Invited to interview but...

[Musteatcake]

I recently applied for a new role within the company I work for it is a grade higher than I am currently on. However the interview process includes a 10 minute presentation and I struggle with nerves and confidence at the best of times, let alone being able to string a coherent sentence together for a presentation. On the one hand I want to withdraw my application because presenting is just not me but on the other hand I am pleased to have been shortlisted.? How can I best deal with this? I am not sure if the presentation is standing up in front of the panel or how it will be set up, would it be ok to ask for further info on this element? Don't want to seem needy? Any help/words of wisdom would be hugely appreciated.

Can you practise presenting? Do you get the topic ahead of time? Go for it, they will allow for nerves.

Unfortunately the only way to get around being nervous and anxious about something is to confront it and do it. There's no magic cure or anything. Maybe get medicated too.

Practice & be prepared. Free course (I think) on interviews including presentations

www.futurelearn.com/courses/interviews

But of course you should ask about the exact format of the presentation. Why wouldn’t you? Presumably they’d expect candidates to seek clarification on things that aren’t obvious.

Is it supposed to be in person or on Zoom? Slides or just text? Memorised or with notes? Even if you remember your last interview, things could well have changed since then. Ask!

Thank you all for your suggestions, this will be an in person interview, slides to be submitted in advance. The topic is around how my skills and experience will contribute to the work of the team. So I know the topic should be straightforward in many ways as it is just an expansion of an interview question in many respects, but I am definitely an overthinker and my current role has been really good at chipping away at my confidence/self esteem further. So in many ways I need to do thisx

Just practice, practice, practice in front of the mirror and remember the people interviewing you actually want you to do well and will understand that you’re going to be a bit nervous.

Try to think of it less as a presentation, and more being told about an interview question in advance and a chance to really develop your answer.

Ask for further info on the structure of the interview. But if they are asking you to present as part of the interview process, you would think that presenting may also be an expectation of the job at times

Lots of practise. Ask a trusted colleague or someone who you know has a lot of experience with interviewing to help you with a mock presentation. Or your line manager? They should be supporting you with your development and part of that can be supporting you or finding you a mentor to help with interview ready techniques.

Avoid things that make you nervous, like coffee/caffeine. If it's a serious anxiety issue ask the GP for help.
Keep your slides as clean as possible. A few words/short phrases and then you fluff around that way you can stretch it longer or shorten it if you're running out if time. Don't do 20 slides please and don't write everything down on the slide, otherwise people will read and ignore what you're saying.
Practise by yourself. Take each word/phrase on the slide and practise what you'll say. Then write it down, after that make half disappear.
Include an icebreaker for you start, make people laugh or smile. That'll set the tone for the rest of the presentation.
Find out how many people are going to be there and print a copy for each person.
Relax, the subject is you and nobody knows you better than yourself.
I'd add at least:
1 Slide for your experience
1 Slice for skills
1 slide for what team does and how the previous ones fit in.
If it were me I'd try to do a diagram with the skills/what's need in new job and add the experience with words. "I did (so and so) in past because I have this (skill), so that would be really helpful for this particular task I'd have to do in (the job I'm applying for). They're easier to read, people love them and you don't have a lot of time so you can dress up/down your words depending on time. Leave time for questions at the end.

You're overthinking this. Produce say a PowerPoint presentation this weekend. Practice. Have a trial run.

I feel you OP. I have a horrible fear of presenting that has plagued me my whole life. I do everything I can to avoid it, and if I ever have to do it I start stressing about it weeks in advance. I know it's irrational and totally and hate that it affects me so much.

The biggest thing that helps me is rehearsing. Like practising it 20 times so I have it memorised and can deliver it without having to search for words. Which can open up an opportunity to focus on style, tone.

You can do it!! Don't let your fear hold you back

Definitely don't withdraw or you'll confirm in your head that you're someone who shouldn't/can't do these things. I never mind if people ask for more information about the format, though ask in a polite but confident manner that suggests you want to be well prepared. And practice plus fake-it-til-you-make-it is the only way I've found to do these things - they get easier the more you do them. Good luck!

