tips for doing a presentation in an interview

Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Give A Compelling Interview Presentation: Tips, Examples and Topic Ideas

How to Give A Compelling Interview Presentation: Tips, Examples and Topic Ideas

Interview presentations have now become the new norm for most industries. They are popular for sales, marketing, technology, and academic positions. If you have been asked to deliver one for your job interview presentation, prepare to build a strong case for yourself as a candidate.

Giving a general presentation is already daunting. But selling yourself is always the hardest. Spectacular credentials and stellar expertise don’t count much if you cannot present them clearly, which you are expected to do during your interview presentation.

So, let’s prime you up for the challenge. This post is action-packed with job interview PowerPoint presentation examples and will teach you the best way to do a presentation without stressing too much!

Table of Contents

What is an Interview Presentation?

What should an interview presentation look like, how to prepare for a job interview presentation: the basics, define your structure, what slides to include, how to come up with 15-minute interview presentation ideas, how to conclude your interview presentation, how to prepare for an interview: the final tips, what to do at the first interaction with the company elevator pitch for interview, presentation design tips, how to overcome presentation anxiety, tips on maintaining positive body language throughout the presentation, your final act.

An interview presentation, also known as a job interview presentation or interview portfolio, is a formal and structured way for candidates to showcase their skills, qualifications, and suitability for a specific job position during an interview. It goes beyond the typical Q&A format of interviews, allowing candidates to demonstrate their expertise through a prepared presentation. Employers commonly request interview presentations in various industries, such as sales, marketing, technology, academia, and management roles. These presentations serve several important purposes: assessing communication skills, evaluating cultural fit, measuring expertise, analyzing problem-solving skills, and observing presentation skills. While the specific format and requirements of interview presentations vary widely, candidates typically receive guidelines from the employer regarding the topic, duration, and any specific criteria to be addressed. In essence, an interview presentation is an opportunity for candidates to make a compelling case for their candidacy, showcasing their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the job. It requires careful preparation, effective communication, and the ability to engage and persuade the interview panel. A successful interview presentation can significantly enhance a candidate’s chances of securing the desired position.

Think of your interview presentation as a sales pitch.

Your goal is to convince the human resources team that you are the best candidate. The kick here is that you will present to a warm audience – you already impressed them enough with your resume to be called in for an interview. We recommend generating a strategy and presentation based on a 30 60 90 Day Plan .

Employers request interview presentations for a few simple reasons:

• To assess your communication and public speaking skills.
• To understand whether you are the right cultural fit for the company.
• To develop a better sense of how well-versed you are in the domain .

So, your first job is ensuring your presentation fits the criteria. Review the company’s job description again and jot down all the candidate requirements. Take the time to read about their company values and mission. Be proactive and ask precisely what you should cover during your presentation.

Most interview presentations will differ in content and style, but here’s a quick example to give you more context:

[ Use This Template ]

Before you get elbow-deep in designing that PowerPoint for a job interview presentation, do some scouting and reach out to the HR team with a few questions.

You want your presentation to be on-point and technically accurate, so ask your contact the following:

• How long should an interview presentation be? Fifteen minutes is the golden standard, though some employers may ask to cut it down to just 10 minutes or extend it to 20-25.
• Who exactly will be present? A conversational presentation would undoubtedly be welcomed by your peers and a team leader but may appear too casual for the senior managers or board of directors.
• Does the HR team have a particular agenda in mind? Ask some leading questions to understand what kind of skills/experience they want you to demonstrate. If needed, use a proper agenda slide to include your content.
• What’s the IT setup? Should you bring your laptop? Do you need an adapter to connect to their projector? What kind of presentation software have they installed – PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides?

Everyone appreciates clarity.

In fact, 89% of professionals state their ability to communicate with clarity directly impacts their career and income.

Your presentation should flow, not rumble. Make sure that your story is easy to follow and your key message is easy to digest, remember, and pass on. If you want people to retain your main points, opt for the following structure:

Source: this infographic was created with  3 Steps Editable 3D Ladder Infographic

Here’s an interview presentation example styled in this fashion.

What is: The company’s presence in the Middle East is low. Only 15% of revenues come from the top markets.

Why this matters: The UAE fashion market alone is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21% during the next five years.

What could be: I have helped my previous employer open a flagship store in Dubai, have a lot of industry contacts, and am familiar with the local legislature. Your brand can expect a 17% revenue growth within one year of opening.

You can find even more ideas for designing your presentations in this post .

The choice of slides will largely depend on whether you are asked to talk about yourself or present on some task that you will be required to do as part of your job (e.g., create marketing campaigns).

Most interview presentation templates feature the following slides:

• Opening Slide
• Quick Bio/Personal Summary
• Career Path
• Education timeline
• Key Skills and Expertise
• Case studies/examples of the problems you have solved at your past jobs
• Your vision for your future role.
• What exactly can you bring in as the candidate (we will come back to this one later on!)

Can’t figure out where to start? Check out our AI PowerPoint generator to create an entire interview slide deck in a couple of clicks, or just download a job interview template . Swipe down to learn from the either of the following job interview presentation samples.

Typically, a talent acquisition team will suggest broad interview presentation topics for you. For example, if you are applying for a sales position, they may ask you to develop a sales presentation for some product (real or imaginary).

Some employers will request a short presentation about you or your hobbies to understand whether you are a good “fit” for the team and share the company’s values. Remember this: your audience will be assessing your aptitude for the role, no matter which topic you were given.

In fact, the interviewers at this point don’t care that much about your experience and skills. They want to know how you can apply those to solve the company’s pressing problems – meet sales targets, improve ROI from social media marketing or help them earn more revenue.

Your job is to make an educated guess… predict the most wrenching problem, and pitch your “magic pill” during your interview presentation.

I know what you are thinking – but how do I find the right opportunity/problem to tackle?

Businesses across different industries pretty much struggle with the same generic challenges related to either of the following:

Your topic should clearly address one of these areas and offer a potential roadmap for solving some specific problem within it.

Let’s say that you are applying for a sales role. Clearly, you will want to tackle the “customer audience” set of problems. To refine your idea, ask yourself the following questions:

• Can you think of a new customer segment the company should target? Who are they, what do they want, and how you can help the company reach them?
• Do you have a network or experience to identify and pitch new clients?
• Can you think of new collaboration opportunities the company could use to attract a whole new niche of customers?

So a sample job interview presentation about yourself should include a series of Problem & Solution Slides , showing exactly how you will address that issue if the company hires you.

Here’s another PowerPoint presentation about yourself for job interview example worth using – incorporate a case study slide, showing how you have successfully solved a similar problem for your past employer.

Wrap up your presentation by laying out the key steps the company needs to take. Give an estimate of how much time it will take to tackle the problem, and what changes/investments should be made.

Your conclusion should tell this: “Hire me and I will solve this problem for you in no time!”.

Source: StockSnap

Dial-Up Your Power

Take a deep breath and strike a “power pose” before you enter the room.

According to her research, power posers performed better during interviews and were more likely to get hired. Another study also proved this theory: unaware judges gave major preference to the power-primed applicants. So yes, pep talks do work!

The first 30 Seconds Count The Most

What you do and say in the first 30 seconds will make the most impact. Psychological  research  shows that listeners form opinions about your personality and intelligence in the first 30 seconds of the interview. So be sure to start with a compelling opening, framing exactly how you want to be perceived.

Try To Appear Similar to the Interviewer

Lauren Rivera, a professor from Kellogg School,  came to the conclusion that interviewers tend to hire “people like them” .

Even the top human resource management folks fall for this bias and tend to base their evaluations on how similar a candidate is to them, instead of trying to decide whether the person’s skill set is ideal for the position. So to be liked, you will have to act relatable.

Back up your statements with facts

To deliver a presentation with a bang, you can make use of pre-analyzed facts to support your hypothesis. Make sure to do your homework, study the company and its competitive landscape, and do the professional work you would have done as a member of the company crew. At some point in your interview presentation, you go “off the script”, and pull out a bunch of documents, supporting your statements.

For example, you can give away a quick plan indicating a number of things the employer could do today to save money, even if they don’t hire you. Make sure to be meticulous; your work will speak for you. But giving away this work will show the employer your commitment, skills, and focus.

And that’s exactly how to make your job interview presentation stand out. Most candidates just ramble about their skills and past career moves. You bring specificity and proof to the platter, showing exactly what makes you a great hire fair and square.

Within a selection process, there are many interactions (interviews and dynamics) that you must successfully complete in order to be the next selected candidate. One of your objectives in this first interaction should be to generate a great first impression in the company. For this, we recommend using the Elevator Pitch for Interview technique.

The Elevator Pitch for Interview will allow you to present yourself in a solid and professional way in less than 60 seconds, in order to generate an outstanding first impression.

What is an Elevator Pitch for an Interview?

The Elevator Pitch is a condensed speech about yourself that aims to generate engagement in no more than 60 seconds. Entrepreneurs widely use this type of speech to persuade investors and job seekers in job interviews. Your Elevator Pitch for the Interview will generate a great first impression to the employer and be better positioned than other candidates. If your goal is to make a convincing presentation in a job interview, your Elevator Pitch needs to be well crafted.

How to Make an Elevator Pitch for an Interview

There are many ways and tips to make an excellent Elevator Pitch for a job interview. This section provides you with essential advice to make your interview more convincing.

Identify your target

You need to know to whom you are presenting yourself. Is it a recruiter? or an executive?. Your Elevator Pitch will change depending on the receiver.

Comprehend the needs of the hiring company

Make an advanced study about the search requirements for the job position. Identify your strengths. Highlight them. Demonstrate your experience. Identify your weaknesses. Show that you have a profile that seeks constant improvement

Create a clear, concise, and truthful Elevator Pitch

This point is critical. Your Elevator Pitch must be clear, concise, genuine, and impactful. Go from less to more. Generate a real hook in your audience. Try not to go off-topic or talk too much, and be brief in everything you want to say.

Speak naturally and confidently

If you can speak fluently and naturally, you can show a confident profile. Show you know what you are talking about and what you want.

Elevator Pitch Example for Job Seekers

This section illustrates an Elevator Pitch Example targeted to Recruiters. It will help you put together your own.

“My name is [NAME]. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, I have spent the last five years accumulating professional experience as a Project Assistant and Project Manager. I have successfully managed intangible products’ planning, strategy, and launch these past few years. I was excited to learn about this opportunity in Big Data – I’ve always been passionate about how technology and the use of information can greatly improve the way we live. I would love the opportunity to bring my project management and leadership skills to this position.”

Ways to avoid common mistakes in your Elevator Pitch

Keep in mind the following points to avoid making mistakes in your Elevator Pitch for an Interview.

Don’t hurry to make your Elevator Pitch

The Elevator Pitch lasts approximately 60 seconds. Do it on your own time and naturally, as long as you make it clear and concise.

Do not always use the same Elevator Pitch for all cases

One recommendation is not to repeat the same Elevator Pitch in all your interviews. Make changes. Try new options and ways of saying the information. Try different versions and check with your experience which generates more engagement and persuasion.

Make it easy to understand

Articulate your pitch as a story. Think that the person in front of you does not know you and is interested in learning more about your profile. Don’t make your Elevator Pitch challenging to appear more sophisticated. Simply generate a clear and easy-to-understand narrative, where all the data you tell is factual and verifiable.

Don’t forget to practice it

Practice is the key to success. Your Elevator Pitch for Interview will become more professional, convincing, and natural with practice.

How to End an Elevator Pitch?

An essential aspect of ending an Elevator Pitch for an Interview is demonstrating interest and passion for the position. You have already presented yourself and established that you have the necessary background for the job. Closing with phrases revealing passion and attitude will help reinforce your pitch.

We recommend you use expressions such as:

“I have always been interested and curious about the area in which the company operates, and it would be a great challenge for me to be able to perform in this position.”

“I have been interested in moving into your company for a while, and I love what your team is doing in IT.”

“I would like to advance my career with an employer with the same values. I know that thanks to my profile and experience, I can make excellent contributions to your company.”

Keep It Visual: Use visuals like images, graphs, and charts to convey your points effectively. Visuals can make complex information more accessible and engaging. Consistency Matters: Maintain a consistent design throughout your presentation. Use the same fonts, color schemes, and formatting to create a cohesive look. Practice Timing: Be mindful of the allotted time for your presentation. Practice to ensure you can comfortably cover your content within the time limit. Engage the Audience: Incorporate elements that engage the audience, such as questions, anecdotes, or real-world examples. Interaction keeps the interview panel interested. Use White Space: Avoid cluttered slides. Use white space to create a clean and uncluttered design that enhances readability.

