Giving presentations
Tips on preparing and giving a presentation under interview conditions
You might be given free choice in the subject of your presentation or it might be specified by the selector.
If you need to give a presentation
-
Find out what equipment is available and what is expected. For example, you might have to prepare a slide presentation, or produce overhead transparencies.
-
Prepare carefully and thoroughly, practise and time your presentation
What the panel will be looking for
- How effectively you are able to explain and analyse complex information in a very short period of time
- How you communicate this to your audience, as well as personal factors such as eye contact, presence, confidence, enthusiastic approach, interest in and knowledge of the subject
- How well you obey the brief and stay within the time constraint
If you want detailed guidance on presentations you could check out our Giving presentations toolkit.
A good presentation model
- Say briefly what you are going to talk about
- Say it
- Sum it up
- Take questions
- Stop and sit down (and breathe a sigh of relief)
Common presentation mistakes
- Standing in front of the projector or flip chart so that your audience cannot see it
- Turning your back on your audience while you are talking
- Over-using slides or overhead transparencies - you need only a few to pick out your main points and then talk around them
- Over running the time limit
Top tips for your presentation
- Prepare thoroughly
- Practise the timing and delivery. Ask a friend to observe you and provide feedback
- Use a series of prompt cards rather than a large piece of paper for your notes
- Have notes available, they will help to give you confidence just in case your mind goes blank!
- Make sure that your slides or overhead transparencies can be read, even from the back row of a large room. Use large fonts and a small amount of text on each
- Don’t just read the information off the slides or overhead transparencies - use them to summarise main points but expand on these in your talk
- Include all your audience when you speak to them, not just a favoured few - scan the room with your eyes
- Project your voice well: if it is a big room you might want to check that everyone can hear you
- Include a summary of the key points so your presentation is remembered
- Leave time at the end for questions from the audience, this will allow you to demonstrate additional skills and knowledge