So, you’ve scored an interview – congratulations! That feeling of excitement, achievement and elation – until the nerves start to sink in. They’ve asked you to prepare a presentation. Where to begin? Here at TOG, we’re here to lend a guiding hand!
1. Heed the time limit. Strictly make sure you stick to the set time limit (5 minutes, 10 minutes etc). The best way to do this is to include a sensible number of slides, for example 5 slides for 5 minutes. Then practice your presentation to know how long it is, and what you can fit within the time frame.
2. Slide design. Make sure your slides are easy to read and see, yet memorable. Ensure that there isn’t too much text, as viewers get overwhelmed with lots of text alongside your speaking. Instead of text, or alongside just one bullet point, maybe include a picture, graph, figure, diagram or schematic.
3. Content. Think carefully about what you want to include. What do you want to get across? What are the take-home messages? Make sure it has structure, with an introduction and conclusions either side of the main section.
4. Present without notes. Instead, memorise and practice what you want to say with each slide.
5. Delivery – practice makes perfect! Practice what you want to say, and how you want to say it. Practice your timing, and how long you spend on each part. If you’re well practiced, you will be less nervous on the day!
We hope all this helps. Now go and show them what you know – you got this!