PowerPoint is a job skill, how very 1987 of me. Let me explain.
If Anyone Could Do It, Everyone Would Do It
Many a post and tweet lately is all “drop the digital, because it’s all digital these days.” See also: “don’t put that on your resume, that’s a given.” Of course that’s totally true – except when it isn’t.
While creating content may be old school for us, outside our filter bubbles there are so many professionals that don’t have communications skills. There are professionals – great at their jobs – who can’t write, who don’t have software training or digital know-how. Canva who?
So when someone who doesn’t have to use Microsoft Office everyday needs to do a content-based project, they’re lost. When that manager needs to create some graphics for a poster, they know nothing of typesetting, layout or graphic design. That director thinks it’s perfectly fine to just take images off Google, blow them up on a giant board. (It is not.)
Pad That Resume With Something ‘New’
I get offered these kinds of ‘projects’ all the time – a professional needs to create content, a combination of writing and graphics, to be published in some format for their colleagues.
Yes this a DIY vs Hire a Pro moment, because no they have no idea what a realistic budget is. More than that, it’s a teachable moment.
If you’re trying to advance your career then by all means, learn something new (to you). Your company has put Office products on the computer for a reason, use them. There’s this thing called Google and let your fingers do some typing for ‘easy presentations.’
Develop those other professional talents that may help your career. HR will notice. Your resume will stand out because unlike others in your field, PowerPoint is one of your job skills. (Just please don’t confuse it with professional design software.)
My resume is always tailored to highlight key expertise and talents; what wasn’t relevant experience for one job may be perfect for another. Someday I’d love to include my card playing and vacation planning skills.
YOU: any other ‘presumed’ skills you wish more professionals had?