Help from the Formatting Gods?

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some top formatting techniques and quality-of-life improvements for Excel and PowerPoint:

Excel Formatting Techniques:

1. Consistent Formatting:

   • Use the same column and row alignment across all sheets.
   • Format one sheet with headers and footers, then apply these settings to other sheets by holding down shift and selecting the other sheets. Use the shortcut Alt + P S P then Enter.

2. Conditional Formatting Checks:

   • Create checks for values out to three decimal places. Use green formatting if it’s zero, red if it’s not. Record a macro for this process and add it to your quick access toolbar.

3. Ticking and Tying Out Totals:

   • Ensure balance sheet balances, ending cash on the cash flow statement ties to the balance sheet, and net income from the P&L flows correctly to the cash flow statement.

4. Box and Label Helper Calculations:

   • Clearly box and label any side or helper calculations to avoid confusion later.

5. Custom Gridlines and Color Schemes:

   • Utilize custom gridlines and color schemes for headers, subtotals, and totals to enhance readability.

PowerPoint Formatting Techniques:

1. Slide Master Feature:

   • Use the slide master to ensure consistent formatting across all slides. This reduces file size and maintains uniformity.

2. View Gridlines:

   • Turn on the "View Gridlines" feature to align objects precisely.

3. Graphs and Graphics:

   • Use graphs and graphics to convey information visually. A well-placed graph can be worth a thousand words.

4. Bullets and Conciseness:

   • Use bullet points and keep text concise to maintain audience engagement.

5. Distribute and Align Items:

   • Learn how to distribute items vertically and horizontally, and align items either to the slide or to selected objects using shortcuts like ALT+JD+… or ALT+JP+….

6. Page Numbers:

   • Insert page numbers properly instead of typing them manually to avoid formatting issues.

Quality-of-Life Improvements:

1. Quick Access Toolbar:

   • Add your most-used tasks to the quick access toolbar in Excel and PowerPoint (e.g., add row, change fill color, decrease decimal, filter, new window, freeze pane, align function, create object, crop).

2. Version Control:

   • Version out documents more than necessary and keep an archive of previous versions to leverage past work.

3. OneNote for Organization:

   • Use OneNote for organizing notes with a great keyword search functionality. Structure folders by categories like "client," "internal," "buyer," "advisor," etc.

4. Print Setup:

   • Ensure consistent print formatting by scaling your print area to fit all columns and using custom scaling options.

Sensitivity Tables:

• Sensitivity tables can be tricky, but ensuring they are well-labeled and formatted consistently can help improve their appearance. Use conditional formatting to highlight key changes and make the data more digestible.

These tips should help you enhance your formatting skills and improve the overall quality of your work.

Sources: What I Wish Every First Year Analyst Knew, What I Wish Every First Year Analyst Knew, , The Monkey's Guide to PPT Slides, Q&A: Consistent Top Bucket IB Analyst