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Tips on Designing Your Powerpoint Presentation

If there’s one thing I dread about office work, it would have to be creating Microsoft Office Powerpoint presentations. It’s not really about how to use Powerpoint since it’s a very user-friendly software, but I always find myself spending more time than usual on a presentation because I want to make sure I get my message across clearly and with a significant impact.

Don't bore your audience

Even for a designer and technically knowledgeable person like me, designing your own Powerpoint presentations can be a daunting task. Thankfully, there are a ton of resources out there that you can use to improve what you’ve already done, or even give you ideas to start from scratch! I decided to come up with these tips to hopefully help you conquer that Powerpoint presentation, may it be for the office, at school or even at your next get-together! 😉

 

Come up with an outline of your contents.

This is crucial. It is better that you already have an outline or draft of what you want to include in your presentation. This also allows you to come up with the flow of ideas so your audience won’t get lost. Plus, planning ahead helps you memorize or even get you in the mood to work on your Powerpoint presentation.

 

Keep It Simple.

Yes, keep it simple, unless your presentation or the event where you’re using it requires you to go all out. Otherwise, stick to the basics and let your images and words get your message across. This way, your audience won’t be distracted by all the animations, adornment or unnecessary stuff you put in there.

 

Search for inspiration.

There are many places where you can get inspiration. It can be from the people around you or your surroundings. It can also come from your topic itself.

I have bookmarked a couple of websites where I get inspiration from for designs I make, even for presentations. It’s great to find an idea that can spark your creativity, so it’s okay to look at what others have done so far.

 

Use Powerpoint templates.

There are built-in templates that you can use from within Powerpoint, and there are also many that you can download online.

Microsoft Powerpoint templates

 

Hire designers!

If you have not enough time to work on your presentation, I would also recommend you hire someone to do it for you. You can find Powerpoint presentation designers online and you’d be amazed by the quality of work they can provide. This doesn’t just save you time, but you also get to focus more on how you’ll deliver the presentation.

Whatever you do, good luck with that presentation! 🙂

5 Tools for a Better Car Audio System

Let’s face it: Sometimes your playlist is the only thing keeping you from insanity during a traffic jam or a long, dull commute. So doesn’t it stand to reason that your car audio should be optimized for perfection? Here are five great tools for turning your vehicle’s standard audio equipment into a state-of-the-art system.

Car audio

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Quick Tips on Choosing Your Domain Name

Your domain name is the online version of you, and whether you’re looking to establish an online version of you, your magazine, your non-profit, or your brand, it’s important that you consider a few things when contemplating domain name registrations. Whether you plan to buy a domain at NetworkSolutions.com today, or you’re still in the planning process, the following tips will help you in choosing a domain name and getting it registered and set up on your hosting space:

Domain name

Go for the top three TLDs.

TLD, which is short for top level domain, is in reference to the extension of a domain name – the bit that comes after the domain name and the period. .com, .net, and .org are the top three TLDs, with .com being the most popular, but followed closely by .net and .org. If you’re serious about setting up your brand online, then you’ll want the .com first and foremost, but you’ll also want to register the .net and .org variations, too. By having all three, you’ll not only make certain that visitors will find you, but you’ll rank better in search engine listings, too.

 

Go for short & catchy.

Use as few characters as possible, and whenever possible, avoid articles like “a”, “of”, and “the”. These can be confused for one another or incorrectly swapped for the plural versions, which can lead your visitors nowhere. Try to be concise with your domain name wording. This is especially important if you want to be consistent with names and identities across domains and social networks. jennsellsjugs.com will work nicely as “jennsellsjugs” on Facebook and Twitter, whereas “jennsellshomemadejugs.com” is a little on the lengthy side, and thus might have to be shortened for social media usage.

 

Optimize & Advertise.

Use SEO tools or the skills of an online marketer to make sure your site is up to the standards of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines. Optimization includes using clean, validated code, implementing relevant keywords and relevant, uniquely written content, and using your content consistently throughout your domain. Advertising can be done in a multitude of ways that include promoting your site on your social media profiles (and vice versa), and spreading the word about it via business cards and even word-of-mouth advertising.

