You’ve found the job you’ve been waiting for, and secured an all-important interview. There’s just a presentation standing in the way of you getting the job, and you need to nail it, but how?

As a leading recruitment agency, it’s the question we hear time and time again – ‘How can I be the best version of myself in a presentation interview’? Using years of experience, we’ve put together our top six interview tips for winning over prospective employers and landing the job of your dreams.

1. Structure and Communication

Employers will be assessing your verbal and written communications skills, so it’s important to present in a structured way, using clear, concise English. Always check how much time you have to present, so that you can keep on track without going over.

Your first slide should give a clear outline of the contents. Pull your audience in with a supporting statistic, strong visual or bold quote to set up the scenario.

Be mindful of the pace you talk at too, try and keep your composure and above all be engaging. Speaking with expression can help boost credibility and give the impression of intelligence.

2. Plan for Technology

Keep presentations to the point, avoid fiddly graphics and animation which have a tendency to go wrong at the worst possible time. Bring chargers, adapters, USB keys and a print out of your presentation with you as a backup. Inside Higher Education advised: “Your slides should be simple and robust against technological mishaps.”

3.Think Outside the Box

Rather than just presenting back, think of this as an opportunity to showcase your talent. Impress the panel by showing them how much you know about the market by carrying out a competitor and industry analysis. Have a few recommendations that you can talk passionately about that show off your personality and unique way of thinking.

4. Review and rehearse

This is where a recruitment agency can really add-value. Speak to your recruitment consultant to find out more about the client, the brief and the company – they are likely to have invaluable insight to give you a competitive advantage. At TalentHub, we tend to go that one step further by reviewing the candidate’s presentation slides to offer feedback and recommendations. After the slides are finalised we then invite the candidate to our office to run through the presentation.

Use every opportunity to get feedback – present and rehearse in front of as many people as you can, if you want to be able to recite a slick presentation.

5. Control Your Nerves

Nerves are normal, however a good way to keep them in check is to feel like you have some control. Here’s a few ways you can achieve this:
• Think about topics for small talk, so you’re not left with any awkward silences
• Practice mindfulness and breathing techniques, to help you stay relaxed and focused
• Swot up on your interviewers – do some research on them, so you know a little about their background
• Keep a positive posture, smile and hold eye contact – recommends career coach Sarah Archer

6. Prepare for Interview Questions

Even in presentation interviews, there will be an opportunity for some expected, and unexpected questions. According to The Balance there are at least ten questions to be prepared for, which include ‘What is your greatest weakness’ and ‘how do you handle stress and pressure’. The best way to tackle these is to give consideration to them in advance. A good recruitment agent will help prepare for these.

Another helpful technique is to think about the key messages you want to convey. Think of your strengths and what makes you stand out as a candidate. Include relevant work experience where you an – it’s the number one consideration that 67% of recruiters say the look for this. (Jobvite Recruiter Report 2016)

There you have it, how to ace an interview presentation in six strategic steps. TalentHub is a leading recruitment agency in the Marketing, Tech, UX/UI Design, Data Science industry and prides itself in matching the right people to the right jobs. With hundreds of exciting opportunities, why not get in touch.

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Author: Ellie Doyle

Ellie brings a pragmatic approach to clients hiring challenges, and believes in the power of asking the right questions. She has a phenomenal network of industry contacts – if anyone knows the person for the job, its Ellie. She is famous for her ability to retain even the smallest detail.

email: ellie@talenthub.ie

Tel: +35316344880