I'm the same, I'm not a presenter, my job doesn't involve presenting, but you're always asked to do one at interview.

I just treat it as talking to the panel about something I'm pretty well informed on and sharing my ideas on the set subject with them. I make notes for me and plan a "talk" of sorts, but I don't prepare slides or handouts. Often I don't even stand up to give my presentation, just have it as a round table discussion.

FWIW I have been offered every job I've ever interviewed for.

Propranolol can be useful in situations like this as it blocks the physical symptoms of anxiety such as a racing heart.

Your GP might prescribe it, or there are online pharmacies that will do a private prescription for situational anxiety. If you do go down this route then make sure you try it out beforehand to see how it effects you.

OP, does the job ever involve presenting?

In a job interview situation I have nothing to lose, so I don't find that kind of presenting so hard.

Well, what is the worst thing that could happen? You won't get the job. You'll be disappointed, but you currently have a job and you can keep doing that for the time being.

I find that I do my best presentations about topics I am interested in and passionate about. Then the presenation itself doesn't matter, but only the content of it. Since it looks like you get the choose the topic, you can go in any direction you like.

I don't prepare slides
The OP has to submit slides in advance.

That doesn't necessarily mean she needs slides, but that if she plans to use slides they want them in advance.

Practice, practice, practice. You also need to record yourself and watch back.

It's really awkward, but at a recent negotiation course this was key to understand areas of improvement, particularly on body language and what I call "lazy" speech.

I also on occasion will use a beta blocker to help control my nerves, with doctor's ok.

Watch this. It’s a physical response you can control. Prepare the presentation in advance. Practice it to the wall. Present it to friends and family until you know it backwards. Then do a power pose like it suggests in the video.

www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are

IMHO if she struggles with social anxiety (or normal anxiety most people have before doing their first presentatins), doing it without anything to prop her would probably hinder her. Slides help if one get stuck and help to keep the speaker on track, as well as the audience.
I agree it depends a lot on what the topic is but overall good slides are a sign of an organised mind and they provide a line for the speaker to follow. She can go back and clarify stuff and they can point exactly at what they want to clarify. I've also seen many struggle when sb asks a question -in the middle- just to see how much the person knows and whether they can easily pick up where they left off (or because they're plain idiots).
Can people talk for 10 minutes without anything else? Yes, but it takes being a good speaker -with a knack for it or just plain experience- and/or a deep knowledge from the listeners about the topic -so they'll immediately engage- which I don't think they would have, because she's going to talk about herself.
I'd go with slides but simple ones, the key is to keep them simple and expand on what's written, not read 99% from them. That's why I suggested a simple diagram (not a bloody process diagram heheh!), I think most slides would go into just one.
10 minutes isn't an a lot of time. I also find doing a diagram, picking the best type, what goes where, helps the brain decide what's essential, what's a waste of space and what words/phrases should be used to link the different parts. If words can't fit inside the bubble it should be simplified. Also, diagrams can easily be converted into regular slides, so they're not a necessity.
OP, you can add the company's logo as a watermark too to make it all look nicer.

You can do this. Practise a lot so you are confident wiht the material. Don;t 'script' it, but do give yourselves cues for each slide on what you want to explain.

Focus on what they wanrt to know rather than on yourself. This is the key to relaxing during a presentation. Think of yourself as just a means to pass on information.

Speak more slowly than you think you need to. Warm up before hand with some vocal and mouth and tongue exercises (you can probably find loads on you tube, but at very least roll your tongue right around your teeth in both directions and work your mouth as if you were chewing with a wide open mouth. Do deep breaths beforehand.

During the actual presentation, if you screw up just calmly correct yourself and carry on. Don;t make a big fuss and apology as that just draws attention to it. If you keep going, no one will remember any fluster.

Don't 'script' it, but do give yourselves cues for each slide on what you want to explain
This

Remember, a presentation in an interview is a good thing. You know the question and can prepare the perfect answer. You then practise, and practise some more. Take clear simple notes in too if needed.