How to Produce a Successful Job Interview Presentation
Employers have many different ways of assessing candidates for the positions they have to fill, and one of the most common that you will come across is being asked to produce a presentation. This can seem daunting and is something that people often find quite stressful and can be unsure of how to tackle. If you follow the tips below, you will be well-placed to complete a memorable presentation for all of the right reasons.
When employers and recruiters assign these tasks to applicants, they are really looking for several key things. The first is whether you can evaluate information and pick out the most essential points. The second is whether you can explain complicated scenarios in ways that are easily understood. The third is how well you can present what you have learned to other people.
All of these are skills that you can show them you possess relatively easily if you break the task down into several smaller steps. This is often key when taking on something that seems complicated or daunting. Figuring out the small steps you can take to help the larger task come to life is an important skill in many sectors.
Ensure You Understand the Brief
Whether at work or in the interview process, never be afraid to ask for clarification if there is something that you aren’t absolutely clear on. Don’t worry about being judged negatively for asking for clarification, they would rather see you get the task right than labour under a misapprehension of what they wanted from you.
The interviewers want to see the best from you, and this is one way of showing them that they have the right person. Asking for clarification is a positive as it can save a company time and money because they don’t have to correct something that has been done in error.
Research the Topic Well
With the tools at our disposal these days, there isn’t any excuse for having a poorly researched presentation. Just be careful how you research and which sources you trust. Some of the AI software that can prove so helpful in other matters can be unreliable when it comes to research, with some “facts” seemingly made up. The last thing you want to do is tell a potential employer a story about their company that doesn’t chime with reality, so perhaps be careful when using AI for this purpose.
A well-researched presentation will show that you have taken the task seriously and will assure the interview panel that you are serious about joining their company. It will also showcase your ability to assess the available information and highlight the salient points within it.
Understand Your Audience
Although your presentation will likely be about the company as a whole and perhaps their closest competitors, it is also important that you understand who your audience will be. The interview panel should give you an idea of who you will be presenting to, and this will usually be presented in the presentation brief.
You can find out a lot about most business people on their LinkedIn profiles, and you can research their differing roles in this way. You may have to upgrade to the paid version of LinkedIn, but they often give free trials, so this should allow you to find the information you need for free.
Researching the interview panel can mean looking at their job titles, gaining a deeper understanding of their role within the company and reading any articles they write and share there. It is often the case that the people who are doing the interviews for jobs are considered to be the “thought leaders” within their organisation, so you may find useful information about what they like and don’t like.
Remember that Less is More
“Less is More” is an important maxim when it comes to job interview presentations. The interview panel will often have had several when it comes to your turn, and possibly feel a bit jaded by that point. Your aim is not to talk them into submission, but a short, sharp presentation that explains the key points clearly and concisely is generally a winner. They may even give you extra marks for brevity as long as you have conveyed the important points that they are looking for. The ability to write about complicated subjects and boil down the relevant points is a talent and many employers and recruiters are actively searching for people who can do this well.
Stick to the Time Limit
When producing a presentation, the employer is also looking at how efficient you are at managing your time, so it is important that you don’t go over the allocation that they have given you to complete the task. Time management is something that is a high-value skill and many employers would love to be able to know whether this is going to be an issue for you when you are working with them.
Asking potential employees to put together a presentation within a certain timescale is a great way to weed out the people who are unable to efficiently make use of the time that they have to finish the task
Impress with the Visuals
The visuals that you choose to accompany your presentation can either enhance or hinder the understanding of the people to whom you are presenting. A well-thought-out presentation with visuals to match will stand you in good stead for the rest of the recruitment process. There are some brilliant free image editing software solutions out there these days, including Canva, which has become an extremely popular tool.
Try not to have too much text on the slides, and remember to stick to bullet points as far as possible. This is because most people will read the slides, and you want them to be listening to what you have to say to them instead. You will be marked on what they remember from what you said, as much as what is on the slides, so make it as easy to understand as possible.
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