Presentations
In many lines of work, the ability to give powerful presentations is a key skill. As a consequence, it is very common for organisations to request that candidates prepare a brief presentation for delivery at their interview. It’s an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your ability to organise yourself, plan, prepare and communicate effectively, so you’d better make sure you get it right.
Preparation
In most circumstances, an employer will be decent enough to warn you that you’ll be expected to give a presentation, giving you plenty of time to carry out any necessary research, write, memorise and practise your presentation.
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Make sure your presentation follows a clear and logical structure, beginning with a suitable introduction and closing with an appropriate conclusion. It’s always the beginning and the ending of a presentation that get the most attention.
Usually, you will be given a specific topic for the presentation as well as a suggested length. It is essential you adhere to any such guidelines.
A recruiter may really put you to the test by surprising you on the day with an invitation to give a presentation. In this situation, you can only really be expected to deliver a presentation on a topic you’re familiar with, so pre-empt this and, if giving presentations forms part of your job description, have a brief presentation ready regardless of whether or not you’ve been specifically asked to do so.
Delivery
Nerves are probably the biggest enemy you face when delivering a presentation. You’re up there at the front all alone with everyone staring at you! It’s a natural instinct for you to feel threatened by this. However, bear in mind that members of the audience are (normally!) on your side and that they are not your enemy – your nerves are. Don’t let your nerves win the battle because it’ll reflect immediately in your tone of voice.
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Speak confidently. Slightly slower, slightly louder and slightly more deeply than you would normally do, and articulate each syllable clearly.
Cue cards
Many presenters, me included, rely on cue cards to help them through their presentation.
Reading from a script is totally unacceptable and, whilst you should make an effort to memorise as much of your presentation as possible, memorising it verbatim is likely to result in a fairly stiff and stilted delivery.
By using cue cards you can identify the next point you wish to make with a quick downward glance, helping you to spend most of your time maintaining eye contact with your audience.
Eye contact
Eye contact is essential to effective communication. If you’ve got an audience in front of you then don’t focus too much on any one person; move your gaze randomly around the room and aim to make brief eye contact with everyone. Once you’ve established eye contact, they’re a lot more likely to listen to what you have to say. You may even find that they nod their head in agreement!
Physical gestures
Whilst it’s normally fine to walk up and down a little bit, you should avoid pacing the floor excessively. Likewise, it’s fine to gesture with your hands, but try to keep it within reasonable limits. You want to convey the impression of someone who is calm and in control – even if you do have a swarm of butterflies in your stomach!
Visual aids
You should be notified in advance whether or not you are expected to use any visual aids; for example, a PowerPoint slideshow. If it’s not specified then there’s nothing to be lost in asking – a PowerPoint presentation is always more powerful than a straightforward verbal presentation. It also gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your proficiency with PowerPoint.
Practice makes perfect
The secret to a successful presentation is practice. Practise reciting your presentation by yourself, practise in front of the mirror and practise in front of a friend.
The more you practise your presentation, the more confident you will become.
Q&A
As you finish your presentation, it will be expected that you ask members of your audience whether they have any questions. You should endeavour to anticipate the type of questions you are likely to be asked and have prepared rough answers in advance.
Finally, it’s always a nice touch to thank your audience for listening.