Bridgewater Consultancy :: Interview Presentations

Research suggests that a large part of what we communicate comes from our body language around 80%. So when we have a really important meeting, like an interview where we want success and want to appear as a serious candidate we must behave professionally through our body language.

Preparing for your Presentation

Prepare for good quality ideas.
The clarity of your thinking.
Your verbal communication skills especially your ability to influence and engage.
Your organizational skills: how well you prepare beforehand and manage your time within the presentation.
Think about the meetings that you attend with your current employer and how you come across to work colleagues.

Have a Clear Message

Work out what you want to say in two or three sentences before elaborating your ideas in order to make an impact you need to have a clear recommendation.

Structure your Presentation

The most important part of the interview preparation is the planning and preparation. If it’s not structured with background and relevant information it will not appear credible to the listener. Make sure the structure of your presentation is clear. You need:

A short introduction explaining what the presentation is about and what you are going to cover.
Clear sections within the presentation ensuring your analysis on the business plan/projects has a logic structure.
A clear conclusion with specific recommendations.

Less is more!

It is best to keep your interview presentation to twenty minutes and allow the hiring manager(s) to ask questions rather than rushing through a mound of information. It is especially important that any visual aids that you use are clear.

Do your research

Make sure you have researched the company and projects the company has worked on (Link to interviews).And have some relevant facts and figures to illustrate your findings-this can enhance your credibility and show impressive levels of preparation.

Know the managers that are interviewing you

Whilst you are putting together your interview presentation also find out about the hiring manger(s) who are interviewing you. Most of the time a letter will be sent out to you by email from the recruiter with the details of the interviewer and there position. It is also advisable that you ask your recruiter about the hiring manager such as professional background (LinkedIn is useful) and interests so that you are fully prepared for the interview presentation and you know what to expect. Ask as much information about the hiring manager as possible in order for you to be successful. Think about your interview presentation from the individual perspective and consider what aspects of the topic will most interest them.

The questions the recruitment managers may ask

Go through the questions and work out what questions the recruiting managers may ask especially given their job roles and personal perspectives. Make sure you have an answer ready for these questions.

Ask a friend to help

It’s a good idea to run through your ideas for the interview presentation with a friend who is well informed about the topic before you finalize the content. Their views can help you discover if there is something obvious you have neglected to mention and to ensure your ideas are well understood by others. Ask friends to help to test you with questions and see how well prepared you are.

Further help on interview presentations please call Bridgewater Consultancy. We are here to help.