Up and Running with Pinterest with Lynda.com

Pinterest is a social media tool that allows you to bookmark content around the web in a visually pleasing arrangement. In this course, author Justin Seeley illustrates the basics of setting up and managing a Pinterest account and explores ideas for finding inspiration. Fill out your profile, add friends, and start pinning. Discover how to share activity on Facebook and Twitter, add your own image and video pins, and plan for activities like a wedding or vacation. The course also covers pinning on the go with the iOS and Android apps.

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Microsoft Excel - Do Not Print

Sometimes you may not want to print some information. For example, you may have some confidential information (such as employee salaries) in a column.

To avoid printing specific rows or columns, just hide them before printing. To hide rows or columns:

1.  Select the rows or columns you want to hide.
2.  Right click your mouse.
3.  Click hide.

To unhide, follow the steps above, but click "unhide."

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Every October, Microsoft recognizes National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the United States through our partnership with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA).

NCSAM was created to help increase awareness of online safety and security issues, and to help educate people about the best ways to protect their computers and other electronic devices.

Microsoft also supports NCSAM worldwide to help all of us foster the concept of digital citizenship and promote standards of appropriate behavior as we become an increasingly digital society.

Click here to read the full article.

Brand Building Basics with Lynda.com

In this succinct course, author, speaker, and marketing expert Lorrie Thomas Ross provides an overview of the basics of branding your business or yourself through consistency, communication, and effective collateral. The course shows how images, messaging, and market positioning can help you build visibility and credibility among customers. It includes real examples of successful brands and how aspects such as color, logos, and fonts, not to mention a strong web presence, contribute to their success.

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How to Organize Your Computer to Find Information Faster

An unorganized computer makes it more difficult to find information, and a computer that is cluttered with unnecessary files and email messages can be sluggish. So if you haven’t organized your computer recently and it’s running slower than you’d like (or you’re having trouble finding things), the tips in this article can help you delete or move old files and email and can even help you do a thorough cleanup.

Click here to continue reading this article at Microsoft at Work. 

Microsoft Excel - Why Are Hash Marks Displayed Instead of Cell Contents?

Do you know why Excel displays the # signs instead of the your text or numeric value?

There are several reasons, but the most common reason to see hash marks is because the cell is too narrow to display the value.  This happens a lot when you are trying to display a date or a sum. 

The solution - make the cell wider and your numeric value will display and the # signs will go away.

Negotiation Fundamentals with Lynda.com

Coach, negotiation expert, and author Lisa Gates demonstrates the skills empowered communicators use to achieve mutual benefit at the negotiation table. The course delivers repeatable strategies for negotiating common issues such as asking for a raise, setting fees, promoting teamwork, and bringing out the best in those you manage. Along the way, discover how to use interest-based negotiation, distributive bargaining, diagnostic questioning, and conflict resolution to handle both simple and complex negotiations.

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Tips to Remember When Sending Presentations to Other People

If you are creating a PowerPoint presentation that you will distribute to several people, below are some tips to help prevent others from not being able to view the presentation.

1. Use the fonts that were installed with Windows; Fancy fonts that appear on your machine will cause problems if everyone else doesn't have them.

2. Avoid embedding sounds and videos: these will not go from Mac to Windows.

3. Try looking at the presentation on a different platform (Mac vs Windows); be prepared for some visual changes in your file--the version or platform may not support some of the features you've put in, so be sure to sanity check your file on several different machines and versions BEFORE you distribute it!

Microsoft Excel 2007 - Short Cut to Wrap Text

When you are entering titles or long paragraphs of text, the Enter key will move to a new cell. Instead, press Alt + Enter to automatically wrap the text in the cell.

Quick and easy.  Try it!

Effective Public Speaking with Lynda.com

Develop the skills you need to prepare and deliver an outstanding speech or presentation. Author Laura Bergells offers practical insights that can help presenters prepare, open, deliver, and close their speeches. Along the way, discover how to project confidence, storyboard a speech, take questions, respond with thoughtful answers, and develop the creative story that adds life to a speech.


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Inserting Bookmarks into Word 2007 Documents

If you're working on a long Word document, navigating through it can be a hassle. Did you know that in  Word 2007 you can bookmark specific parts of your document? 

To insert a bookmark in Word 2007, follow these steps:

1. Select the portion of your document you'd like to bookmark

2. On the ribbon, click the Insert tab

3. Click Bookmark in the Links section

4. Type a name under Bookmark name. Bookmark names must begin with a letter and cannot contain spaces

5. Click Add

After you inserted your bookmarks in your Word 2007, now you need to know how to open them:

1. Click the Insert tab on the ribbon

2. Click Bookmark in the Links section

3. Select the name of the bookmark you would like to open

4. Click Go To

How to Optimize Battery Power on your Laptop

Have you ever run out of battery power on your laptop, notebook, or netbook during a meeting or a class? Sufficient battery life is a persistent challenge for mobile PC users. You can take simple maintenance steps to extend the life of your laptop battery. The Windows operating system also offers several ways to help maximize the battery life of your mobile computer.

Click here to continue reading this article at Microsoft at Work.

Sales Skills Fundamentals with Lynda.com

In this course, author Christopher Matthew Spencer shares his techniques for effective sales. Because a sale starts with finely honed communication skills, the course begins with communication and listening skills, and then explores the application of sales traits in everyday life—an ideal primer for making deals in business settings.

This course also covers the basics of connecting with prospective clients, making convincing presentations, understanding and maximizing the sales cycle, measuring sales abilities, and practicing sales skills in role-playing scenarios.

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Get More from the Notes You Take Every Day and Everywhere

If you’re like most people, your notes can be essential parts of virtually any kind of project. You may take notes for brainstorming, planning, research, or reference. Essentially, your notes represent your ideas. But do you still take notes on a legal pad or type them as a simple text file? 

Continue reading this article at Microsoft at Work.