Presenting during a job interview can be nerve-wracking. Here are some strategies to overcome presentation anxiety:

• Practice: Practice your presentation multiple times, ideally in front of a friend or mentor. The more you rehearse, the more confident you’ll become.
• Visualization: Visualize yourself by giving a successful presentation. Imagine yourself speaking confidently and engaging the audience.
• Breathing Techniques: Deep breathing can help calm nerves. Take slow, deep breaths before and during your presentation to reduce anxiety.
• Positive Self-Talk: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Remind yourself of your qualifications and the value you bring to the role.
• Focus on the Message: Concentrate on delivering your message rather than dwelling on your anxiety. Remember that the interviewers want to learn about your skills and experiences.
• Arrive Early: Arrive at the interview location early. This gives you time to get comfortable with the environment and set up any technical equipment you use.

Maintain Good Posture: Stand or sit up straight with your shoulders back. Good posture conveys confidence and attentiveness. Make Eye Contact: Establish and maintain eye contact with your audience to show confidence and engagement. Use Open Gestures: Employ open gestures, like open palms and expansive arm movements, to convey enthusiasm and openness. Smile and Show Enthusiasm: Genuine smiles and enthusiastic facial expressions demonstrate passion and eagerness. Control Nervous Habits: Be mindful of nervous habits like tapping or fidgeting, which can distract your audience and convey anxiety.

Stop fretting and start prepping for your interview presentation. You now have all the nitty-gritty presentation tips to ace that interview. If you are feeling overwhelmed with the design part, browse our extensive gallery of PowerPoint templates and cherry-pick specific elements ( diagrams , shapes , and data charts ) to give your interview presentation the top visual appeal.

Here you can see some 100% editable templates available on SlideModel that could be useful for preparing an interview presentation.

1. Versatile Self-Introduction PowerPoint Template

Use This Template

2. Professional Curriculum Vitae PowerPoint Template

This a sample of PowerPoint presentation template that you can use to present a curriculum and prepare for a job interview presentation. The PPT template is compatible with PowerPoint but also with Google Slides.

3. Modern 1-Page Resume Template for PowerPoint

4. Multi-Slide Resume PowerPoint Template

Like this article? Please share

HR, Human Resources, Interview, Job, Resume Filed under Presentation Ideas

Related Articles

Filed under Business • April 17th, 2024

How To Make an Interview Portfolio (Examples + Templates)

Transform your job seeking experience into a smooth process by learning how to make an interview portfolio. Guide + Examples here.

Filed under Business • December 7th, 2023

The Communication Plan Template

Discover why communication plan templates are a key asset for strategic structuring of information in organizations. Learn how to build one here.

Filed under Business • September 8th, 2023

The Employee Value Proposition (EVP) | Key Components and Examples

Employee Value Proposition refers to how organizations are able to attract skilled employees in a competitive job market through the corporate culture, and benefits offered by them. In this article we explore what EVP is and how to formulate a strong EVP.

One Response to “How to Give A Compelling Interview Presentation: Tips, Examples and Topic Ideas”

Leave a reply.

Interview presentation preparation tips

The interview presentation is becoming more common in the hiring process. It gives employers a better overview of your general aptitude and provides you with an opportunity to showcase your skills, knowledge, and experience. But how should you prepare for an interview presentation? What should you include? What if it goes wrong?

4th Jun, 2021

On this page:

Stay up to date with the latest employer insights & events.

By submitting this completed form to us, you agree to Reed contacting you about our products and services, and content that may be of interest to you. You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, please see our  privacy policy .

By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Reed to store and process the personal information submitted above.

What is an interview presentation?

As you progress further in your career, particularly to executive level, you may be asked to give a presentation for interview. Perhaps you’ve been asked to conduct research and present your findings to a panel, complete a task and show how you approached it, put together a business plan and present your ideas, or even give a presentation about yourself and how you would excel in the role. Whatever you are presenting about, how you approach it should remain the same.

Many people find giving presentations intimidating, especially during an interview when you’re already nervous, but it’s something that you may have to do throughout your career – the sooner you tackle this skill, the better.

Why are you being asked to do a presentation for a job interview?

Many employers opt for a presentation-style interview as it gives a better overview of your general aptitude when compared to, or combined with, a traditional question and answer interview, like a competency-based interview . The interviewer is looking for proof that you can do the job and that you possess the required skills and traits.

Additionally, if you put time and effort into your presentation, this will highlight to the hiring manager that you are committed to the role and enthusiastic about joining the company. How many times have you been asked in an interview ‘Why do you want this position?’ or ‘What is it about this role that attracted you to it?’. They want to know how much you want this position, rather than just any position.

How to prepare a presentation for an interview

Where do you start? What should you include? The presentation is your opportunity to showcase your knowledge, experience, and communication skills as well as your organisational skills and diligence – so start with the job description and person specification and pick out key skills and traits that the company is looking for. Then you can prepare your presentation around what they want to see.

For example, if the business is looking for someone creative, pay great attention to the style of your presentation. If it is looking for someone who is a confident public speaker, spend more time perfecting your speech. If attention to detail is paramount in the role, double and triple check your spelling and grammar. This is a great starting point and gives you something to build your presentation around.

What to include in an interview presentation

Although you may be tempted to go all out and show your potential employer that you are committed to the job, don’t fall into the trap of creating a 30-slide presentation with reams of text. Try to keep each slide short and significant and aim for no more than 10 slides. This ensures the information you deliver is memorable and will help you to stand out from other interviewees. Some interviewers may even give you a specific amount of time for your presentation, make sure you factor this in and don’t go over the time limit – otherwise you may appear to have poor time management skills.

Another way to make sure your presentation engages hiring managers is to include a range of formats to help you illustrate your points. Include graphs, statistics, diagrams, video clips, and images to help break up large volumes of text and maintain the attention of the interviewers.

If you are conducting research as part of your presentation, include quotes from industry leaders and/or research pieces. This gives your points authority and demonstrates your commercial awareness.

You should also try to incorporate the company’s colours, fonts, or style in your presentation. This will show that you have done your research and highlights your brand awareness.

Finally, check your spelling and grammar thoroughly! Small mistakes can really undermine the content of your presentation.

Tips for presenting at the interview

Presenting is a skill which can be learnt. Even if you are not a confident public speaker, the more you practice, the better you will become.

Present confidently and enthusiastically - Remember to speak clearly, make eye contact, and use open body language.

Don’t just read the slides - There is nothing worse than watching a presentation where the presenter has their back to you the whole time just reading reams of text from their PowerPoint notes.

Try not to talk too fast - Make sure you breathe, and take your time.

Practice, practice, practice - Ensure you are well rehearsed so that you are familiar with the structure of your presentation and are able to deliver it smoothly. If possible, practice your presentation with family members or friends to get used to speaking in front of other people.

Arrive early to give yourself time to set up the presentation and settle any nerves - Get comfortable with PowerPoint and presentation equipment. Make sure you know how to work any projectors, screens, or remote controls before you begin to avoid any awkward stumbles or pauses.

Stay within the allocated time - If you have not been given guidance on length, aim for the 10-minute mark. Time your presentation when you are practising to make sure it will fit within the time limit. If you need to reduce the content of your presentation, cut out the least relevant or weakest points.

Be prepared to adapt - You may have practised your presentation in a certain way, but the interviewer might not respond accordingly. Be prepared to be interrupted by questions or further discussion unexpectedly.

Breathe and try to enjoy it - By relaxing, you will find yourself presenting better and, if you enjoy it, your interviewers will respond to that and be better engaged with what you are saying.

Tips for keeping the interview presentation simple

It can take a lot of work to make something simple, yet effective, and when it comes to interview presentations less is often more. Keep it short - As previously mentioned, try to keep each slide short and aim for no more than 10 slides in total.

One idea per slide - To make sure your presentation is clear and concise, each slide should represent a different point/idea you want to make.

Stick to the important bits only - If you don’t think it’s important enough to spend time on, don’t have it on your slide.

Use the 4x6 rule - Aim for either four bullet points with six words per bullet point, or six bullet points with four words per bullet point. This way, your slides won’t look too busy.

Minimal text - Instead of writing paragraphs of text, use bullet points and a minimum font size of 24.

What's better for your interview presentation? Cue cards or presenting from memory?

Should you use cue cards in your presentation for interview or try to present from memory?

The answer to this question depends on what you feel most comfortable doing. If you find that having cue cards will help ease your nerves and ensure that you don’t forget your speech, then there is nothing wrong with that.

However, if you choose to use cue cards, you should not rely too heavily on them. You shouldn’t stand in front of the interviewers and look down at the cards continuously, neither should you write your whole speech out on the cards and read directly from them. They are cue cards for a reason and should only give you prompts on what to talk about. If your interview presentation has a lot of statistics on, using cue cards to remember the figures if you are unable to memorise them all is an excellent strategy.

What to do when things go wrong

You can practice your interview presentation as much as possible, but something may still go wrong and it’s important to be prepared for this eventuality. Here are some things that could go wrong and how to deal with them: Technical issues

There is not a lot you can do to prevent technical issues, especially if you are using someone else’s computer. But there are ways you can prepare just in case. Ensuring you have access to multiple sources of your presentation is key. Email the file to yourself and the recruiter, bring a copy on a USB stick and printed handouts. This way you are covered if anything goes wrong with the file you’re intending to use.

Your mind goes blank

Even those who are pros at presenting can sometimes lose their train of thought and find that their mind goes blank. The key here is not to panic. If possible, take a bottle or glass of water in with you and use this chance to take a sip, breathe and try to relax. Then look at your presentation slide or your cue cards and pick up where you left off. It may be helpful to repeat the last point you made as saying it out loud could spark your memory for your next point.

You are asked a question that you don’t know how to respond to

If you have allotted time at the end of your presentation to allow the interviewer to ask any questions (which is recommended), don’t worry if someone asks a question that you are not sure on. It may be that the interviewer is looking to see how you respond to a challenging question, so how you react is often more important than the answer itself.

If you do not understand the question, ask the person to explain. There is nothing wrong with doing this and shows more confidence than just saying that you don’t know. If you understand the question but are not sure of the answer, then admit that you don’t have the full answer, provide what information you do have, and offer to come back to them at a later date with a complete answer.

10-minute interview presentation template

Below is a presentation for interview example. Use this as a baseline and adapt or reorder where appropriate based on the task you have been set by the interviewer. Slide 1 - Introduction – Reiterate the objectives you have been set and lay out the structure of your presentation so that the interviewers know what to expect. Slide 2 - About you – Detail your professional experience, skills and working style. Slide 3 - Company history – Give a brief summary of the company history, any milestones or awards. Slides 4-7 - Answering the brief – Give your responses to questions you’ve been asked to answer, the benefits and limitations of your suggestions. Slide 8 - Question and answers – Include a slide titled ‘questions and answers’ as a cue to pause for interaction. Slide 9 - Conclusion – Sum up the key points you have made, reach a decision, and explain your reasoning. Slide 10 - Personal achievements – End the interview on a high with a brief slide highlighting achievements that show how you will succeed in the role.

For more information on how to ace your interview, download our free guide, ‘ Getting the best from your interview: Candidate interview tips and tricks ’, or contact your local recruitment specialist today.

You may also be interested in...

Getting the best from your interview

The interview is about presenting yourself as the best candidate for not only the position, but the company. Our handy guide will take you through some simple steps to make sure you do just that.

The eternal optimist - winning with an attitude of gratitude

Former England sevens Captain and current PwC Director, Motivational Speaker, Coach & Founder of Optimist Performance, Ollie Phillips, gives you an insight into becoming an ‘eternal optimist’.

How to prepare for a second interview

How to write a covering letter. The bane of many people’s lives. But it really doesn’t need to be. Follow our simple tips and yours will stand out from the crowd.

Frequently Asked Questions

A job interview presentation is all about selling yourself. Be confident, speak clearly, and make eye contact with the interviewer. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself and highlight your achievements. This is your chance to really show the interviewer that you are capable and have the necessary skills to do the job. By putting time and effort into your presentation, you can show them how dedicated you are to the role and the company. For more information on how to ace your interview, download our free guide, ‘ Getting the best from your interview: Candidate interview tips and tricks ’.

Using cue cards can support you with your interview presentation, as long as you use them for their intended purpose. Do not write your entire presentation for interview out on cards and read from them word for word or constantly hold them in your hand and fail to make eye contact with the interviewer. Use them only to prompt you or for remembering key facts and figures. For more tips, read our article on ‘interview tips & questions’ .

If you have been sent a presentation brief that you do not understand – don’t panic. If there are words that you are not sure about, do some research and try your best to figure out what the organisation is asking of you. If you are still unsure, you could ask your recruiter as they may have seen this brief before and can give you an idea. If you are dealing directly with the hiring manager, then it may be worth checking that your interpretation of the brief is correct.

It is better to ask the question than present on something completely different to what the interviewer has asked. However, instead of saying to them that you don’t understand the brief and leaving it at that, tell them your understanding of it and ask if this is correct. This will show that even though you are unsure, you have taken the time to try to come to a conclusion yourself before asking for help. Download our free interviewing guide for more tips and advice.

