How to ace the Interview Presentation

With the summer months now upon us, peak interview season is almost here. With some graduates having applied for roles before they’ve completed university, interviews and presentations will be part of everyday life now for strong candidates. Check out our guide on how to secure your dream job using our top presentation tips!

Do extensive research

If you arrive unprepared knowing nothing about the company and topic you are talking about, then you may as well not turn up at all. By going above and beyond and being able to recite facts, figures and extra information, you will impress your interviewers and make them believe that you are prepared to go that extra mile to get the job. This will also help to combat nerves, as you will know deep down that you are prepared and ready to deliver a solid presentation that will blow all other candidates out the water.

Provide examples

Alongside the research you have carried out, you would do well to use this information to support further ideas or suggestions you may have as part of the topic. So if your presentation is on the job vacancy you have applied for, you would mention the company’s past record, why that makes you want to work for them and the skills you possess that would make you a great fit. Alternatively if you have to deliver a presentation on a particular area of your desired job role such as planning an event/campaign, then you would refer back to past events/case studies and mention how or why they were successful, which would be applicable to how this affects your proposed process.

Break it up with visuals

To keep your interviewers engaged and show that you are competent in handling information in various ways, break up content by using graphs, charts or tables. This will help to ensure that your presentation isn’t too text-heavy, which can overwhelm interviewers or make them believe it was just a quick copy-and-paste job. It would be perfectly acceptable to also use images that are relevant, but maybe go easy on the animation effects as they can take away from the content and professional impression you are trying to portray.

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

The simple saying ‘practice makes perfect’ is obvious and necessary in this situation. By learning what you are going to say and performing it out loud, you will gain confidence and a greater awareness and belief in what you are saying, which will allow you to stand out against rival candidates. A good way to improve your presentation skills is to use cue cards to summarise the information on the slides, and to learn it or at least be aware what is on it. Nobody likes a shy, retiring communicator so be sure to always look at your interviewers, smiling and believing in what you’re saying, instead of reciting straight off the slides in a monotone voice.

Even if you are overcome with nerves on the day, fake confidence! Appear unphased by the pressure of the situation and in turn you will start to feel more relaxed, especially as your interviewers start to gain more interest and hopefully show encouraging signs that your content is impressive.

Summarise

The final points you will make within your presentation will be what will stay in the minds of your interviewers, so end on a strong note. Summarise your points, and maybe even add a final strong point, one that helps to define your argument and ensure that you will not be forgotten. A common trait for presentations is for people to lose confidence or concentration towards the end-so stay focused! Use good eye-contact up until the very end and by gesticulating, you will sound and appear like you really believe in what you’re saying, and have passion for the job and chance to work for the company. 

There may be a lot of time and effort that has to go into creating a presentation for a job interview, but the rewards will be massive. The time it takes does not nearly compare to the time taken to search, apply and attend other job interviews so by investing all this effort this time around, the daily woes of your jobhunting journey could be put to an end. Every interview is valuable experience and what have you got to lose! You never have to see your interviewers again if it doesn't go to plan, so just put your all into it and go for it.