Presentations at interview
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Discussion

PugwasHDJ80

Original Poster:

7,675 posts

250 months

Tuesday 24th January 2012
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Been offered an interview for a complete new role to me, usually quite enjoy interviews, and i'm quite interested in what these guys are going to say and ask- the job sounds genuinely different, but also interesting.

BUT as part of the interview i've been asked to give a 10 min presentation as to why i would be good at the job and what my USPs are.

It has been suggested that i have access to projection kit should i want it.

To be honest i have no idea how i would use a projector to give a 10 min presentation to 3 recruiters. Has anyone been asked to do this, what did you do, and what worked well?

oh- have done interview presentations before- just never involving powerpoint!

98elise

32,494 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th January 2012
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If you must use powerpoint, then use it as prompts for you, so bullet points rather than a complete text of what you are going to say.

Check you can fill the 10 minutes (do a few practice runs), and make sure you don't over run. If they have set 10 minutes, then get them to ask questions at the end, otherwise your timings will go to st.

Personally i tend to avoid powerpoint for short interview presentations. I tell the interviewer that they will probably be bored of powerpoint by now, so I've decided to give the presentaion without it. It shows you can work without props smile

williamp

20,381 posts

302 months

Wednesday 25th January 2012
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all good advice. Whe nervours, presentations tend to go very wuickly indeed and 10 minutes can suddenly seem like a very long time, to time yourself.

They will probably interrupt you midway with a benign question, which is designed to put you off your stride. The easiest way to combat it is to say at the beginning that all questions at the end please.

Think of it as a chance for you to control the interview, and say what you want to say, without interruption.

Dont try to be funny. Dont be too serious. Give real examples of where your imput has helped move the project along.

wolfy1988

1,426 posts

192 months

Wednesday 25th January 2012
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Best of luck.

I also have to do this next week for my job application.

Let us know how it goes.

J

TotalControl

8,297 posts

227 months

Wednesday 25th January 2012
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Out of curiosity, what kind if roles involve presentations like this?

PugwasHDJ80

Original Poster:

7,675 posts

250 months

Wednesday 25th January 2012
quotequote all
This is broadly Corporate sales.....not going to go into more details

Just found out that its only presenting to 3 people- really not sure about the whole powerpoint presentation thing to just 3 people.

Mojooo

13,291 posts

209 months

Wednesday 25th January 2012
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You can either give hand outs or do Ppowerpoint

we usually have PP presentations for internal promotions at work. just use it for bullet points and to show nay diagrams etc.

PugwasHDJ80

Original Poster:

7,675 posts

250 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
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nay diagrams?

Munter

31,331 posts

270 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
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I used powerpoint for 2 of my job interviews. To a small group of people.

Took my own laptop as well as having the presentation on a memory stick. If you use your own laptop you know the presentation will work with your copy of powerpoint. If you are going to use their computer I'd suggest you save it as .ppt and not .pptx on the off chance they have an old version of powerpoint. (Or save it as both to be sure).

I never had to present on myself. One was a presentation on the discipline the company works in. And the other was open. Present on anything. All other candidates took the easy option of presenting about the companies work. I presented 10 minutes on the history of the internal combustion engine. Nothing to do with the job.

Anyway I'd say keep the slides simple. And have several full "talk out loud" runs at home until you are comfortable with it.

STW2010

5,918 posts

191 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
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TotalControl said:
Out of curiosity, what kind if roles involve presentations like this?
Quite a few apparently. In my direct experience of them it has been for academic roles 'how does your experience suit the role?', 'pathways to becoming an independent researcher' etc.

It's a good way of testing several skills in one go- presentation, communication and technical understanding (if the presentation allows for this). Plus it helps the interviewer to forulate questions throughout the interview, for instance I've done 3x 10 minute presentations in my 1 hour interviews, but have been stopped for questions so frequently that it took the full hour to finish the presentation (I got the job in each case too).

slinky

15,704 posts

278 months

Mojooo

13,291 posts

209 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
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PugwasHDJ80 said:
nay diagrams?
i meant 'any'.

PugwasHDJ80

Original Poster:

7,675 posts

250 months

Thursday 26th January 2012
quotequote all
thanks for your help guys- presentation went really well- not sure if it'll go anywhere as the employer needs to work out if i'm the right fit for the role . But was really happy by the end of it, and they were impressed.

Went a touch over 10 minutes, but that's because they kept asking questions (which i was perfectly happy with- the role is on where you need to keep on your feet)

PugwasHDJ80

Original Poster:

7,675 posts

250 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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Just as an update- i've now been offered the role- excellent new- starting on 10th April (which has led to another question lol)

98elise

32,494 posts

190 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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That is good news!