How long your job interview presentation should last depends on what guidance you have been given. Thoroughly read the brief, as the recruiter or hiring manager may have specified the length of time you have for your presentation. If they haven’t given any indication, you should aim for 10 minutes, including time for questions and answers. For more tips on interviewing, read our article on ‘interview tips & questions’ .

Find a Reed office

Our national coverage allows us to offer a recruitment service tailored to your needs, with accurate local market intelligence on salaries, competitors and the best professionals who can help your business thrive.

• Presentations
• Most Recent
• Infographics
• Data Visualizations
• Forms and Surveys
• Video & Animation
• Case Studies
• Design for Business
• Digital Marketing
• Design Inspiration
• Visual Thinking
• Product Updates
• Visme Webinars
• Artificial Intelligence

How to Deliver a Winning Interview Presentation

Written by: Unenabasi Ekeruke

The average corporate job opening receives about 250 resumes . To find the most suitable candidates, many companies make interview presentations a decisive part of their hiring process.

Whether you're looking to switch jobs or move up the ladder in your organization, a well-crafted interview presentation might be the key to landing your next role.

Interview presentations give you a chance to pitch your skills and showcase your knowledge about the position. Delivering an exceptional presentation will put you a step ahead of other candidates.

But how do you make your interview presentation stand out?

In this article, we've rounded up the best tips for preparing and delivering a winning interview presentation that will help you stand out and land you the job.

Let's get to it.

Tired of using PowerPoint? Try Visme's presentation software for free. Tap into 1,000+ ready-made slides and templates, animation, interactivity, data visualization features, online sharing and more.

Table of Contents

What is an interview presentation, what employers look for in an interview presentation, how to prepare for your interview presentation.

• 11 Interview Presentation Tips to Help You Stand Out

In many industries, interview presentations help recruiters pick the best candidate for the job.

They also help managers gauge a candidate's presentation skills, especially if the job role involves pitching to clients or top management.

Interview presentations often involve presenting formal talks about subjects that interest recruiters. These subjects could be directly related to your job role or the industry your prospective organization operates in.

Your interview presentation could potentially revolve around topics like:

• Emerging trends and innovations in a particular industry
• Competitive landscape and future predictions
• Business, operations and marketing strategies
• Improving sales and customer retention

It could also be about pitching your work experience, ideas and why you're the best fit for the role.

Let's say you're interviewing for a high-level position in the sales and marketing department. You may be asked to pitch the company's product or services to prospects or do these things:

• Predict trends in the industry where the company operates
• Talk about how the current market trend may affect sales for a particular line of products
• Present a marketing plan for your prospective role

Below is an interview presentation template that you can edit and use.

Sometimes, prospective employers may give you specific topics in advance, giving you ample time to prepare.

At other times, you may have to make blind presentations. This means you'll get topics shortly before the presentation and may have limited time to prepare.

Whatever be the case, nailing your interview presentations will up your chances of landing your new role.

Improve your HR materials and communication with visuals

• Create insights into your recruitment and talent management processes with data visualization
• Keep all HR documents on-brand and beautiful, from employment contracts to company policies

Sign up. It’s free.

Take a moment to think about your best job interview.

Why did your employer choose to hire you ahead of other candidates? You probably ticked all the right boxes in terms of skills, experiences, education, personality and other factors.

But most importantly, it's how you presented your skills, capabilities and knowledge about the role that probably blew their minds.

At every stage of the hiring process, employers look for outstanding candidates who measure up to their expectations. These expectations may differ based on the job role, industry and organizational structure.

However, on a general note, recruiters will readily opt for candidates who:

• Understand the organization and its line of business
• Know their job role and what's expected
• Understand the company mission and will fit into the company culture
• Show passion, ambition and leadership qualities
• Demonstrate the ability to use their skills and experience to drive the company forward
• Know how to communicate and present in front of a small or large group of people

What specific presentation skills do employers look for?

Excellent presentation skills are a must-have for most client-facing roles or high-level positions. Therefore, asking a candidate to make presentations during interviews can help companies assess whether they can deliver on the job.

Not only that, interview presentations provide deeper insight into your abilities and skills, such as:

• Presentation design skills
• Verbal and written communication style
• The ability to hook, engage and interact with your audiences
• Ability to deliver the message with clarity
• Diligence and attention to details
• Work experience and sector knowledge
• Ability to read and interpret the mindset of listeners
• Use of visual aids
• Time management and organization skills

For a blind presentation, the employer may want to feel your pulse or perspective on issues or take notice of things like:

• The ability to think on your feet
• How you perform under pressure
• How persuasive and creative you can be

Ultimately, the recruiter is also checking to see if you meet the core competencies for the job. Therefore, make sure to revisit them during the blind presentation.

Beyond landing the job, getting it right with your presentation can set the tone for further engagements with your colleagues and top management.

Preparation is one of the keys to delivering an excellent interview presentation.

Once you've received the details about the interview, don't leave your preparation till the last minute or assume you can wing it. Use the days leading up to the interview to put the necessary things in place.

Here's what you should know. Preparing for your interview presentation puts you in control and increases your chances of securing the job.

Unfortunately, knowing how to prepare for interviews may be a big challenge for many people.

But we've got you covered.

Use these tips below to get yourself interview-ready.

1. Ask the Right Questions

Whether you receive a phone call or email about your interview, ensure you're clear about the details. Rather than make sweeping assumptions, go ahead and do these things:

• Find out what your prospective employers expect from you.
• Ask if you'll get a topic before the presentation date or if it's a blind presentation. Also, find out if you'll be allowed to choose from a list of topics.
• Find out who your audience will be (recruitment agencies, HR, supervisors, top-level management).
• Ask how many people will be present at the interview.
• Make sure to ask how long the presentation will last. Having a timeframe will help you decide what to add or delete from the presentation.
• Find out if they have a preferred presentation style.
• Ask what technical equipment and presentation tools will be available.
• Find out whether there'll be provision for sound, audio and visuals.

By asking these questions, you'll know what recruiters expect from you and align your presentation to match their needs. Plus, they'll judge your suitability for the role based on how you pay attention to the finest details.

2. Research the Company and the Position Before the Interview

Now you have answers to the fundamental questions, go ahead and research the company and the position you've applied for.

That's not all. Find out the industry the company operates, the major players and where the company ranks within the industry.

Doing this will enable you to:

• Structure your presentation and
• Interpret your job role within the context of the industry where the company operates.

For example, if you're an accounting professional, it's not enough to understand general accounting principles.

You'll have to understand what your role entails within the context of the industry you'll be working in. It could be oil and gas, mining, tech, construction, health, finance or entertainment.

Here are other things you should find out during your research.

Company Vision, Mission and Goals

Find out the company's history, what they stand for and their area of interest. It's also a good idea to research their major competitors and how they've fared in the market.

But how do you find this valuable information?

The company's website and social media channels are good starting points. News, blogs and third-party sites can provide more information about what the company has been up to.

Having this essential info will help you:

• Determine subjects relevant to the company and the area you should focus on,
• Tailor your interview presentation to their needs and
• Impress your potential employers.

Not only that, but it also shows you're prepared to be part of that organization's culture.

Potential Audience

Part of your research should be to find out who is going to be interviewing you. One way to get that information is by asking the company's HR or using your intuition.

For example, if you're applying for a sales and marketing position, the marketing, sales and HR managers will most likely be on the interview panel.

Next, find out their interests and job responsibilities. Platforms like LinkedIn , Meetup , Indeed and other job boards can come in handy.

You might want to take note of their experience levels.

Professionals with different experience levels have varying concerns.

For example, while top management may care about your administrative or leadership abilities, a team lead may be more interested in your technical or problem-solving skills.

If you focus on what matters most to your audience, you'll attract their interest and win them over.

3. Structure Your Interview Presentation

If you want to keep your audiences hooked to your slides, ensure your presentation is well-structured.

Doing this will keep you on track and prevent your audience from zoning out of your presentation.

Here's how to create an excellent presentation structure.

In its simplest form, a well-structured presentation should have an introduction, body and conclusion.

• Compelling introduction: Your introduction should briefly sum everything about you, your presentation objectives and why it's relevant to your audience. You can ask a question, tell a story, share facts or use humor to spark interest.
• Engaging body: This is where you present the main details of your topic. Make sure to back your argument with facts or a wealth of information that shows that you're the best candidate for the job. Talk about the company goals and how you'll help to achieve them.
• Memorable conclusion: Here, you should present your key takeaways about the topic. Likewise, briefly reiterate your skills, experience, expertise, past achievements and why they should hire you.

You can use presenter notes to ensure you stick to the structure. Throughout your presentation, keep your message clear. Plus, make sure every part of your presentation relates to the topic.

Check out this article for more tips on how to structure your presentation .

Structure your interview presentation to make it appealing and impactful like the one below.

4. Pay Attention to Design

Remember, first impressions count. And your interview presentation isn't an exception to this rule. Excellent presentation designs help you create an impactful first impression on your interviewers.

Think of your design as the aesthetic element that etches your presentation in your viewer's minds and sways them in your favor.

Whether you're pitching the company's product or your resume, having flawless interview presentation designs will help you tell stories better.

Not only does it create a memorable impression, but it also makes your presentation pack a punch.

You can start from scratch or jumpstart your creativity with interview presentation examples like the one below.

While creating your presentation slides , here are some things you should keep in mind:

Keep It On-Brand

Try to tailor your presentation design (font, color scheme, background, image) to the company's identity and visual language. Companies like Starbucks, Skype, Spotify and Netflix provide brand guidelines on their website.

Brand guidelines generally contain a set of rules on using the company’s branding elements. If the company doesn't have a brand guide, you can use the colors on their logo or website for your slide design.

Interviewers will most likely focus on a presentation designed in their organization's brand format. And doing this will show you've done your research about the company.

Pro Tip:  Use Visme's Brand Design Tool to automatically generate a branded presentation template with your employer's logo, colors and fonts. Simply enter in the URL to their website and watch the magic happen!

Create branded content & graphics with ease

• Add your brand color’s hex codes for easy access
• Upload or select your brand fonts
• Easily incorporate brand elements into your Vismes

Use Lots of White Space

Avoid cluttering your interview presentation slides with too many ideas, text or images. This could overwhelm your audience and make your presentation a pain in the eyes.

When designing a clean and effective presentation, it's important to use lots of white space. Don't use more than six words per slide . Stick to one idea and a minimum of two images per slide.

Use High-Quality Images

Be sure to use high-quality visuals that drive an emotional appeal.

Better yet, every visual you use should have a purpose behind it. If you're presenting an overview of yourself, it makes sense to use a nice, high-quality headshot of yourself. Take a cue from the interview presentation sample to create yours.

Even if you're using stock photos  to spice up your slides, make sure the images are carefully selected to balance the text on each slide and are relevant to the topic that's being discussed.

Using low-quality, irrelevant or pixelated images can not only make your presentation boring, but it can also negatively impact your image and make you come across as careless or lazy.

Make Your Slides Easy to Read

When selecting fonts and sizing them, use fonts that are readable on small and large screens. Stick a font size of 36 pixels for titles and at least 30 pixels for body text.

Additionally, to make your message pop, maintain a solid contrast between your text and background. If you use a dark background, use a white font color and vice versa. You can grab inspiration from the job interview presentation sample below.

In the template above, notice how the dark text color pops vibrantly on the white background. Additionally, the fonts are legible enough for readers to digest the message in the slide.

If you want to learn more about making your slide designs shine, read our in-depth article on how to create good presentation design .

5. Use Charts and Graphs to Visualize Data

As mentioned before, sprawling text and bullets aren't enough to drive visual appeal. You need to use visual aids to break up text and boost visual appeal.

By using a range of formats like graphs, statistics, diagrams , video clips and images, you can easily maintain audience attention and get your points across.

Notice how the job interview presentation sample below uses data visualization to present information.

Are you looking for high-resolution visuals for your interview presentations?

If the answer is yes, Visme's presentation maker has everything you need. The tool has a robust library of free and premium stock images, elegant fonts, icons, graphs, charts, infographics and other visual aids.

6. Keep Your Presentation Clear, Unique and Impactful

When it comes to making presentations, less is more.

As a presenter, you want recruiters to glance at your slide, gain interest and listen to you. Hence it's best to keep your slide short and simple, aiming for ten slides or less.

Be careful not to load too much information on your slides or break off tangents that don't support your topic.

Just like you, other applicants are looking to give an impressive presentation. Make your presentation memorable and unique. This will convince your employer that you are the ideal candidate for the job.

One way to make your presentation unique is by:

• Creating a simulated project or demo
• Using case studies related to the company's operations
• Creating a strategic plan for your intended role or department
• Depicting how you would use your skills to achieve the desired project goals

If you're doing a job presentation for a marketing position, for example, you can create a detailed strategic plan that wins the heart and minds of your interviewers using the template below.

7. Practice Your Delivery

Your interview presentation is a critical stage in the recruiting process. And having an excellent delivery will solidify your chances of getting the job.

