Got interview .. need help...have to do a presentation

[linniewith3]

Hi all
I have managed to get an interview as a Trainee Personnel Manager at Morrisons. I have some personnel management experience on a much smaller scale interviewing , inductions training, staff files, disciplinary issues etc for up to 100 staff but that was 5 yrs ago. anyway as part of the interview process I have to do a 10 min presentation on the role of the personnel manager in store, Help anyone ? I've not done presentations before and I've no idea how to fill 10 mins.

10 mins isn't actually that long - you'll probably have trouble keeping it down to that short a time, especially if the panel has questions.

Write out what you're going to say in note form first. (Is it a PowerPoint-style presentation or just you and a whiteboard?) I did work in retail years ago but now work in IT so can't help with the subject matter I'm afraid - HR is a bit of a dark art to me

Structure the presentation with an introduction (very brief CV, the objectives of the presentation, and what you're going to cover), then the meat of the presentation itself, then the conclusion. Have you been told to leave time for Q&A within your ten minutes? If so then you need to aim for about 9 minutes of chat (1 min of intro, 8ish mins of stuff) plus the last minute for the panel. If not then aim for 9.5-10 mins in total and do the Q&A afterwards.

Practice the presentation as you will deliver it and time yourself - they may be hot on this, they may not, perhaps to see how well you a) respond to direction and b) manage your time.

above all, relax - a tentative personnel manager is not a good thing - and remember you're there on merit, so they already see something they like about you. good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for that, I have contacted them asking what tools I will have to aid my presentation and I am to just print off a PowerPoint presentation and discuss it.

My next question is ?
I have started my presentation at the moment its just headings with bullet points to elaborate on at the presentation, does this sound right? It's just in my current role presentations are something that I don't have to do, also shall I print off extra copies for them to have ?
Thanks

Hmmm

Printing - take a judgement call on this - these days a lot of organisations frown on printed matter; check out their website for a corporate and social responsibility (CSR) or environmental policy statement. If they state they will keep paper usage to a minimum (or words to that effect) you could say that you have not brought printed copies but burn a copy of the presentation to CD and give them that. If, however, you won't have access to a laptop with powerpoint on it to display the presentation, then you should probably print copies for them to look at while you talk.

What you have sounds fine in terms of structure - they will (should) be more interested in what you have to say rather than how advanced your powerpoint skills are, unless powerpoint is a key skill on the role spec. Powerpoint has a notes function which allows you to add speech notes to your copy of each slide, you may want to use this as an aide-memoire.

But whatever you do don't print out your notes for them by mistake. I did that once and so they got a handout with 'Say thank you. Smile, breathe, SLOW DOWN' on the top of it...

Good luck!

- what Essie said

I think I will print them a copy for them to have whilst I am speaking and then print out my copy which I will mount on card, making it easier to hold I can then write my additional notes on the back of my card just in case I go totally blank.
Ha ha Essie I think I may add some of your comments on the back of my cards too especially to remind me to breathe.
Thanks for your help less than a week to go so watch this space for an update next wed x

essie - re power points - I would consider not doing the bullet points approach. as someone who frequently gets to listen to presentations using power points the ones where there are 3 bullet points per slide that the speaker then elaborates on are, usually, a bit tedious. they're a short cut for the speaker (ie the slides are their speaking notes) and very often it shows.

I would recommend that you firstly think - hard - about the substance of what you want to say. this is the most important bit. when you've got that then see power point as an additional tool to make it more interesting for your audience (not as a prompt for you). look for interesting things to illustrate your points. pictures. graphs. diagrams with arrows. flow charts. and ok, some bullet points. avoid stupid patronising bits of clipart esp ones with grinning stick men (a senior boss of mine used to do this and it never failed to get all 400 of us really annoyed).

I would also research it - ie key points about HR but also tailor it to the particular employer. I'm sure you'll be able to dig out some corporate gumph on their commitments to their employees etc - using this will show firstly that you bothered to research and secondly that you can fit in with their ethos.

good luck.