To read slides in presentations?

[Snowcatrunsthehouse]

Posting here blatantly for traffic!
AIBU reading slides in PowerPoint presentation?
I have to do a 10 min presentation for an interview. This is absolutely something I am terrified of and also I am not very good at. The job does not involve standing up doing PowerPoint presentations btw. In fact for my sector I thought we had stopped doing this. Even a new colleague in my own department stated she had not had to do one. We are the same level as is the job I’m going for.
I get nervous in these situations slightly loose ability to speak so help me
So do I read the slides or talk around them? Some are quote from things I.e WHO stated x etc, others are easier to talk around ie my skills etc?
How do I present well??? It’s to a panel. I know some of you probably have jobs doing such things.
Thank you to anyone who can guide me.

Please don't. Just put bullet points on the slide and then talk about each one. I personally am a very fast reader so will switch off after a few minutes.

I get round this in interview situations by only having pictures on slides and then reading my notes to accompany each slide. Not sure if that will help you at all?

Can you memorise what you want to say? That way it's like reading a slide in the sense that it's all pre-prepared. Keep text on the slides to a minimum.

Yes as above nothing more annoying tjay someone who reads slides word for word! Bullet points then talk around them. 10 mins is going to be easy,relax, learn the topic/use a topic you know well then just talk briefly around a few slides and bobs your uncle.

So not just read the slide!

As pp said, either bullet points or pictures, powerpoints should be used as props to what you are talking about

Do not just read the slides, you should use them to use them for diagrams, pictures, and a few main points that will help you explain your talk.

What PP said. I can read already, I don't need you to read for me.

Dont put too many words on, just headlines/key info. The value-added is in you talking about them. Make it conversational: if you were sat with a colleague explaining this topic to them, what would say? Make separate notes of this.

Once you've worked out what you are going to say, practise it and practise it. Then the words will flow much more easily because your mind and mouth know what's coming.

You'll be grand

I do a lot of presentations, talks and training. I never read my slides out, I keep the slides brief and not too many of them and I talk around them. I have notes pages just for myself. For me that strikes the right balance between not sounding like you're just reading and not rambling and sounding unprepared.

I haven't done a PP presentation for an interview for a long time now, it generally seems to have gone out of fashion but when I did I would never give out copies in advance (people just read and don't listen) but it's nice to give them a copy of the slides afterwards for them to refer to later.

I hope that helps a bit.

The displayed slides should only have the key points on them, to summarise what you are saying.

You could do yourself cue cards with the full information to read from if you’re nervous :)

I've been on a prestation skills course and it helped me massively as it doesn't come naturally to me at all.

DO NOT READ THE SLIDES OUT

Firstly they look shit. Secondly if there are words there people will read ahead and not listen. Thirdly it's completely pointless as people can read themselves.

This is what I was taught and it works.

Don't do the slides and talk around them. Decide what you want to say. Write it down word for word (feels weird I know). So weite it actually how you'd say it, less formal than written language. Learn it off by heart. Include an introduction (normally who you are and aim of presentation) an agenda, then the actual topic then a summary then time for questions at the end.

Then design the slides around this. Keep them to a minimum in terms of number and in terms of detail on the slides. Either do bullet points or just topics. Graphics work well to illustrate points - pictures graphs etc. Don't worry about doing anything fancy like fading things in and out and getting points on the screen in turn. Just Google pictures of whatever you're talking about if you're not sure.

Talk louder and slower than you think you need to. Make eye contact with the people you're presenting to. Smile. Do not stand in front of the slides. Most people have a tic - I say 'um...' and 'like' a lot so have to make a massive effort not to do this. Some people fidget. I also touch my hair

Practice practice practice at home and when you get there even though it doesn't feel natural, your memory will take over and it will all go smoothly!

Good luck!!!