However, having a flawless delivery starts with practice, practice and more practice.

For example, Steve Jobs was one of the most phenomenal speakers of his time. His keynotes and demos were compelling and filled with passion and energy.

But if you pull back the curtain, you'll realize why presentations were magical. What seemed spontaneous took hours and hours of practice.

Here's the thing. Rehearsing your presentation beforehand will help avoid babbling or being caught off guard.

Not only that, practice will make you become confident, familiar with the outline or structure and deliver your presentation smoothly.

How do you practice your interview presentation?

First off, deliver your presentation in front of a mirror and record yourself while you're at it. Repeat this as many times as possible and watch out for mistakes that could hurt your presentation.

Next, practice your presentation before your friends and ask them to take notes. Doing this will enable you to get feedback or work on areas that require improvements.

Encourage them to provide detailed feedback rather than general feedback like: "you did well" or "great design".

Before presenting his first TED Talk, author and business podcaster Tim Ferriss practiced his presentation with a group of friends and strangers. He went ahead to incorporate their feedback and suggestions in his next rehearsal.

During practice, go ahead and do these things:

• Time yourself to ensure your presentation falls within the allowed time
• Keep your shoulder and head high up
• Maintain eye contact with your audience (friends, family or professional colleagues)
• Be expressive and articulate your words with confidence.
• Take deep breaths and pauses in between your presentation
• Be audible and avoid speaking too fast

As you practice repeatedly, you'll have your points at your fingertips. Plus, you'll become more confident about your interview.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor practiced her 18-minute TED Talk about 200 times before getting on stage. Her speech below, “ My Stroke of Insight,” has amassed well over 25 million views on the TED site alone.

8. Follow Presentation Guidelines

While preparing for your big day, adhere to the employer's rules for the interview presentation.

The interview rules could include:

• Interview arrival time
• Document required
• The focus of the presentation and allotted time

For instance, if your interviewer says candidates must complete their presentation in 10 minutes, don't exceed the allocated time.

If you've not been given a time limit, keep your presentation between 10-20 minutes. Remember — people have short attention spans.

When you adhere to the guidelines, employers will believe you're reliable and can work with available resources.

9. Use the Right Presentation Tool

The tool you use to prepare your presentation is as important as the content. You'll find tons of presentation software out there, including PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, Visme, Prezi and more.

Sometimes, your potential employer may favor a particular platform for your interview presentation. But more often than not, they'll leave you to make a choice.

In this case, it's advisable to build your presentations using a tool that's not only familiar but has everything you need to make your content shine. We strongly recommend a feature-rich tool like Visme .

Whether you're a novice or expert, Visme is precisely made to help you craft beautiful presentations and nail your delivery. The tool has 500+ templates, animations, fonts, and design themes that match your style and any niche you can think of.

You can also check out our quick video on how to create beautiful and professional interview presentations in Visme.

10. Have a Backup Plan

Keep in mind that complications could arise. Having a backup plan can help you put things back on track and complete your presentation successfully.

Your employer will mainly provide a screen, laptop, USB and other equipment.

Still, it would help to bring along your laptop and USB drive. They could come in handy if you want to quickly make some adjustments to your slide or review them before the presentation.

In addition, make sure to:

• Have duplicate copies of your presentation. You can save a copy on a USB stick, external drive or cloud drive.
• Email the file to yourself and the interviewers.
• Bring along a few printed handouts or copies of your slides, which you'll share with your audience.

Taking these steps can save the day if anything goes wrong such as computer breakdown, corrupt files, power disruption and other technical glitches.

11. Determine Follow-up Questions and Provide Answers

Now your preparation is in top gear. But wait, there's one more thing.

After creating your presentation, review the content and check for readability and spelling errors.

Then think up questions your audience might ask after your delivery. You'll want to brace up for questions that are both related and not related to the topic.

Here is a list of the common interview presentation questions that you can expect:

• What solutions do you recommend in light of the current realities and trends?
• Why do you recommend this solution?
• What strategy do we use to solve this problem?
• How do we convince investors to buy into this project?
• What resources do we need to execute these projects?
• What processes can we put in place to ensure the success of this project
• How do you plan to minimize the risks of this project?
• How does your recommendation align with the company's short-term and long-term goals?

Create a stunning presentation in less time

• Hundreds of premade slides available
• Add animation and interactivity to your slides
• Choose from various presentation options

11 Interview Presentation Tips

You've put in the work to prepare your interview presentation. Great job! Now the day and time of your presentation have arrived.

These 11 interview presentation tips will help you win your employers over.

1. Pick the Right Outfit

There's no hard and fast rule to picking the right interview outfit. And that’s because different companies and industries have preferred dress codes.

So your best bet will be to ask the hiring manager before the interview date. This will enable you to align your attire with the company culture.

Whether the acceptable dress code is formal or casual, wear something that makes you appear smart and confident. But when in doubt, stick to formal and smart business attire.

2. Arrive Early and Settle In

Whether you have an online or physical interview or presentation, this is a no-brainer. Showing up late doesn't only leave a bad impression, but it could cost you the job.

Arriving early to your interview will give you enough time to settle your nerves and tie loose ends.

A good rule of thumb is to arrive 15 to 20 minutes before your presentation. You'll have ample time to get comfortable with the equipment and the environment.

3. Start Strong and Build Rapport

The opening part of your interview presentation is where you set the mood for the rest of the presentation.

Here, you have to draw your audience in and convince them to listen to you. So aim to make it impactful and enthralling.

Once you get on the stage, build rapport with your audience.

Start by introducing yourself, professional experience, skills and educational background. Then, highlight your career achievements, records, awards and portfolio like the example interview presentation slide below.

The goal is to impress and attract your audience's attention. This is the moment where you convince recruiters that you’re worth listening to.

When it comes to your presenting your topics, you can kick off your presentation with the following techniques:

• Use captivating quotes
• Mention compelling statistics about the organization, industry or subject
• Tell an interesting story about yourself or the subject
• Talk about a trending news topic

Not only will this help draw your interviewers in, but it will engross them and set the mood for the rest of the presentation.

4. Be Confident

You've worked so hard to get to this point. Be confident that you've got this. Projecting confidence is also as important as having an incredible resume.

Recruiters love to listen to confident candidates. And developing this mindset will help you inspire trust and build connections with your potential employer.

If you're looking to keep your confidence high, do these things:

• Speak with authority and make eye contact with your audience: This is you selling yourself and reiterating that you've got all it takes to do the job.
• Pay attention to your body language: That's the first thing people notice. The way you carry yourself says a lot about how confident you are. Do your best to maintain the right body posture, smile, keep your head up and appear comfortable.
• Use hand gestures: Utilizing strong hand gestures adds personality to your speech and makes you expressive. For example, moving your hand in an upward motion can describe growth rate or increase. Likewise, opening or closing your hands depicts sizes.

5. Deliver Like a Pro

While making your presentation, ensure your delivery is crisp and clear.

Whether you're using your voice or microphone, command attention by enunciating words clearly and projecting them to the back of the room. Otherwise, you'll come across as timid or unsure of your assertions.

Resist the temptation to use a dull tone or communicate without facial expressions.

Instead, deliver your speech with passion and vary your pitch to convey feelings and different emotional intensities. Delivering your message with emotion and liveliness will keep your audience hooked.

Most people tend to speak fast when they're nervous. Well, if this happens, your interviewer may miss out on important points.

Thus, maintain a reasonable pace and have occasional pauses in between. This will give you time to catch your breath, collect your thoughts and let your messages sink in.

Remember your slide is supposed to support your presentation, so avoid reading your slides or notes. Doing this will bore your audience and give them the impression that you're inept on the subject.

Showcase your expertise with the help of the presentation interview template below.

6. Tell a Compelling Story

Storytelling is one the most effective ways to structure your interview presentation.

Whether you're simulating a project, discussing a technical topic or pitching your skills, storytelling is the key to winning audience interest.

Top business leaders are making the most of it. You should make it the foundation of your interview presentation.

For example, in the video below, Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, leverages storytelling to explain how she built a successful product.

One of the reasons why Steve Jobs stood out during presentations is his ability to tell captivating stories. He used storytelling during his keynote addresses, pitches and notably during the launch of the first iPhone in 2007.

Here's the thing. Telling stories engages your audience and helps understand your points. Also, it makes your presentation more impactful and memorable.

Here's how to use storytelling during your interview presentation

• Plot: Select an area of focus and make it resonate with your audiences
• Characters: Highlight the major players in your story. It could be you, the company, the industry, competitors, etc.
• Opposition: Present a problem and why it matters to the organization or audience
• Journey: Discuss what you bring to the table regarding the solution, planning, execution, monitoring, problem-solving and management
• Conclusion: End with a strong resolution

What's more? To make your presentation cohesive and well-thought-out, use practical examples.

For example, the slide below highlights current gaps or problems.

Then, the next slide suggests practical steps to address the gaps or solve the problems.

7. Use Visual Aids

We discussed this during the preparation phase. And you've got to make it count while delivering your presentation.

Adding visuals to your story is a winning formula that works all the time.

Why? Interestingly about 65% of people are visual learners. Plus, our brains are wired to pay more attention to visual content.

But those are not the only reasons you should incorporate visuals into your presentation.

• Visuals attract audience attention and enhance your delivery
• With visuals, your audiences can quickly understand complex ideas
• They appeal to your viewer's imagination and drive an emotional connection
• Visual add power to your words and keeps your speech on track

You can use video, images, infographics and symbols to describe ideas or concepts. Map charts or statistical maps can help visualize geographical information.

You can visualize numbers using graphs, line charts, pie charts, bar charts and maps like in the slide template below.

8. Use Speaker Notes

While creating your slides, you can store essential talking points in your presenter notes. These notes are visible to you but aren't visible to your audience.

They help you recall key points like quotes, stats or ideas as you present.

Visme makes it super easy to add presenter notes to your slides. You can view your notes for the current and next slides as you present.

The tool also comes with a timer that helps you stay within the allocated time. If you're pressed for time, cut out the least relevant points and move the most important ones. Ultimately make sure you don't exceed the allotted time.

9. Be Prepared To Adapt

We get it. You've practiced your presentation and put other things in the right place.

However, keep in mind that things don't always go as planned. So you have to be willing to adapt to changes.

For example, you may have prepared a 10 minute presentation for interview and you’re given less than five minutes. Also, you may have planned to deliver your presentation and then take questions. But your interview may commence with questions or ask questions while you’re presenting.

Whatever the case, be prepared to pause for questions or switch to further discussion unexpectedly.

10. Have a Strong Closing

Your conclusion is as important as the intro. It determines what your audiences will walk away with and how they will feel about you.

Generally, it should be a summary of everything you discussed earlier. Therefore you have to bring it full circle and make it connected to the rest of your presentation.

Most importantly, make it convincing and memorable.

If your interviewer can remember the key takeaways from your presentation, you'll have the edge over other candidates.

Here's how to end your interview presentation in a memorable way:

• Ask your audience questions about the topic that sparks curiosity and gets them thinking.
• End with key takeaways that highlight the main points of your presentation.
• Double down on the problems and how you can help solve them.
• Mention how your recommended solution can help the company grow and increase their competitive edge
• Tie your message to an interesting quote that aligns with the company vision, mission and goals
• Highlight intriguing milestones and figures you can help the company achieve like profit margins, growth rate, market valuation, increased productivity, revenue growth, etc.
• Demonstrate that you are open to feedback, questions and further discussion about the topic

Use the job interview presentation example below to craft a striking conclusion that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

11. Take Questions and Feedback at the End

After you've concluded your presentation, get ready for questions and feedback from interviewers.

Keep in mind that the questions may differ from what you rehearsed. Still, make sure you answer the question with confidence and demonstrate expertise.

If the question is challenging, take a moment to compose your thoughts before responding. Also, if the question isn't clear, don't be afraid to ask for clarification.

In any case, the panel will judge your suitability for the role based on what you say, how you present yourself and how you approach questions.

Ace Your Interview Presentations with Visme

Creating an effective interview presentation can be your weapon to launch or advance your career. With a winning interview, you can outperform other candidates and convince your prospective employers that you're the right fit for the job.

But it all starts with setting aside hours to prepare for your presentations. In addition, make sure you follow all the tips we've shared for delivering your presentation.

Looking to create a presentation that will land you that new role? Then you need to use intuitive presentation software like Visme.

Whether you're a learner or an expert, Visme is easy to use. We guarantee that it will pay off more than you can imagine. The tool offers hundreds of pre-built presentation templates, built-in graphics, multimedia, design elements and more.

Beyond creating stunning presentations, you'll be able to share your presentation live. You can also embed it to your website or download it as a video or editable file formats like PDF, PPTX and more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you start an interview presentation.

There are a few great ways to start your presentation with style, immediately grabbing your audience’s attention:

• Start with a provocative question or statement.
• Tell a story.
• Quote an influential person.
• Ask a question.
• Tell a joke.