Why I Love My Job

Since January 2012, I have been officially working full-time at home as a Social Media Manager for a US-based company. Some may find it cheesy, but I feel like I found my calling. Though I have always excelled in other jobs I took on in the past (no, I’m not bragging – just stating the truth 😛 ), being a social media manager has been really fun and interesting for me.

Working from home

And when I love what I’m doing, it’s only inevitable that I’ll somehow be noticed for the kind of work I do and my work ethic. That’s why late last year, I was promoted to supervisor of our team of social media managers. I am currently handling a group of 4 SMMs, and I consider myself the right hand of our manager.

I believe that in the 10 months that I’ve been officially managing our team, I have improved the quality of work my team members have put out. I have imposed certain rules and implemented a couple of weekly and monthly responsibilities here and there with the hopes of keeping the morale up while ensuring the team performs.

One of the most important things I believe I have improved with the team is their time management. I wanted to make sure everyone is using their time well and not extending work hours, which usually happens in work-at-home situations because people are more likely to slack off since they can do the work later.

I have weekly coaching sessions, which is currently postponed with the amount of work I’m getting, but I implemented a weekly report to keep them in check on how their clients are performing.

I do miss, however, holding meetings or conferences in a formal office environment. It’s difficult to completely get people’s attention when you’re only text chatting on Skype. They can acknowledge what you’re saying without genuinely paying attention.

I remember, back when I was still a team leader in the last 2 companies I worked for, I hold my team’s meetings and our agents’ training sessions inside spacious conference rooms where the IT department ensures have the most attention-grabbing multimedia enhancement. With the continuous advancement of technology, I’m sure there are more high-tech audio video solutions available today. One can even use a smartphone for presentations, which I would’ve loved to do this coming week.

Anyway, I am enjoying what I’m doing because, I believe, managing people is also one of the things I’m meant to do. And since social media is ‘in’ and continues to become a bigger part of our lives, I believe I’ll be enjoying working as an SMM for a long time. 🙂

IT Temp Work Leads to Full-Time Careers

IT Temp Work opportunities

Earning a certification or a degree in IT can improve one’s chances of finding a good job after graduation. Almost all companies would benefit by hiring people who are certified to perform technical tasks. Regardless of the major one chooses, some IT experience is always useful. A certificate or minor in IT places a job applicant ahead of his peers.

IT training makes a recent graduate uniquely suited for a wide variety of jobs. One problem that young adults encounter is not being experienced enough to qualify for good jobs, even if they meet all of the academic requirements. A good way to acquire the necessary experience is to take on some temp work. Even temporary assignments are hard to get these days, since there are so many applicants with impressive degrees and not enough career-track jobs to go around. It is common for people with college degrees to think that they are above applying for work through temp agencies, but the current employment environment makes it necessary to be humble about one’s job prospects.

Temp work can lead to greater opportunities. Many people who start out as temporary employees are eventually hired into companies as full-time staffers. One way to increase one’s chances of landing a permanent job is by taking network administration courses in college. A temporary employee who reveals a talent for managing the company computer system quickly becomes essential, and the business will not want to lose that person, even if the original temp assignment has been completed.

An individual might go through several temp assignments before finding the one that becomes permanent. This is not a reason to become frustrated or to allow one’s confidence to waver. Every successfully completed temp job is a potential new resume entry. It is a chance to impress a new management team and add to the list of people who can provide positive recommendations.

People who are attempting to navigate today’s economic landscape need to be open to new opportunities. There is no way to guarantee that one will land his dream job. He might not even end up working in the field of his choice. Instead of feeling discouraged at not being able to use his degree, someone who had the foresight to take some online career training courses or to minor in IT will still be putting his education to good use. He will have the satisfaction of knowing that his education is being put to good use.

No matter what direction a graduate ends up taking, some IT experience can make that path a bit less bumpy. He might choose to stay in whichever temp field he happened to be assigned to, which is how many people discover previously unknown talents. He could also keep taking temp jobs to bolster his resume while following leads that are more suited to his interests. Completing some IT training is helpful in both scenarios.