What is with the obsession with excel for IB (not powerpoint)?

As a prospect, everyone always says learn excel, learn how to model, etc. However, as an SA, 90% of my work was in powerpoint, and it sounds like even for FT analysts a majority of work is done in powerpoint, with some time in excel.

Why don't people tell college kids to learn powerpoint for IB? There are just as many keyboard short cuts and I would argue being good at powerpoint is a much more efficient use of time. I know so many people that are awful at powerpoint and only use the mouse and can spend hours on editing a deck that should only take minutes with the right powerpoint skills.

College kids think IB is this sexy job where you are cranking out massive models from scratch in excel, but the work you do in excel usually isn't even that hard and being an excel wizard helps but isn't the end all be all. On the other hand, the little edits that you will spend a lot of time doing in powerpoint will absolutely be faster if you have the right short cuts, and watching someone try to clean up a deck with a mouse is painful.

To all you prospects out there, spend just as much time on PPT, if not more than, practicing excel.