What is a good presentation topic for an interview?

When creating a presentation as a part of a job interview, you want to choose a topic that will help to sell yourself and your knowledge. This might mean a prior project you worked on, some new tech in your industry, new industry trends, etc.

What is the point of an interview presentation?

An interview presentation helps potential employers understand your actual knowledge level in the industry. If you’re able to give an in-depth presentation showcasing how well you know about something related to your field, they’re much more likely to want you on their team.

How do you improve your interview presentation skills?

Looking to improve your presentation skills ? A few key interview presentation ideas and tips include:

• Keep your slides short and sweet.
• Practice before you present.
• Don’t read off your slides.
• Create a visually appealing presentation design .
• Show off your personality.

Easily put together winning interview presentations in Visme

Trusted by leading brands

Recommended content for you:

Create Stunning Content!

Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

About the Author

Unenabasi is a content expert with many years of experience in digital marketing, business development, and strategy. He loves to help brands tell stories that drive engagement, growth, and competitive advantage. He’s adept at creating compelling content on lifestyle, marketing, business, e-commerce, and technology. When he’s not taking the content world by storm, Unenabasi enjoys playing or watching soccer.

< Go back to Login

Forgot Password

Please enter your registered email ID. You will receive an email message with instructions on how to reset your password.

Complete Guide For Preparing Job Interview Presentation With Examples

Making a presentation during an interview can be intimidating! Still, it’s a terrific method for you to highlight your abilities, personality, and suitability for the position and an excellent approach for employers to learn more about your expertise and knowledge.

Your ability to effectively communicate essential information and the quality of your design can frequently make the difference between a failed and successful presentation. No matter how solid your research or ideas are, excessive slides, packed content, and unreadable fonts might turn interviewers off. However, developing an eye-catching presentation can support your expertise and give you more confidence. It is a skill you should invest time in learning.

In today’s blog, we will go through all the components you should include in a presentation for interview and how to deliver them efficiently.

What Is A Job Interview Presentation?

Before seeing what you should include in a presentation for interview, let us discuss what is an interview PowerPoint presentation: 

As your career advances, especially to an executive position, you might be required to give a presentation during an interview. These kinds of presentations help the hiring manager in doing employee performance reviews and let them decide whether you’re worthy of the position. 

You may have to assemble a business plan and present your ideas, finish a task and demonstrate how you approached it, conduct research and submit your findings to a panel, or even give a presentation about why you would be an excellent fit for the position. All these presentations and tasks can be classified as interview presentations as they will convey your knowledge about the industry, organizational skills, communication skills, attention to detail, creativity, and more.

Giving presentations is something that many people find scary, especially when they’re concerned about an interview. However, you might have to do it at some point in your career, so the sooner you learn how to do it, the better. So, in the next section, we will see what an employer expects to see in your presentation for interview. 

What Is the Employer Looking for in a presentation for interview?

The employer searches for a candidate who will stand out throughout the hiring process. They are looking for someone who will blend in with the business culture and who is knowledgeable about their profession. Another method to determine if candidates are qualified for the position is to ask them to give a presentation.

During the interview, your employer might notice the following crucial competencies:

• Your written and vocal communication style
• The way you interact with your audience
• Your profession and industry expertise
• Your capacity to adhere to a brief
• Your capacity for organization
• Your meticulousness

When an employer witnesses a blind presentation, they can additionally note:

• Your ability to function under pressure
• How imaginative you are

In the end, the employer is also determining whether you fulfill the requirements listed in the job description, so make sure to review it while you prepare.

What to include in a job interview presentation template

Here are a few components that you should consider while preparing a powerpoint presentation for interview:

Presentation type and topic

Choose a presentation style before you start getting ready for a presentation. It will impact the kind of template you make. For a virtual slideshow presentation, write a simple slide breakdown or a script for an oral presentation. The technologies used during your interview also influence your presentations. Consider contacting a recruiting manager with any queries before making any preparations if you need clarification on what they anticipate. When given a topic for your presentation, you can plan your study accordingly. Alternatively, suppose you have the freedom to select your topic. In that case, it’s advisable to focus on themes that ignite your passion and align with your expertise, ensuring you can effectively convey your message quickly.

Make a shorter presentation with tons of words, even if you want to impress your potential boss by showing how much effort you put in. Keep it simple with short slides that look good and convey your message. Aim for no more than ten slides, and make everything brief. It guarantees that the material you present will stick in the recruiter’s mind and make you stand out from the other applicants. Some recruiters might even allot a certain amount of time for your presentation; be sure to account for this and stay within it to avoid giving the impression that you lack time management abilities.

Include research findings and quotes from prominent figures in the industry in your presentation if you are performing research for it. It exhibits your business awareness and lends authority to your ideas.

Brand Style

Use the presentation and style of the company. It will demonstrate your diligence in research and draw attention to your brand awareness.

How To Prepare A Presentation For A Job Interview

To prepare a PowerPoint presentation for interview, follow these five steps:

1. Analyze the business

Be sure to research the company you are applying to before submitting your application. By exploring the business, you can incorporate crucial details into your presentation. To learn more about the company’s offerings, application procedure, market size, performance, leadership, and governance, visit their website. Examine news stories, features, and press releases recently covered by the media. If the business has a social media account, review the most recent updates to see the preferred tone and any new advancements.

2. Recognize your target audience

The audience for your interview will probably vary depending on the job you are applying for. It is essential to know who will be at your presentation, their departments, roles, and what they’re good at. For example, suppose you’re applying for human resources. In that case, your presentation will differ from someone applying for a sales or executive role. Hence, it will be more effective if you customize your presentation for the audience. Make a PowerPoint presentation that interests and is relevant to the audience’s technical and non-technical segments.

3. Get notes ready

Make notes on the company or sector you will present for. It’s crucial to be ready to discuss the topic you’ll be given during the interview. The interviewer can gauge your understanding of the more significant business the company works in, so include current industry news in your notes.

4. Adopt a rational framework

Make sure that the format of your presentation is well-organized. An organized presentation makes it easier for your audience to follow along and stay interested. A strong finish, exciting material, and an engaging introduction define a successful presentation. A strong opening grabs the audience’s attention, and your engaging facts persuade them that you are a standout contender.

5. Work on your delivery

Once your presentation is ready, practice delivering it. You can also catch presenting mistakes with proper practice. You can get prepared by using a camera to record yourself. You can also present in front of your friends and solicit their opinions on what went well and what still needs improvement.

How to Deliver Your Presentation For Interview

When delivering a PowerPoint presentation for interview, follow these tips:

• Seek advice
• Recognize your target
• Identify a central idea
• Tell an engaging tale
• Take a strategic stance
• Adopt a constructive mindset
• Get comfortable delivering
• Communicate nonverbally
• Conclude powerfully

1. Seek advice

Ask the recruiting manager for any clarification you might need before you start working on your presentation. Read and review all the directions regarding the presentation first. Ask the hiring team if they would prefer to hear about a particular topic or if you should develop your own if the instructions do not specify one. Next, determine how long you can expect to speak with the hiring team. You can show that you are detail-oriented, receptive to criticism, and have practical communication skills by asking for help.

2. Recognise your target

Find out how knowledgeable the audience is so that you can communicate at a level that is understandable and sophisticated. To better understand the audience and adjust your discussion to your audience’s knowledge, experience, and interests, think about asking for names and positions. Obtaining all your information will help you make your discussion more effective and relevant, raising your candidature rating.

3. Identify a central idea

Be careful to choose a focal point when deciding on a presentation topic. Ensure the audience understands your presentation’s main point by organizing it around a single idea. Reduce the points in your presentation to make it seem comprehensive, well-thought-out, and professionally prepared.

4. Tell an engaging tale

Some of the best ways to organize a presentation are through conventional storytelling techniques , whether you’re talking about a finished project or a highly technical subject. Using a proven method, you can make your message stick in people’s minds and grab their attention. To tell an engaging story, take the following actions:

• Describe the issue.
• Describe the significance of the issue.
• Talk about the difficulties you encountered while trying to find the solution.
• Finish with a powerful impact and resolution.

5. Take a strategic stance

Without being too commercial, use your presentation to establish yourself as the protagonist of your own tale. When feasible, use evidence to support your claims; otherwise, highlight your best traits and the most pertinent experience in your presentation. Seize the chance to show that you are a candidate who can quickly help the organization achieve essential goals.

6. Adopt a constructive mindset

Throughout your presentation, maintain an optimistic attitude while discussing your challenges. Consider emphasizing how you improved a problematic situation or discussing your efforts to overcome difficult circumstances. When appropriate, project an image of being proactive and emphasize your steps to resolve a problem. Let the information and data lead your presentation so the interviewers can grasp your thought processes.

7. Get comfortable delivering

To ensure you leave a positive first impression on the recruiting team:

• Practice your presentation multiple times in advance.
• Try presenting without consulting your notes or reading your script after a few practice sessions.
• Keep track of the time during each practice session to determine the perfect pace.
• Choose the main themes you want to discuss as you review each presentation segment to help it sound more natural and prevent it from coming across as too prepared.

8. Communicate non-verbally

Practice confidently expressing yourself while standing up and speaking. Face the audience directly, have a cheerful look, and smile naturally. To make points, keep your shoulders back and utilize small hand motions. Keep eye contact throughout your job interview PowerPoint presentation, particularly when making a crucial point.

9. Conclude powerfully

Create a memorable conclusion to ensure your presentation is as compelling as possible. A broad, open-ended question that came up throughout your study could be an excellent way to wrap up. A one- to three-word key takeaway that helps your audience recall the presentation’s primary point can also be used to wrap up. Integrating your message with an intriguing quotation next to the organization’s mission, vision, and goals is another effective wrap-up technique. In closing, raise any queries to show you are receptive to criticism and conversation.

Helpful tips For the Job interview Presentation

Here are some tips that you can use during the presentation for interview: 

1. Create the outline

When requested to give a presentation at an interview, you should have enough time to organize it according to a predetermined outline. If the interviewer still needs to provide you with all the necessary information, ensure you know how the process will work out regarding the topic, time limits, available multimedia devices, and participants. Remember that adhering to the brief is a necessary component of the evaluation process, so if you’re requested to do the task in less than or equal to 10 minutes, stay within that amount of time. After you’ve confirmed the nature of the interview, you should begin preparing a presentation that will wow the audience and showcase your qualifications for the post.

2. Establish a framework

Developing a presentation with a coherent framework facilitates the communication of your ideas. A well-considered framework conveys your thoughts intelligibly and concisely rather than jumping from one notion to another. Naturally, an introduction is the ideal place to begin. Set the scene immediately and emphasize how your solution makes a real difference. Next, compose a story using informative statistics and first-hand accounts. It should demonstrate how your skills and expertise help the business achieve its objectives.

3. Improve the visual assistance

Your audience shouldn’t just be able to read the slides from your presentation. They must endorse what you’re saying to keep their attention on you. It entails using fewer wordy slides and increasing the number of images to illustrate your arguments better.

4. Practice For The Job Interview Presentation

Although it may seem obvious, people must practice their presentations long enough. Even if you have a better idea than the other interviewees, there’s a considerable possibility the hiring panel will only understand the relevance of your speech if you convey it well. To find the ideal balance, practice with friends or family and ask for feedback on your areas of weakness.

5. Get ready to adjust

It would be best if you rehearsed to project a powerful presence during your presentation. Still, the hiring panel may try to knock you off balance. Consider potential question topics when you draft your presentation. It might assist you in preparing answers that demonstrate that you have thought through the issue.

6. Pay attention to the little things

Once the creation of your presentation is complete, focus on fine-tuning the minor elements. We’ve already discussed the need to speak deliberately. Still, to project confidence, you should also remember to make eye contact and display open body language. Your presentation will go more smoothly if you are more prepared. Ensure you arrive early on the interview day so you can set up your presentation. Ensure your tech gadgets function properly, bring extra batteries for your remote controls, and allow enough time for a final evaluation.

Lastly, you can ensure you deliver a standout presentation showcasing your most substantial skill sets by giving your job interview presentation more thought and preparation.

Job Interview Presentation Examples:

Here are some job interview presentation examples of a presentation template to assess a candidate’s ability to teach by having them give thesis statements:

What Is A thesis statement?

Introduction.

Brad Cooper

As a seasoned academic writer, I plan to teach English in middle schools. A thesis statement is a crucial sentence that sums up your paper’s central topic. I will define a thesis statement today and give you an example to see what one may look like in an academic work.

Defining a thesis statement

A thesis statement is a sentence that exposes the reader to the primary idea of a paper or essay in the opening paragraph. Your thesis statement is one of the most crucial sentences in your work and one of the first things the reader will see, but it may also be one of the most difficult to compose! 

An example of a thesis statement

It is an illustration of a thesis statement for a literary devices-related English paper: The central premise of this novel is that hardship can lead to triumph with hard effort and perseverance; the author presents this idea through metaphors and foreshadowing.