It might help you to write out exactly what you want to say on each slide and then practice reading from cue cards while the screen is up to get more comfortable. Then try to slowly move away from using the cue cards. You need a practice audience. The dog will do for a first round. Then try humans who love you. Ask them questions to see if you got your message across. You can do this. You just repetition.

Yup, please do not read the slides. Beyond tedious.
Pictures or a few salient figures that you can expand on.
Good luck

Thank you!
For the definitions/ quotes I have put at start ie WHO stated X and such and such study stated Y. Do I just say I looked at how the topic has been defined? Is it completely not ok to actually verbally say what I have put?
(Was horrible question about management and leadership so had to define the differences/ similarities).

I hope that makes sense?

Put bullet points on the slides/key things to discuss. If that doesn't prompt your memory enough for what you need to talk about then have notecards but DO NOT just read what the interviewer can already see on the screen.

We teach our 7 and 8 year olds at school not to read out the slides when they're doing their Speaking and Listening presentations. Please don't do this as an adult!

I had to do this for a job interview, and I would say use the slides to support what you are saying and to add a visual element; but don’t just read off of them. If you do, you are not adding anything as the panel could just sit and read the slides. It is also more likely that you will spend a lot of the time facing away from them to read the texts on the slides, and guessing they want to see how you communicate. Perhaps headers and an image on the slides (don’t want to much as to be distracting) will help to reinforce the structure you have given to your presentation, and act as a prompt should you need it.

As has been said up thread work out your script first, in word. Start with a title then a heading then a bunch of bullet points, another heading followed by more bullet point and so on.

Open up PPT and turn on notes view, use the title for page 1. Then use short punchy headings or even just a single number or stat with a full slide picture background. Paste your bullet points into the notes pane for the appropriate slide.

When you come to present set up your screen or laptop in presenter mode, you will see what your audience sees in pane, your bullet points in another and the next slide in another.

Your audience sees only the one slide that you let them see without having a load stuff to read forward. The idea is that they focus on you and your message at your speed. If you need to provide handouts you can print them with notes - only ever provide handouts or brochures etc at the end.

Reading the slides is necessary if you have someone with visual impairments in your audience. You should also briefly describe any illustration if this is the case. Too many people are unaware / inconsiderate of this aspect if giving presentations to large or public audience.

If your audience has full vision, as is the case in most business environments, then reading the screen is a big No.

Depending on the environment & organisation, you would earn recognition for specifically checking whether anyone does need you to describe the visuals or whether you need to wear a microphone. Inclusion is a Good Thing.

Good luck with the interview

I agree with all the 'don't read your slides' advice, but I don't think that automatically means you have to memorise your talk.

I've done masses of presentations (conferences, lectures for students every few days, etc.), and I don't feel at all nervous any more, but I still much prefer to have a script in my hand. I don't simply read it aloud in a monotone, and I think if you do have a script in your hand, you have to work hard at eye contact and animation to make people forget it's there and just hear you talking. But, it is a great comfort for those crucial first couple of sentences when your mind sometimes goes blank.

I know a lot of people think reading aloud is automatically a bad presentation style. I really disagree. I get really good feedback from my lectures and I know that I wouldn't deliver them so well if I didn't have that crutch to rely on. So even if you just have one card with your first couple of sentences on it, to key you in to the presentation, it might really give you a boost.

Thank you everyone! You have said what I thought really I’m incredibly nervous. I’m going to re jig my first few slides so just the name will appear and I will explain the quotes? Thank you again.

Now also embarrassed as my 8 year old would probably be better than me at this. He is a talker though and rather likes an audience. I wasn’t aware they had been taught this in school but it makes sense.

I will take notes as a support and my children are in for a fun few days of hearing my presentation it appears.

I agree with all the practice practice practice advice but i would add practice it out loud not in your head or quietly but as you would be doing it. Sometimes it can feel really odd hearing your own voice but if youve pracyiced outloud you dont get that as much.

I also practice in front of a mirror so i can see my facial expressions and practice my hand gestures and movements.

