Businesses use presentations to share information with their employees and other stakeholders. From changes to the organization chart, to a new product, increases in market share and stock prices…a presentation makes it possible to inform a large audience all at once. So, it stands to reason the effective interview preparation should include presentation preparation. Furthermore, since speaking to a crowd makes many people nervous, I recommend that a little extra attention be paid to this phase of interview presentation.
As an interview candidate, you could find yourself in one of these three scenarios related to giving a presentation during the selection process: 1) You could be given a topic and other parameters before your interview and asked to be prepared to give a presentation during your interview; 2) You could be asked to give a presentation on a topic of your choice that is related to your career field or the position that you are interviewing for; or 3) You could be asked, during your interview, to give an impromptu presentation on a specified topic. This post offers steps that you can take to ensure that your presentation is exactly what the interviewer(s) are asking for.
I like to think of giving a presentation as a form of story-telling. Determine the point you want to make during your presentation; choose three points related to your chosen point of view to focus on; take each one individually; then present facts that support your point of view. Take this blog post for example. My objective is to help you create an awesome presentation for your next big job interview. So, I am telling you a story about three possible approaches that your potential employer could use to ask you to make a presentation during their selection process. I will present supporting information on each approach separately to help you in your preparation. Then, I will summarize everything and conclude my post. So, you see? One is presenting verbally and the other is presenting in writing, but the approach is very similar.
The first thing that I recommend is that you make a checklist of all of the requirements that your presentation needs to meet. It doesn’t have to be formal or fancy, but it needs to give you a place to track your progress by checking off each requirement as you work towards completion. Your checklist should also include information regarding your presentation platform (i.e., PowerPoint, Sway, etc.). Once you finish creating your presentation, let someone whom you trust, read it to see if it flows well. If time permits, give a copy of your checklist to a group of family members and/or friends. Do a practice run in front of them and ask them for feedback on how well your presentation meets the listed requirements.
Giving a presentation on a pre-determined topic, with other parameters spelled out for you is the most-advantageous scenario to be in. Think about it, you don’t have to stress, wondering if your topic is appropriate. You also don’t have to figure out an appropriate presentation length, etc. The thing that candidates have to remain mindful of when in this scenario, is that the employer is assessing his/her ability to follow instructions. So, if you are asked to do a five-minute presentation on the best way to complete a work task, don’t give a two-minute, or a ten-minute presentation on all the tasks that you do on your job. You will not have met the outlined requirements per the interviewer’s instructions and will likely not receive a high rating. That is definitely not the outcome that you want after all of your hard work.
Giving a presentation on a career-field-related topic of your choice can provide the freedom of feeling comfortable with a topic that you chose. In this scenario, keep in mind that the interviewer is not only assessing your ability to follow directions, but your creativity, and your ability to exercise sound judgment. Your creativity should shine in your use of transitions from one point to the next, sound effects, and images. There is a balancing act, though. You want your transitions to be non-distracting, but to act as facilitators of the information-sharing process. For example, if you use PowerPoint, it will not be a good decision to use sound effects, flashes, etc. with each slide transition. You may want to consider having only a few of your bullet points slide onto the screen and possibly have one slide fade away to reveal the next slide. I recommend that you use sound-effects sparingly. As cute as you may think they are, they can be quite annoying when over-used. Also, if you do not receive instruction on the length of your presentation, try to have it be no longer than five-to-seven minutes long. You want to leave time for a questions/answer period. Thinking about these types of things will show the interviewer that you are good at anticipating the needs of your audience and valuing their time. Remember that they have to sit through more than one interview, so you want them to remember you for the right reasons. Use your time wisely, by presenting your information, offering strong supporting facts in a succinct manner, to make a great impression.
Being asked to give an impromptu presentation is probably the most difficult of all scenarios, but if you keep the interviewer’s objective in mind, you will be able to ace the task. Here, the interviewer will assess your ability to think quickly on your feet, as well as your knowledge of your career field. Realize that in business, whether interacting with employees, the board of directors, customers/clients, or the general public, you will be asked questions and expected to respond “off-the-cuff.” So, take it in stride. You may not be able to anticipate exactly what you could be asked to make a presentation on during an interview; however, a great place to start is the vacancy announcement. While reviewing the most-impactful duty statements for the position, think of how you could create a presentation about the subject matter. Create a mental vision of three points, directly related to your subject, that you could discuss during a short presentation. Even taking the time to try and prepare to this extent, could put you miles ahead of the pack during the selection process.
Having a successful career search is possible…and probable with the right amount of, and perspective on preparation. Be proactive and create your own possibilities. Even if reality is not a perfect match, I guarantee you that you will have the upper hand in the process.
Career Search Success to You! Go Get Your New Job!