As I explained in my presentation today, a thesis statement is a paper’s central notion. Since it’s an essential component of the writing process, young children must know this subject as soon as possible. I appreciate your attention to my presentation. Do you have any questions concerning my credentials or the information I provided? I would be happy to help.

Job Interview Presentation Templates

SlideUpLift is well-known for its vast collection of expertly designed PowerPoint templates covering a wide range of subjects and businesses. One notable category within its repertoire is the Job Interview Presentations section. Here, you can find templates explicitly tailored for interview scenarios, enabling seamless presentations during job interviews such as job interview presentation examples. These templates come in various styles, such as making dynamic employee profiles and using the STAR system to highlight skills. 

Interview Resume Presentation PowerPoint Template

The Interview Resume Presentation PowerPoint Template aims to help people with different professional backgrounds increase their chances of getting hired. This template consists of 11 slides, including all the relevant information that a job seeker should include in their resume to seek an excellent job. Job seekers, interns or students, professionals looking for a promotion, independent contractors, consultants, etc. can all use it.

Presentation Agenda PowerPoint Template

The Presentation Agenda PowerPoint template is valuable for incorporating a structured agenda into your job interview presentation. The Agenda Presentation template features four dedicated agendas, providing a clear, organized layout highlighting key topics. The slide can be included in your presentation, allowing you to communicate the issues to be covered effectively. Whether you are outlining the interview process, presenting key points, or discussing specific aspects, this template ensures a professional and visually appealing agenda for a presentation.

Star Job Interview Presentation Template

The Star Interview PowerPoint template adopts a structured format featuring four blocks: Situation, Task, Action, and Results. 

This template is tailored for interviews or presentations using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) method to assess or communicate experiences. Each block provides dedicated space to articulate the specific Situation, Task at hand, Actions taken, and Results achieved.

30 60 90 Day Plan for Interview PowerPoint Template

A 30 60 90 Day Plan for an interview presentation is a structured outline that illustrates your intentions and proposed actions during the first three months of your employment in a new role. It’s a tool used to demonstrate your understanding of the position, your strategic thinking, and your ability to set goals and achieve them.

Animated Job Interview Presentation PowerPoint Template

This is another amazing resume PowerPoint template for you. The unique thing is that it comes with animations. These Animations make your presentation more exciting and attractive for the audience. Download it and customize it as per your requirements. Add your details, and you are good to go.

With all the information and tips in this detailed article, you can end your worries and prepare for your job interview presentation like a pro . You now possess all the specific presenting advice needed to ace the interview. If the design aspect overwhelms you, peruse our vast collection of PowerPoint Presentation templates and select particular components (such as data charts, shapes, and diagrams) to give your presentation the best visual appeal.

How long should my job interview presentation be?

Aim for a concise presentation, typically lasting 5-10 minutes, to maintain audience engagement.

What's the best way to conclude my job interview presentation?

The best way to conclude your job interview presentation is by summarizing key points, expressing enthusiasm for the role, and opening the floor for any questions from the interview panel.

What should be the key focus of my job interview presentation?

Prioritize showcasing your skills and experiences and how they align with the job requirements and company values.

How can I handle questions during or after the presentation for interview?

Be prepared for questions by anticipating potential inquiries related to your content, experiences, or the role.

How can SlideUpLift benefit me in preparing a job interview presentation?

SlideUpLift provides a wide array of professionally designed PowerPoint templates, including specific templates for job interview presentations. This resource can significantly help you create a standout and impactful interview pitch.

Table Of Content

Related presentations.

Resume Templates Collection

30 60 90 Day Plan For Interview Presentation Template

STAR Interview Presentation Template

Related posts from the same category.

5 Aug, 2021 | SlideUpLift

Nail That Interview Using The STAR Interview Technique

Interviews can be daunting. They are usually the first interaction you have with a potential employer, and your continued progress and ultimate success in the hiring process hinges on nailing

14 Apr, 2021 | SlideUpLift

How To Write A Vision Statement For Your Business That Actually Inspires

Running a business is not an easy job- there are numerous stakeholders, team members, clients - each having ideas on priorities, focus areas, where the business should go. They need

16 Sep, 2022 | SlideUpLift

Create A Team Charter For Effective Teamwork

Working in a team can be both rewarding and tricky. Ensuring that everyone in the team is working towards a common goal, collaborating and communicating progress, and delivering results is

11 Mar, 2021 | SlideUpLift

Wheel Of Change – The Perfect Model for Change Management Strategy

The world of business is constantly evolving. Traditional processes are being abandoned, as newer business models are created and adopted. With COVID-19 the pace of these changes has accelerated at

20 Feb, 2024 | SlideUpLift

Detailed Guide For Start Stop Continue Retrospective [With Examples & Exercises]

A lot of people find it challenging to provide and accept constructive criticism. Why? Because receiving criticism can be awkward. It might be uncomfortable to criticize your team's performance, and

2 Feb, 2024 | SlideUpLift

SMART Goals Examples For Work [Guide For Professionals With Templates]

As we step into the fresh year of 2024, it's time to set resolutions for both our personal and professional lives. This includes taking a close look at our business

1 Feb, 2024 | SlideUpLift

The Best Board Meeting Agenda Guide [With Examples & Sample Agendas]

You might have had a meeting that went completely off. It might be overly prolonged and had numerous off-topic discussions. It has happened with most professionals at some point in

11 Sep, 2023 | SlideUpLift

Complete Guide to Outsourcing PowerPoint Presentations

The importance of compelling presentations cannot be emphasized. They serve as channels for exchanging knowledge, influencing choices, and communicating ideas. A well-designed presentation can influence perceptions, motivate action, and boost

6 Mar, 2024 | SlideUpLift

Best Work Plan Templates For Easy Task Organization [With Examples]

A project's success depends on having a detailed task plan. How can you perform tasks without having a plan for them? You and your team can produce the ideal work

14 Feb, 2024 | SlideUpLift

A Quick Guide To Personal SWOT Analysis With Examples

How often have you faced the dreaded question in an interview: What are your weaknesses? Or what are your strengths? Many individuals find these questions intimidating because they fear it

Related Tags And Categories

Forgot Password?

Privacy Overview

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

• Read our new Policy Terms now here.
• The Secret to Crushing Your Job Interview Presentation
• Home     
• Blog     

• Career Tips
• 27th October 2023

During your job search and as a part of your interview process, it’s not uncommon to have to give an interview presentation. 

Here at Dynamic, the professionals we help with their job search regularly give interview presentations. And we offer support throughout this process: From helping them to understand what the interviewer is looking for from the presentation, to actually helping with the content of their presentations.

We’re here to help you answer the questions you’ve been wondering like: What exactly is an interview presentation? What should you include? And what to do when your interview presentation doesn’t quite go as planned.

What is an Interview Presentation?

At any stage in your career you may be asked to give an interview presentation. This interview will likely test you on one or more of the skills that are most important to the role.

The interview presentation you are asked to give can vary largely, depending on the role you are applying for and the industry you work in.

For example, a Solutions Architect may have to give an interview presentation that shows their technical ability, but also highlighting communication and presentation skills. 

Meanwhile someone earlier in their career at a Network Engineer level, will likely have to give a presentation that focuses purely on their technical ability: Because that is what is most important to the employer when hiring at this level.

But the core approach and things to remember about giving an interview presentation

Why Are You Being Asked to Give an Interview Presentation?

When an employer asks you to give a presentation in your interview, it is typically to gain a greater understanding of your skills or experience. These will be the skills or experience that are most important to the role, and can offer you insight into what will be expected of you in the role.

The questions you are asked in an interview are obviously important, and it’s always a good idea to research the typical interview questions that you are likely to face . 

But the interview presentation can be just as, and is likely more important than, the questions you answer: And is typically where many potential candidates are rejected from the interview process.

The interview presentation will also help you to understand whether the job is one that would be right for you. The presentation task will likely be something you will be doing in the role everyday, or something that is of crucial importance. So the interview presentation task can give you more insight into the role than you can get from asking questions in the interview.

The 5 Things Your Job Interview Presentation Needs to Show

Before we get into the practical tips for your interview presentation, there are a few essential things that your presentation must show:

1. That you understood the task and the job you’ll be doing.

All too often we see candidates who have rushed into an interview task, without really taking the time to understand the task or understand what the employer was really looking to see. 

Because it’s feedback we hear from the employers we work with all the time. It’s crucial to make sure you understand what the employer wants to see from your task.

2. Your technical experience and expertise.

Pretty obvious, but pretty important. If you’re given a technical task, you need to show that you’re an expert at what you’ve been asked. This can mean going back and doing some revision around this area, to refresh your memory and prepare yourself for any questions you might face.

3. That you can handle yourself in a high-pressure situation.

Being cool under pressure is an essential skill and is an attractive quality in almost every job. Conversely, while someone may be great on paper, if they can’t articulate themselves or crumble under pressure, that can be a huge red flag to employers.

4. You can communicate well with clients and colleagues.

Communication is key, especially in a position where you’ll be working closely with clients or colleagues. And if you can’t articulate yourself effectively in a presentation setting, employers will be hesitant to put you in a role where you will be presenting to clients.

5. That you really want the job.

If you’re in the interview, then it’s fairly obvious that you want the job you’re interviewing for. But one of the things that employers will look for is who really wants the job.

Putting in the effort, preparing for any questions they may have and rehearsing your presentation, will show the interviewer that you’re serious about the opportunity.

13 Interview Presentation Tips and Steps to Success

These 13 tips will outline the steps you need to take when creating, presenting and what you need to do after your interview presentation.

1. Understand your audience and what they are looking for

The most important tip we can give is to understand what your audience, the interviewer, is looking for from your presentation. 

If you’re interviewing for an IT Account Manager position and asked to give a mock pitch to clients, is it the contents of your presentation that really matters? Probably not. 

Instead, the interviewers are looking to see that you present yourself well, can communicate effectively, and have a technical understanding of what you’re selling.

2. Keep it nice and short

Nobody wants to sit through a seemingly endless presentation. So try to keep the presentation you give nice and short: As concise as it needs to be.

If you’re really not sure about the length of the presentation, you can always ask the interviewer about how long they would like the interview presentation to be.

If you haven’t been given an outline for how long your presentation should take, you might be tempted to put in as much useful information as you can, to show off your knowledge and skills. But we advise having only the necessary information you need to complete the task at hand or answer the questions that you need to.

3. Have a structure for your presentation

Imperative to having a streamlined and professional interview presentation, is having a solid structure. Whatever the subject of your presentation, you should have an introduction, the main points you want to address, and a conclusion.

4. Use images and graphs, not just text

Make your presentation more engaging by including images, graphs, diagrams and maybe even a video if you’re feeling a bit creative. 

This prevents your presentation from becoming monotonous, and can help to break up slides of text after text or large sets of data.

5. Don’t try to fit too much information on each slide

It can be tempting to try and use up all the real estate on your presentation slides, cramming them with information.

But we advise having slides with just the key points that you want to explore, or a graph that will support what you say.

Keeping the majority of the information off the slides gives you more to talk about, stops everyone from sitting and reading the slides in silence, and will keep the interviewers attention on you. 

6. Try to match the branding of the business

Something we advise that doesn’t take too much effort, is mirroring the branding of the business you’re applying for a role at. 

What we mean by this, is to say you’re applying for a job at BT. Going on the BT website and downloading some pamphlet or e-book from their website and matching the logos and overall colour scheme that they use.

It’s not the most important thing in the world, as it won’t save your interview presentation if everything else goes wrong. But it does show you’re putting in the extra effort to impress the interviewer.

7. Double check for any mistakes

And in opposition to this, is making sure that there are no mistakes in your presentation. Because having simple errors or spelling mistakes in your presentation isn’t a great look, and the interviewer will be sure to notice. 

So make sure to proofread your presentation. And even better, have someone else double check it for you.

8. Practise presenting to yourself, or to friends/ family

The difference between someone presenting for the first time and someone who has rehearsed is absolutely noticeable to a hiring manager. So we strongly advise taking the time to practise your interview presentation beforehand. 

Not only will this help you appear more natural when you present, it will also help you to know if your presentation is too long and needs to be cut down.

9. Be confident when presenting

Not everyone is a natural born public speaker. But exuding confidence in your presentation is essential. Which means:

• Taking your time and not rushing through your presentation. 
• Speaking confidently and clearly.
• Asking whether you’ve been clear with what you’ve said so far.
• Even your body language.

Because if you struggle to present confidently and can’t articulate yourself properly, then the employer won’t be confident that you will be confident in front of customers or clients.

10. Be confident with your body language

When you present, the interviewer will be aware of your body language and what it says about you: So it’s important that you are aware of it too, and you’re in control of it. This can involve making eye contact, using appropriate and positive hand gestures, having a good posture, and smiling.