For interviews i practice certain phrases and themes for answers too (in my field of work some general questions come up time and again in various forms)

Good luck!

Yes, very very short bullet points and images on slides. All the details on the notes section. If you are nervous, you can script the notes. Just practise it a few times. And practise the topics you're talking about rather than the word for word script. If you phrase it slightly differently, there shouldn't be a problem.

Remember to speak louder and more slowly than you want to. Make eye contact at times. Smile at times too.

Presentation skills we were taught urged us to think of the following:
Prepare the end of the talk first,you are taking the audience on a journey, what is the destination? or look at this way:
What is the purpose of my talk i.e what conclusion do I want my audience to come to as a result of my talk?

For instance:I want to convince them that X is better than Y and why, so "There is evidence for each approach,on each side of this argument,I hope I have shown that X is supported by more research and has better outcomes",(or whatever)

OK, so that is your conclusion,now how do you introduce the topic:
"In this talk I would like to consider the evidence for 2 approaches,X and Y and hope to demonstrate why I would argue in favour of X."

Others in our field have decide between the 2 approaches by looking at :,outcomes,feasibility,cost etc etc.These have been discussed in this article:where overall X had that effect and Y this..(I am making up all this stuff! It's just to give a for instance.)
*Slide to give information on the article

The most recent study has shown,or most recent experience is.....
Again X looks as if it had .. to offer as compared to the benefit of Y
*Slide to give information on the evidence

The study or experience of this system,which is nearest to our experience in this country.....Shows etc etc in X cf Y
*Slide with the study reference

Choose the information that you took into account when deciding your what your conclusion is.

Therefore : my conclusion.
"Having weighed up the evidence on each side and I hope I have shown that X is supported by more research and has better outcomes."

Your slides are :
Topic of talk .Don't read it,it just stays up as you introduce it,so as to focus the minds that you are not discussing travel in the Andes or whatever.Look at your audience,not the slide.
Next slides could contain the details of articles you reference in each point,such as the name of the person advocating an approach and why and where said.
(You can include a slide straight after the intro which lists your 3 lots of evidence,depending on how much time you find it all takes)

Write out your draft talk, practice it out loud,time it.Really know what you have to say,however,I personally would not advocate learning it off by heart,you want to sound relaxed and natural,and not stress if you loose your place.Don't forget,your audience do not know your script,so won't know if you missed a little bit you meant to touch on.

Nerves can make us speak fast,it can be hard to tell oneself to slow down,but easier to remember to stop at a pause,giving the audience time to hear what you said. (A boss once said to me it's like feeding porridge to a baby,give them time to swallow or you and the baby land up in a mess!)

And the person in the audience who frowns while you are speaking can often be the one who comes up to you afterwards to say you were really interesting! They were just thinking hard.

Good luck!

Another one for don't read the slides!!

Having been on both sides of the dreaded interview presentation many times, I'd just say this:

• Nerves are fine - no one will hold it against you (much much better to be a bit nervous than arrogant) so don't worry too much about shaky voice at the start.

• practice again and again what you are going to say. Write it out word for word if you need to, then practice saying it naturally.

• It's fine to take notes in with you in case you need prompts (write them on card not paper if you are worried about your hands shaking)

• put as few words as possible on the slides - pictures/diagrams/graphics are even better. The best interview presentation I was on the panel for was a woman whose first slide was a picture of a mug she received in the office secret santa, which had had her motto printed on it. She talked about how that motto drove the way she would approach the task (which was the subject of the presentation). It wasn't the only reason she got the job but it definitely made a good - and memorable - first impression, whereas everyone else's powerpoints blended into one.

Finally, treat the presentation as a gift - it's not often that you have a job interview where you can completely control what you say and how you come across in the first 10 minutes.

Good luck!

Please do not just read out what is on the slide. Unless there is someone with limited or no eyesight. The phrase 'death by Powerpoint' probably comes from people who have done.

Charts/pictures/graphs are a good idea if relevant.

Good luck!