Job Interview: Tips for a 5 minute presentation

[imposta]

I have a job interview next week, over Teams, for a role I'm well qualified for, (but in a potentially more intimidating environment than I've been used to in recent years). I need to do a 5 minute presentation on a relatively dry subject. I think they are mainly testing my presentation skills. Any tips?

And are they likely to ask me to present at the beginning of the interview, in the middle, or towards the end?

I imagine it would be right at the beginning.

Have they given you a title, or do you just have to talk about <dry subject>?

I would suggest these slides (Powerpoint):

• title (name, date, title of presentation)


• contents (aim for three main points)


• point 1


• point 2


• point 3


• summary

That should take about 5 mins, but do rehearse it out loud several times, so the timing is right and the links between slides are smooth.

Usually you present at the beginning of an interview so they can ask you questions about it. They'll want to know you can be concise and keep to time.

Can you add a theme to your presentation? An odd one out a la have I got new for you for example?

I always think one of the most impressive things is simply making sure it actually is a 5 min presentation. It shows you can listen to instructions, figure out what it’s important to include, be concise and convey key points, rather than waffling on and going way over the time limit they have set you. And time yourself while practising. It’s easy to pull a few slides together and think oh that’s probably about 5 minutes, but when you talk them through you realise that it’s quite a bit longer. Ask if they have any questions at the end. And also I tend to keep slides quite high-level with an image and headline points, but then speak to the points in greater depth. That way they actually have to listen to you rather than simply reading what’s on the slide, which could have just been a handout. Good luck!

So you know the topic in advance? I had to do an interview task recently - 10 min presentation. I was given the scenario and 30 mins to prep then had to present. I was told afterwards it was supposed to be time stretched.

@spongedog What does that even mean?

Keeping to time is the absolutely key thing here, so work out what you want to say - make sure you ARE actually saying something and not just explaining the topic - then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse with a timer on your screen.

What time stretched? I was given the scenario during the interview - 30 mins with 9 pages of information to read, needed to answer a brief, and then a further 10 mins to present my findings. It was very challenging to do in the time.

• Send your presentation ahead of the interview. Shows you are prepared, and they have a copy should the technology fail.
• Keep text to a minimum on the slides, and talk around the slides not from them.
• Make the slides visually interesting - even if that means a coloured back ground or using images.

Good luck x

Slow down, it’s so easy to speak too fast when we’re a bit nervous.
Keep to time
Keep any visual aids simple - no need to faff with animations etc
Set out a structure at the start: e.g. ‘I will be looking at x topic, I will begin by looking at a, moving onto b, and finishing with c’. Then actually do what you’ve said
Keep it concise and to the point

Your presentation could be an intro, then 3 slides covering the main topics (depending on the subject you could set the scene by giving some context, talk about the current situation and then do some horizon scanning), and a summary.

We always ask for a short presentation but we’re really looking at presentation skills rather than a detailed knowledge of the subject in 5 minutes. One very clever candidate asked us if she could show us a couple of examples of work she’d been involved in that related to her presentation - showed she’d done done additional prep and gave her an opportunity to showcase her work.

The bubble of mortgage backed securities in 2008 ?

all the best op.

All of these are good.

Plus ....

Put the salient points on the screen and talk around them.

Use tone in ur voice to display personality.

Introduce yourself at the beginning even if they know who u are.

If u don't have a corporate PP template, go to Canva and find a template of ur own. Keep it professional but engaging

If you think you may get nervous and forget things put some points up behind your laptop to guide you. You may never need them but may help to have them there. Saw my ds do this for an interview!!