On the spot presentation at interview

[Sparkzz]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 04 August 2016 at 18:11

[miniman]

It's a bit mean to give you a presentation to do there and then with no sight of the topic beforehand. But it certainly sorts out the men from the boys, so to speak. I tend to set a task a few days in advance.

[anonymous-user]

I've had one for a transport company. Had 60 minutes in total - 50 minutes(I think) to prepare and 10 to talk about the price of oranges and why it is justified.

Basically using all your knowledge to apply to an issue, with a bit of creativity and fun, but geared to the job. I have found it is used to identify the type of personality you have as you will have to present to people on a daily basis.

[davepoth]

Make sure your phone is fully charged and you've got plenty of data left. You may need to hit the internet quite hard in the time allowed...

[anonymous-user]

davepoth said:

Make sure your phone is fully charged and you've got plenty of data left. You may need to hit the internet quite hard in the time allowed...

in mine I could only use the facts given on a a4 sheet.

[davepoth]

The Spruce goose said:

davepoth said:

Make sure your phone is fully charged and you've got plenty of data left. You may need to hit the internet quite hard in the time allowed...

in mine I could only use the facts given on a a4 sheet.

That's the usual way it's done, but you never know. You'd feel like a bit of a tit if research was allowed but you'd wasted your battery hunting for Pokemon on the way there, wouldn't you?

[h0b0]

Why do you need to be able to make presentations in an engineer role? I ask based on 20 years experience in hiring engineers into the pharma industry. If there is some relevance to the role I may be able to assist. If it's just a wk interview tactic then we are getting dangerously close to me starting ranting about people who think they are intelligent conducting interviews.

[craigjm]

often presentations in interviews are not about testing your presentation skills they are about looking for problem solving, creativity, innovation, being able to structure a logical argument and stuff like that. Just because an "engineer" never has to do presentations, doesn't mean they dont have to display the skills used in presentations in their daily work. IME companies rarely do things in recruitment assessments just for the hell of it. People who think that need to open their mind a bit more about what might be being tested rather than complain about "engineers dont make presentations" etc.

In the past, in interviews, I have done a similar thing and asked people to take out their phone and give them 10 minutes to structure a 5 minute presentation on a function of their phone that they think is really innovative and "sell" it to me. I am not checking their ability to present so I dont care if they stutter and stumble etc I am looking at how they approach it. One pretty shy, quiet guy blew me away when he did a perfectly paced session around the medical ID function of the apple health app and how, if you fill it in, paramedics and doctors can find out what blood group you are, allergies you have etc straight from your phone without needing to know the unlock code.

In that 5 minutes he showed the creativity I was looking for, he showed a clear thought process and ability to structure an argument and picked something that made him stand out.

Good luck

[Jefferson Steelflex]

h0b0 said:

... If it's just a wk interview tactic then we are getting dangerously close to me starting ranting about people who think they are intelligent conducting interviews.

Agreed, but times have changed and no longer do people just have a chat and ask a few technical questions, then just give the job to the girl with the biggest tits.

This new process is annoying, but it's a great way of testing out candidate's personality and ability to think creatively, which is perfectly relevant to many engineering jobs. Also consider that there will undoubtedly be candidates who decide not to continue with the process as they are put off by a presentation, so the employer is only getting people on the day who really want to work there.

I prefer the olden days, but these things are just normal now.

[ChasW]

I have encountered this before. Always warned in advance but given the topic on arrival and 45-60 mins to prepare for 5-6 mins delivery to a panel.

Irrespective of the topic it's best to keep it simple by making no more than 3 important points. It's not always the content that matters but the ability to construct an argument and get it across in an engaging manner. Then upon questioning be able to defend/expand upon those points if challenged.

[Flooble]

Had it a couple of times, once through incompetence on the part of the person who booked the interview (they forgot to tell me there was a presentation in it ... )

It can simply be a test of whether you are able to think on your feet, but may also be a test to see how you are able to defend a position. I had a relatively involved interview where they asked me to sketch out a solution on a whiteboard and deliberately kept interrupting and probing why I was doing things in a particular way. Some people will handle the pressure while others will lose the plot.

So, as others have said, consider it a bit deeper than "oh, they want to see if I can do a presentation". I'd review advice on handling conflict and presenting arguments in a coherent fashion, and when you go for it ensure that anything you say you can back up. Or practice bluffing.

[Terminator X]

I say fk that job and find another that doesn't involve such a ridiculous process?

TX.

[R6VED]

I have exactly the same thing coming up on Monday for a job at Mercedes. I had to do something similar in the past at VW which although I was stting myself came over really well.

I like to be prepared for an interview including the usual researching the interviewers to try and find some common ground, go through the job spec and write relevant experience next to each one as a prompt in the interview and have a list of competency based questions that are common with answers to use as a cheat sheet.

This presentation aspect leaves me having to do it on the spot, which admittedly I am less comfortable with.

Confidence rather than arrogance is everything in an interview, firm handshake and good eye contact is king.

Good luck

[h0b0]

I understand that presentations in an interview have their place. I did ask if there was a reason for the request.

But, I have been recruiting in this specific area for an extended period of time and I can guarantee that my most successful engineers would perform terribly in this situation.


I'm very sensitive to interview techniques and have studied/taught best practices to adapt the interview to the profile of the person you are looking for in the role. To test someone's logic through a presentation is unfair. Logic is the problem solving function not the communicating function. But, if they also have to communicate their findings to none engineers then they wil need that skill as well.


I find that a lot of interviews with presentations also have the question "what's your biggest weakness?". If you are still asking that question then I strongly advise that you make an effort to modify your approach.

