basic animations and transitions.
Course Content
- Understanding the interface, ribbon and view modes
- Creating, saving and opening presentations
- Working with slides: adding, duplicating, deleting and reordering
- Using slide layouts and the Slide Layout panel
- Normal, Slide Sorter and Reading views
- Applying and customising themes and colour schemes
- Working with backgrounds, fonts and brand colours
- Formatting text boxes: alignment, spacing and styles
- Inserting and positioning images, shapes and icons
- Using the Slide Master for consistent formatting across a presentation
- Inserting and formatting charts, tables and SmartArt
- Working with pictures: cropping, effects and layering
- Inserting and editing video and audio clips
- Using hyperlinks and action buttons
- Adding headers, footers, slide numbers and dates
- Adding transitions between slides effectively
- Creating simple, purposeful animations
- Using Presenter View: notes, timings and laser pointer
- Running, pausing and navigating a live slideshow
- Printing handouts, notes pages and exporting to PDF
Who Should Attend?
Complete Beginners
New to PowerPoint and wanting to build professional presentations from day one
Administrative & Support Staff
Required to create or update presentations and wanting to do so quickly and confidently
New to a Role
Starting a new job where PowerPoint is used and needing to get up to speed quickly
Self-Taught Users
Using PowerPoint without formal training — wanting to fill the gaps and build better habits
What You Will Need
PC or laptop
With Microsoft PowerPoint installed (any version from 2016 onwards). Mac users welcome — minor interface differences will be noted.
Reliable internet connection
Broadband or Wi-Fi. The session runs via Zoom or Microsoft Teams — joining details sent 7 days before the course.
Microphone & headphones
To ask questions and interact with the tutor and group throughout the day. Most laptops have everything built in.
Webcam (recommended)
Not required, but encouraged. Your tutor will use their webcam throughout — it makes the session feel much more like a real classroom.
Before & After This Course
Before
- Avoiding PowerPoint or producing slides that look amateur
- Spending hours on presentations that still look inconsistent
- Not knowing how to apply branding or themes correctly
- Relying on colleagues to fix or design slides
- Using the same basic layout for every presentation
- Nervous about managing the slideshow during a presentation
After
- Creating polished, professional presentations independently
- Applying consistent branding, themes and layouts with ease
- Working quickly and confidently with all PowerPoint tools
- Adding charts, images, media and animations professionally
- Using Presenter View to deliver with confidence
- Ready to progress to the Intermediate course
What's Included
Expert Tutor
Live instruction with real-time Q&A throughout the day
Excel Cheat Sheet
A handy reference card of key shortcuts, formulas and functions to keep
Certificate of Achievement
Personal certificate awarded on completion of the course
Post-Course Support
3 months email support as you apply your new skills