These are just a few tips, but for more information on how to convey confidence with body language throughout the interview, read our guide on interview body language here .

11. Don’t go overboard on time, and leave time for questions

We’ve mentioned the length of your presentation earlier, but it’s important that you don’t go over the assigned time limit. 

It shows poor time management, poor communication skills (if you take too long to get to the point), and an employer would likely be more hesitant to put you in front of customers or clients.

You should also aim to leave about 5 minutes of time at the end of your presentation to give the interviewers the opportunity to ask any questions, without going overboard on time.

12. Think what questions you need to expect

Predicting the questions you’re going to face seems like an impossible task. After all, you could be asked about pretty much anything. But in reality, understanding the task and what the interviewer is looking for will help you to have an idea of the kinds of questions you’ll be asked.

For example, if you’re giving an interview presentation that is a mock pitch to clients, then you can attempt to think of some objections that a client would raise about your pitch. Or if you were listening to your presentation, what are the questions you would ask?

13. Thank them for their time, and reiterate your interest in the position

When you’ve finished your presentation and interview, remember to thank the interviewer for their time and say again how interested you are in the position and in joining the company.

When an interviewer is trying to make a decision between a few competitive candidates, being the one who is eager and actively wants the job can be a deciding factor.

What to Do If Your Interview Presentation Doesn’t Go to Plan?

Hopefully your interview presentation goes perfectly and you can skip this section completely. But just in case it doesn’t, here are a few things that could go wrong in your presentation and how to avoid them.

Technical difficulties

Technical difficulties can be frustrating at the best of times but especially in a high-pressure situation like an interview. And even worse, they can be completely out of your control.

The best thing you can do is to prepare for any eventuality.

Email a copy of your presentation to yourself. Have another copy on a USB memory stick that you bring with you. Print out a few copies to hand out as a backup. Try to cover all bases where possible.

You are asked a question you don’t know the answer to

While you can try to predict the questions you’ll be asked, it’s unlikely you’ll get them all. And you may even be asked a question to which you simply don’t have the answer. 

So instead of trying to come up with an answer on the spot, it’s best to pause and ask for a minute to consider. Or if you’re truly stumped, be upfront and say you don’t have an answer at that time but will revisit at the end of the interview, or at a later date.

While it would be an ideal situation to have an answer to every question, asking for time to revisit shows confidence and self-awareness.

Your audience seem disinterested or not engaged

Interview presentations are necessarily the most exciting things in the world. Especially if an interviewer has conducted multiple of the same interview. 

So don’t be disheartened if the interviewers don’t seem the most engaged. And if they do, you can always ask the interviewers if everything you have said makes sense so far or if they have any questions about anything you’ve discussed up to that point.

This also helps to stop your interview presentation turning into a lecture and gives yourself a pause to collect your thoughts and take a break.

You’re going overboard on time

Before you go in, you should have a good idea of how long your presentation will last. Even so, you can find yourself going overboard on time when in the interview.

It’s important to be aware of how much time you have left and if you’re going to go overboard on time.

But you can prepare for this beforehand. Before you go into the interview, try to think of areas that you can trim or cut from your presentation just in case. That you would like to include if you have the time, but aren’t 100% necessary to keep in, or that you can summarise quickly if you need to.

5 Ways How Working With a Recruitment Agency Can Help Your Interview Presentation

Interview presentations can be incredibly stressful, and the whole interview process is hardly a barrel of laughs. But working with a recruitment agency can be helpful for a number of reasons:

• Recruiters often have insight into exactly what the interviewer is looking for, giving you an edge over the competition.
• Recruiters have seen hundreds of interview tasks and presentations, and can give you individually tailored advice.
• It gives you someone to rehearse with, or give you feedback on your presentation.
• And the recruiter may also know where previous candidates for the job have gone wrong in their presentations, telling you how to avoid these mistakes.
• All of which can give you a big confidence boost, knowing that you have a recruitment professional in your corner to support you

Support with your job interview presentation is just one of the many benefits of working with a recruitment partner. Have a look at our open IT jobs here , or reach out to register your interest here .

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Dynamic Search Solutions understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used and shared online. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits our website and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described in our policies, and in a manner that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the law.

Privacy Preference Center

Consent management, cookie policy.

Privacy Policy

Data Protection Policy

Receive Calls

Direct Mail

We use cookies on our website to make it work, to improve your user experience and to better serve our Customers and Clients, in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

Cookies Used

Login to your account

Register account, register for new job alert.

UPLOAD YOUR DETAILS

Send your details by LinkedIn

By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. For more information on our privacy statement please click on Privacy Preferences .

Contact Number

Type of role looking for

Attach your CV (pdf, doc, docx)

Submit A Vacancy

Company Name

Jobs you need to hire for?

Our range of over 180 online courses are fully accredited, trusted by more than 3 million learners and ideal for training you and your team.

• Food Hygiene
• Health and Safety
• Safeguarding
• Asbestos Awareness
• Fire Safety
• Mental Health
• Health and Social Care
• Business Essentials
• Team training

Welcome to the Hub, the company blog from High Speed Training.

Select a topic to find the most up to date, practical information and resources produced by our experts to support you in your professional life.

• Health & Safety

How to Start a Presentation for an Interview

Interviews can be really tense situations. Throwing a presentation into the mix only adds to that pressure. What can you do to ease those nerves and start your presentation in a calm and confident manner? How can you captivate your audience and help assure them that you’re the right candidate for the job? This article outlines a number of useful tips to guide your interview preparation and address these important questions.

Preparing a Presentation – Where to Begin?

If you plan your presentation in advance you’ll increase your likelihood of success. Make sure you know what type of message you want to convey and think about the most effective way to deliver this message.

Ready? Take a look at our six preparation tips below.

1. Tell a personal story

Presentations can often be over-professional, impersonal affairs. But they don’t have to be.

Adding a storytelling element to your presentation can ensure that your delivery is both down-to-earth and professional at the same time, which will make your presentation a whole lot more engaging overall.

Think of any personal experiences of your own that are applicable to the content of your presentation. Do you have anything of value that could aid the delivery and help with engagement?

Example: Say you have an interview for a HR role at an international corporation HQ in the city. You’ve been told that you need to deliver a presentation on how you manage conflict in the workplace (we’ll use this example throughout).

By opening with a relevant story of your own about a time when you successfully and diplomatically resolved a conflict outside of the workplace – at home, or wherever it may be – you’ll:

• Demonstrate your competency in this area
• Ease any tension that is characteristic to the situation
• Capture your audience’s attention with an account that can only be delivered by you – making it unique and remarkable
• Openly display your personality and values, enabling the employer to make a better informed selection decision – beneficial for everyone involved

2. Use media

Starting your presentation can be the most difficult bit.

You’re tongue-tied, stumbling over words and your heart is beating so fast.

Give yourself the opportunity to collect yourself by using some form of media early on in the presentation.

Begin your presentation with a quick introduction to who you are and what the presentation is about (use a title slide and a ‘What I’ll cover’ slide, for example) and then incorporate a media break.

Use video, music, an infographic – whatever, as long it’s suitable and on-topic, use any form of media that allows you to have a breather and recover from that all too familiar fear of public speaking.

Example: so here we are again – biting your lips and fumbling with your hands as you wait to open your presentation for the HR role.

Your presentation is on conflict management, a fairly sensitive topic, which you’ll want to get right. But don’t sweat it; simply introduce yourself and your specific presentation details/content, then bring in an attention-consuming piece of useful media.

In our case, it could be a funny clip of workplace conflict from a TV Program such as The Office* – this will lighten the mood and create a talking point. You’ll be back in the driver’s seat, and you’ll be surprised by how quickly those nerves calmed down.

* Disclaimer: implement with appropriateness! Only you can decide on what sort of media will be acceptable to use in your situation, so think about this one carefully.

3. All eyes on you

Feeling a little more confident?

Create a memorable moment by temporarily presenting without the aid of a prompt.

Open your presentation with conviction by using a blank slide as your second slide.

Once you’ve introduced yourself and the topic of your presentation, most people will expect a thoroughly professional delivery from there on in.

Surprise them; switch the attention to you, shatter expectations, disrupt conventional presentation practice and display clear confidence in your ability to speak independently.

Using such a brave tactic will help in stimulating and retaining interest in your presentation throughout, and perhaps keep you top of mind when the employer is making a selection decision.

It will also show your potential employer just how much you know about the topic at hand.

Example: Conflict solving requires someone with a calm temperament and an almost instinctive ability to thoroughly – and empathetically – understand the issues faced by people other than yourself.

Show that you’re able to remain calm under scrutiny with all eyes in the room on you and truly understand a topic without any form of prompt using this tactic.

Need a Course?

Head over to our  Business Skills Course Library  and browse available courses from  Presentation Skills Training  to  Leadership and Management Training . All courses are fully online so you can complete them at your own pace, on your commute or in the comfort of your own home.

4. Incorporate props

Presentations can sometimes be a little boring to watch and listen to.

That’s no fault of your own; one person talking for a prolonged period of time is not a normal situation – how often does that actually happen in everyday life?

Engaging your audience during a presentation is a common problem that is widely discussed. I won’t go into it here as that’s not the core purpose of this post.

(This post from American Express details  nine simple tips for preparing an engaging presentation if you’re interested).

So what props should I use? Think what you can use/bring that will be both relevant and add value to your presentation.

If you can’t think of anything, then don’t bother – this tip will only work in set situations.

Example: For your conflict resolution presentation, you could bring in something that will create a talking point and engage your audience.

In this situation, we’ll go with a newspaper – you could start a debate about a widely discussed controversial topic, and use this quick exercise as an illustration of how you’re able to apply your conflict solving ability in any circumstance.

5. Start with something you know

It’s natural to be concerned about freezing and making mistakes in the presentation that you’re preparing for.

If that were to occur, it’d be likely to happen at or near the beginning of your presentation when your emotions are at their highest.

To ease those nerves and open in a calm and confident manner, it might be advisable to use content that you know inside-out – that way, you’ll feel more secure in the first few minutes of your delivery.

Once you’ve sailed effortlessly through that first part of the presentation, you’ll find the remainder of your content will flow just as easily now that you’ve settled those self-doubts.

Example: Your presentation on workplace conflict is expected to last 20 minutes – that’s a lot of content to get through!

Before you find yourself scrambling for the right words, simply introduce yourself and the topic of your presentation, then start with something such as:

• Simple conflict stats that are easy to memorise
• An article or study that you really like and have read a few times
• Cornerstone conflict management knowledge that’s embedded deep in your brain

6. Engage your audience with an activity

A presentation is all about you.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be though.

By introducing an activity for your audience to get involved in, you can take the spotlight off you temporarily, and seize a rare opportunity to connect with your audience in a candid manner.

It’s pleasing just how much this strategy can reduce tension when starting your interview presentation. Once you’re able to start a dialogue with your audience, the unnatural situation becomes significantly more manageable.

Example: Well, you could make this one real interesting. Why not initiate a role play of a common workplace conflict, and then show the potential employers how you would deal with said conflict?

This is a fun exercise that shows your ability to apply the knowledge that you possess and will hopefully put your potential employers in a better mood for the rest of your delivery!

All of the techniques I’ve outlined above could be applied to almost any interview situation in which a presentation is required – now it’s over to you to get creative with how you’re going to actually implement these ideas!

In writing this post I made a conscious effort to consider different personality types in the interview presentation opening tips that I have suggested.

But these actionable methods represent only a very small proportion of ideas that you can utilise for making a lasting impression in your interview presentation.

Further Resources:

• Communication Skills Quiz
• How to Write a Business Letter & Envelope
• Presentation Skills Training

Post Author

You may also like

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to secondary sidebar
• Skip to footer

career-advice.jobs.ac.uk

Presentation at an Interview

Have you had any experience of delivering a presentation at an interview? How do you prepare ? How do you engage your audience?

Presentations are a common part of the recruitment process for graduate, research, teaching, consulting and other professional roles across a range of sectors.

Whether you have had a lot or limited experience in delivering presentations through university or work, you might find the tips below useful when preparing for the next steps in your career.

Purpose of having a presentation at an interview

The employer wants to see evidence that you can do the job and evidence of your written and verbal communication skills, which we will cover in detail in the points below.

Notice of a presentation at an interview

It is usual to have at least 3-5 days advance notice on the content of your presentation, usually, you are notified via email or the recruitment portal. If the interview is held at an assessment centre, candidates might be told on the day that they are required to present and given the brief.

Presentations usually last 5 – 15 minutes and are often the first part of the interview process i.e. before a one-on-one or panel interview.

Understanding the brief

It is imperative that you are clear on what you have been asked to do. Always revisit the task and contact the employer if you have any questions. Sometimes you may be expected to present to the interview panel as if they were clients/students/colleagues etc. Examples of presentation tasks can include addressing how you would carry out one or more aspect of the role; a timeline of how you would spend your first few weeks or months in relation to a project; a strategy for engaging with multiple stakeholders, managing a budget or building a brand.