[Electronicpants]

Jefferson Steelflex said:

Agreed, but times have changed and no longer do people just have a chat and ask a few technical questions, then just give the job to the girl with the biggest tits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TE6hjS_OZM

[anonymous-user]

The last time this happened, they gave me the following subjects to choose from:

Cheese
Mushrooms
Cats
Fonts

All 4 subjects having sweet FA to do with the role or sector.

I was then given 10mins to prepare before I had to present, It was a tool up between Fonts and Cheese, I choose fonts as I am a font nerd and managed to present a semi coherent story and make them laugh.

[h0b0]

Jefferson Steelflex said:

h0b0 said:

... If it's just a wk interview tactic then we are getting dangerously close to me starting ranting about people who think they are intelligent conducting interviews.

Agreed, but times have changed and no longer do people just have a chat and ask a few technical questions, then just give the job to the girl with the biggest tits.

This new process is annoying, but it's a great way of testing out candidate's personality and ability to think creatively, which is perfectly relevant to many engineering jobs. Also consider that there will undoubtedly be candidates who decide not to continue with the process as they are put off by a presentation, so the employer is only getting people on the day who really want to work there.

I prefer the olden days, but these things are just normal now.

I did not address all of this in my last reply. Times are shifting again. You will see that even Google who were the kings of wk interviews have relaized that asking about ice cube shoved up a polar bears arse does not find out about the real human in front of them. So, they are dropping all the BS questions and retraining. The issue is that people conducting interviews often have only done one or 2 in their life. In this case they will need all the support they can get. That is where the interview templates come in. The problem is that you end up conducting a general interview and not having true focus on the skillset you are looking for. When you have been interviewing extensively you can be much freer in the way you approach the questions asked and you actually listen to the answer! This allows you to pick up subtle signs in answers. The only way this will happen is if you are asking questions that the interviewee has not practiced but is comfortable answering.

I have placed hundreds of people in technical positions. I only ever ask one technical question. I could ask the question to anyone on the street and get value from the answer. I make sure that people understand I am not looking for a right answer and that the question is not a trick. I have hired several people that got it wrong and several that got it right have been passed on. It is the way that they answer that matters. Generally, your resume/c.v. tells me if you are technical enough to do the job. I am looking for the fit to my organization. You can take on superstars that do not fit in the group dynamic and they end up being a cancer to your organization.

Having them make a presentation is very relevant when they will be presenting to groups or even just communicating to people with differing backgrounds to them. However, for 80% of the engineers I take on they would not succeed in this interview. Some of the most senior engineers in my organization are best suited to living in a cave. It is unfortunate that we have several genius engineers that do not play nicely with others. They design and then hand over the product to be evaluated.

[h0b0]

Vandenberg said:

The last time this happened, they gave me the following subjects to choose from:

Cheese
Mushrooms
Cats
Fonts

All 4 subjects having sweet FA to do with the role or sector.

I was then given 10mins to prepare before I had to present, It was a tool up between Fonts and Cheese, I choose fonts as I am a font nerd and managed to present a semi coherent story and make them laugh.

Again, depends on the role and the profile that you are hiring for so may be completely justified.

Here is an example from me that demonstrates that I was not suited to the role but also that the interview may have missed the mark.

I went to a group interview for sales positions. At 8:30AM they turned the music on full volume in a portakabin and said "DANCE!!!!!". Not a chance was I dancing.I know, they were trying to test an out going personality. I have one and feel completely comfortable in most situations. I just can't dance. So, I stood at the side of the room. I was then approached by one of the interviewers and asked to dance. I said I was going to pass. Several people noticed that I was not dancing and they too stopped and joined me. By the end of the first song every interviewee was stood next to me. The interviewer came over to me very pissed off and complaining I had ruined the day. I said "In sales you want people who can influence. I have just demonstrated that I can influenced 30 people with out saying a word."

[Foliage]

Take a sharpie with you, when they ask you to draw a bicycle use said sharpy, sign your name & your email address then leave.

[anonymous-user]

h0b0 said:

Again, depends on the role and the profile that you are hiring for so may be completely justified.

Here is an example from me that demonstrates that I was not suited to the role but also that the interview may have missed the mark.

I went to a group interview for sales positions. At 8:30AM they turned the music on full volume in a portakabin and said "DANCE!!!!!". Not a chance was I dancing.I know, they were trying to test an out going personality. I have one and feel completely comfortable in most situations. I just can't dance. So, I stood at the side of the room. I was then approached by one of the interviewers and asked to dance. I said I was going to pass. Several people noticed that I was not dancing and they too stopped and joined me. By the end of the first song every interviewee was stood next to me. The interviewer came over to me very pissed off and complaining I had ruined the day. I said "In sales you want people who can influence. I have just demonstrated that I can influenced 30 people with out saying a word."

That was for a Digital Product Manager role, mainly websites, commerce and digital training. The interviewers advised afterwards that it was to see how you react to something out of your comfort zone.

Your example reminds me of when my mate did the Audi graduate interview process, 3 full days of that kind of crap even observing you at dinner, I had one where the 6 candidates were decamped to the carpark, or piranha infested river in Milton keynes and I was challenged with getting the team across using milk floats, rope and planks of wood.

After scratching my chin for a moment, I encouraged 4 candidates to stand together and prepare to swim across, I shoved the 5th candidate in the river, when he started thrashing about and shouting ouching (great acting) I encouraged the rest to scramble across the river to safety.
The guy running the interviews went apest and asked me to explain my actions, and I advised that I sacrificed the weakest member of the team for the good of the rest.

Now I am a cynical old git, any sign of such HR shenanigans such as this and I drop out at a early stage as IME it usually means that the HR dept is far too powerful for their own good.