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as much as I also hate getting that feedback, making engaging slides is a critical skill in consulting...
sounds like you need an attitude check
That’s ridiculous. You should be able to make (or better yet steal) decent slides. An ability to make at least clean and clear slides is essential. But wanting graphic designers from your consulting staff is completely stupid. And I’ve had clearer thinking partners tell me that.
When I try to get creative to make pretty looking slides, half the time it just looks stupid. Expectations for consulting staff should not be gorgeous or gorgeously creative slides. Not at all your value add.
Step 1. Open the timesaver on the Deloitte tools tab
Step 2. Use the “Tree with Leaves” graphic for every slide
Step 3. Never get asked to do .ppt again
SM: it’s best you figure out sooner rather than later that all consultants are ppt experts. Pretty much all our client outputs are ppt based. Sadly, if you wanted to really make your tech degree useful, you shouldnt have gone into consulting.
Op, that was a huge reason why I left! Lived out of a suitcase and committed to a project and the notes they held me back on were ridiculous. Good experience overall, but man, that shit drove me nuts.
Loving the privilege of having an offshore PowerPoint/graphic team to do this 😎
Ooof sorry OP, but in this profession everyone has to start with ppts.
Presentation of ideas is just as important as the quality of idea. Feedback like that means you aren’t getting your point across effectively. Using the chosen communication medium of consulting effectively is incredibly important.
What's the problem? In most fields tech skills only get you so far and then it's salemanship.
SM is just asking for the slides to communicate ideas better... tech degrees are all about finding elegant solutions (I know I got graded on how short my computer code was for IT101). It’s not different for consulting. How do you communicate your idea clearly and elegantly?
Thx
Sent from my iPhone
Yes, ppt work is unavoidable in our field. But the feedback provided to OP should be better. "Make it pop" doesn't help. "Bold this, move that for emphasis" is helpful.
 I think instead of telling people what to put on the slide explicitly, teach them how to convey information effectively and encode meaning using placement, color, and types of data visualization
I've been in tech 15 years (two tech degrees, 2 "PowerPoint" degrees), and as much as I hate to say it, the presentation is as important as the work. It really boils down to communication; if someone doesn't understand your brilliant work, you won't (can't) be recognized for doing it.
I once led a team with a 35 year tech veteran "professor" type who refused to present anything outside of an Excel spreadsheet. For our mutual benefit, I just had to "translate his work to PowerPoint", and it was a win-win for both of us. You might have to trick someone into helping themselves by helping you!
I had this experience when I first started consulting also with only engineering experience. While I understand it is a critical skill, and I now feel pretty good about my PPT skills, I also understand how crappy it felt on my first project when my Manager told me my deck was “dog shit”, and I understand how frustrating it can be. It gets better OP!
Change font to Comic Sans. Save. Done.
Tech person here. I make great slides IMO. It's the only way anyone pays attention. If you want to do only do tech work there are a large number of opportunities outside consulting.
You are in consulting, don’t you know that your worth is in the quality of slides you can make?
Joking of course, but I agree, you should strive to make decent and visually appealing slides, that was lesson 1 at DU!
This is the equivalent of bad handwriting in pre computer world.