Think carefully about the task and how it relates to the job description and person specification. This is another opportunity for you to demonstrate you are a suitable match for the role. Consider the questions below:

• What do you need to address?
• How long have you got to present?
• Who is your audience?
• Where should your focus be?
• What research is involved?
• What is important to the employer e.g. skills and strategy?

Verbal communication – tone and speed of voice

Be aware of how you are perceived during your presentation,  do you use different tones of voice when speaking? Consider the subject matter and how your voice can convey the correct message. By practising your presentation, you are more likely to come across as confident in the delivery. Avoid relying on cue cards or simply reading text off a document or screen. Speech anxiety in this situation is common, but most of what we feel during this period is not usually visible to the audience.

Examples of nerves include shaking, a dry mouth and an increase in body temperature. We can often speed up the pace we are presenting at as a coping mechanism – rushing through the content for it to be over for example. We must learn to recognise if we are speaking too fast or our words are mumbled. Pauses during the presentation can be a great way to gather our thoughts and give a moment for everyone in the room to process what has been said.

Time management

Your ability to deliver your presentation within the allocated time limit says a lot about you. This shows you are organised and can complete tasks in a timely manner. The planning and preparation you put in beforehand will be helpful here.

Non-verbal communication – connecting with the audience

Whether you are presenting to two people or a larger audience, you need to find ways to connect with them. How many people are expected to be present and who are they? Think about your facial expressions, gestures and posture. Looking at individuals in the eye, smiling and having open body language can help to make the audience feel relaxed and you come across as more approachable.

Written communication – visual aids

Be mindful of the type of organisation you are applying to when preparing your resources – colours, logo, values and strategy. Ensure that if you are creating a PowerPoint presentation, the colours do not clash and that you do not include too much text on your slides. Think about the use of suitable images or charts.

Be confident when using this Microsoft Office application and save several versions of it on a USB and email it to yourself in case technology fails you when in the interview room. Remember that the audience can read everything on the slides very quickly. Use the slides for key points and keywords as prompts to lead you.

Handouts can also be useful as the interviewers will refer to this for more detail on the task.

Ensure your spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct. Avoid the use of Americanisms for non-US companies. Think about the language used and the role you are going for. Visit the organisation’s website to gain a further understanding of what type of employee they are looking for.

Dealing with the unexpected

Be prepared to adapt your presentation delivery style if the reality does not meet your expectations. Examples of this include the size of the audience, room and technical issues. It is important to not get stressed or look as though you are under pressure. Try to remain calm and positive as these are qualities employers look for in most roles. Have a plan B for your presentation delivery in case something does go wrong.

Always be prepared for questions at the end of your presentation. Individuals will have queries or want to make comment on specific content. Be open to these questions and any constructive feedback and respond in a professional manner. By giving yourself enough time to prepare your presentation, you will have the confidence to articulate your strengths and ideas.

Here is a checklist to use when preparing for your next presentation at interview

• Seek clarification on what you must do
• Identify your audience
• Get confirmation on the use of technology in the room
• Revisit the job description and person specification
• Spend time planning your presentation
• Practice your presentation in front of others
• Take a course or watch a webinar on confidence building, presentation skills or public speaking
• Speak to a career professional or mentor about dealing with nerves

You made a good impression during the application stage of the job and got shortlisted because the employer wants to meet you and hear about your strengths and ideas. Spend enough time preparing for your presentation so that you can demonstrate why you are suitable for the role.

What did you think of our article? - please rate

Share this article

Nadine Lewis

Nadine Lewis is a qualified and experienced careers consultant currently working in higher education. She is passionate about empowering students, graduates and professionals to take control of their careers. Nadine has been published in Prospects and presented at various events. In her spare time, she enjoys attending cultural activities and travelling around Europe. LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nadinermlewis

Reader Interactions

You may also like:.

23rd March 2021 at 9:00 am

Thank you for your kind advices

30th October 2021 at 5:10 pm

Thank you for this insight. I shall refer to this in my preparations. It will help me adapt my skills appropriately.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Please enter an answer in digits: thirteen − 5 =

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

7 Tips to Help You Nail That Interview Presentation

You’ve been offered an interview for your dream job, and you are pumped! But as you hear more about your upcoming meeting, you realize you’re expected to deliver a presentation.

Your first instinct may be to panic, especially if you dislike public speaking . But don’t worry. As nerve-wracking as doing a presentation during an interview may sound, it’s also a chance for you to show just how awesome you are. (And if you’ve reached this round, odds are you are awesome!)

These seven steps will help you nail it.

1. Ask Lots of Questions

Before you begin crafting a 40-minute keynote, ask lots of questions about what to expect (like, if they actually only want you to speak for 10). Be sure to cover these:

• How long should the presentation be?
• Is your point of contact looking for you to demonstrate particular skills?
• How many people will be in the room?
• Are there facilities for slides?
• What’s the IT setup?

2. Follow Instructions

If the hiring manager’s asked for a 10-minute presentation where you talk through how you’d plan a communications strategy, that’s exactly what you should give her. Don’t be tempted to go on for 12, 15, or (gasp!) 20 minutes.

Staying on target shows that you can manage your time, that you respect your audience, and that you can follow directions . If you run over, you’ll either be cut off halfway through or you’ll cost yourself time to discuss your other skills. So, stay within the constraints you’re given.

3. Have a Clear Structure

There are two benefits to organizing your presentation according to a specific structure: One, it’ll help you stay on track, and two, it’ll make it easier for the audience to follow along.

For example, if you’re using your presentation to share an app you’ve built, you might break it up into four parts: what you chose to build, why you built it in a particular way, how it works, and what the results were. You can even begin by explaining that that’s how your talk will be structured: This technique is a simple but effective way to help your audience follow (and remember) your presentation.

4. Differentiate Yourself

The presentation section of an interview is the perfect opportunity to let your personality shine. True story: A friend of mine was going for his dream job in tech and had to demonstrate his web development skills. He’d built lots of sophisticated apps at work, but he took a risk and decided to use the presentation section of the interview to demonstrate one of his personal projects. It was a custom animation of the Star Wars character Admiral Ackbar, shouting “It’s a trap!”

The panel loved it. It demonstrated the skills they were looking for, but also my friend’s sense of humor, creativity, and genuine passion for programming. In a competitive market, standing out from the crowd is what’s going to land you the job.

5. Stick to Technology You Know

Things have come a long way from PowerPoint. There’s now a ton of online programs and applications available to help you craft an all-singing, all-dancing presentation. But unless you’re already a pro at using one of these platforms, now is not the moment to spend hours teaching yourself Prezi or slides.com .

Your time is much better spent on the content of your presentation. Once you’re happy with that, you can start planning your slides, using whichever software you’re already comfortable with.

6. Have a Plan (and a Back-up Plan)

Let’s say you’re a Mac user, so you’ve prepared your presentation in Keynote. You’ve checked that the company’s technology is Mac compatible, you save your file to a USB, drop it in your bag and head to your interview. But when you get there, the office is full of PCs, your USB doesn’t work, and all of the beautiful slides you prepared exist only in your head.

It’s a nightmare scenario, but there are many things you can do to prevent it. Firstly, take your laptop. Even if the screen is small, it’s unlikely you’ll be presenting to more than three people, so they should be able to see. Also, if you have your laptop you may be able to save the file to a compatible format and still have your slides up on a big screen. (Pro tip: Don’t forget to pack the charger! Dead battery equals epic fail.)

If you don’t have a laptop always, always make sure you’ve emailed the slides to yourself and saved them as a PDF—which should work on anything. Finally, the one thing that never breaks down? Paper. Print a few copies of your slides and take them with you, just in case.

7. Practice (and Practice Again)

The only way to know whether your presentation is the right length is by practicing. And, rehearsing will also build your confidence and make you more fluent for the real thing. Ideally, perform your talk for someone you trust so you can get some honest feedback. But even if your only audience member is your cat, a trial run is still an essential part of your preparation.

When the day comes, try and remember that you’ve been invited to interview because the company has seen something in you and wants you to succeed. If you get nervous or lose your place, pause, have a sip of water, take a deep breath, check your notes, and get back into it.

• PRESENTATION SKILLS

Presentations in Interviews

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Presentation Skills:

• A - Z List of Presentation Skills
• Top Tips for Effective Presentations
• General Presentation Skills
• What is a Presentation?
• Preparing for a Presentation
• Organising the Material
• Writing Your Presentation
• Deciding the Presentation Method
• Managing your Presentation Notes
• Working with Visual Aids
• Presenting Data
• Managing the Event
• Coping with Presentation Nerves
• Dealing with Questions
• How to Build Presentations Like a Consultant
• 7 Qualities of Good Speakers That Can Help You Be More Successful
• Self-Presentation in Presentations
• Specific Presentation Events
• Remote Meetings and Presentations
• Giving a Speech
• Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences
• Giving Lectures and Seminars
• Managing a Press Conference
• Attending Public Consultation Meetings
• Managing a Public Consultation Meeting
• Crisis Communications
• Elsewhere on Skills You Need:
• Communication Skills
• Facilitation Skills
• Teams, Groups and Meetings
• Effective Speaking
• Question Types

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

It is increasingly common to be asked to do a presentation as part of an interview. However, these presentations often have several important distinctions from others.

Fortunately, as long as you know what to expect, you can plan accordingly and make sure that your presentation is remembered for all the right reasons.

Forewarned is Forearmed

You have been invited to an interview for a job. The invitation to interview, however, has a paragraph at the bottom that says that, as part of the interview, you will be expected to present briefly (and a time limit is almost always given, usually five to ten minutes) on a given topic. You may be given a title, or asked to develop one.

There are a number of questions to which you may find it helpful to know the answers. For example:

• Will the presentation be in the same room as the interview?
• Will the interview happen first, or the presentation?
• Will you have access to a laptop and projector or similar?
• How many people will you present to?

You have a choice: do you phone up and ask, and risk looking a bit nervous, or do you just hope for the best?

The decision is really up to you. It is not unreasonable to ask if you will have access to a projector, and also if you can bring a handout for the interviewers. Other than that, you might have to play it by ear, and see if you feel able to ask more.

Who do you phone? It depends on who has invited you to the interview. If you have been invited by someone in the HR department, then it is not unreasonable to think of it as part of their job to deal with questions like that. If, on the other hand, you have been invited by someone quite senior, you might prefer to get in touch with their secretary or PA instead.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide to Getting a Job

Develop the skills you need to get that job.

This eBook is essential reading for potential job-seekers. Not only does it cover identifying your skills but also the mechanics of applying for a job, writing a CV or resume and attending interviews.

Developing the Content of your Presentation

It is reasonably common to ask you to present on something like the key challenges that you think you will face in your first month in the job , or how you plan to organise your induction into the new post .

Don’t panic! They don’t expect you to know what you’re doing before you’ve even started.

They do, however, expect you to have a reasonable idea of how to find out what you need to know.

Consider it your first test. Some good ways to approach information gathering include:

Phone a friend – do you know anyone working in that company or in a similar organisation or area of work? Give them a call, take them out for lunch, and pick their brains about the problems and challenges facing the company, and the area in which you will be working in particular.

Use the internet to do some research – as well as the company’s own website, have a look for news reports linked to the area in which you will be working and see what you can find out.

Use the clues in the job description and person specification – do these include requirements for particular skills that may not normally be associated with that kind of job? That might be a clue to a particular issue in the organisation.

Planning your Presentation

There are some general ideas about planning presentations on our pages Organising your Material and Writing your Presentation .

However, it’s important to think about a few points specific to interview presentations too, particularly:

You won’t be able to say everything that you’ve discovered in the space of five to ten minutes. Cut it down to the three main points that you want to make, and remember to emphasise that these are the three key areas.

What kind of visual aid will you use? If you are permitted to provide a one-page handout, how will it support your presentation?

How will you make your presentation stand out from among the crowd, in a good way? You may decide to do this by just being the best, or you could try starting by saying something memorable. Outrageous can work, but it can also be a bit risky, especially if you don’t know your interviewers. It depends a bit on the organisation and also the industry, so you will be best placed to decide what you can get away with.

Providing a Handout

Your one-page handout is what your interviewers will look at to remind them of your presentation. It therefore needs to showcase both the content of your presentation and your ability to summarise and show something in a brief visual form.

You could, of course, simply list your three key points, together with a few sentences about each one to summarise what you said. That will be perfectly acceptable.

But you could also produce something unique to you that showcases your thinking: a mind map, perhaps, or a visual summary of the situation, like a ‘rich picture’.

It does depend on how you think but, for more ideas, take a look at our page on Creative Thinking .

Ideally, you should use your handout as your notes for your presentation too, as it demonstrates that it really does capture your key points.

Handling Unusual Circumstances

You may well walk into your interview and find that something totally unforeseen has occurred.

For example, you have been told that you will be able to use PowerPoint, but there’s no laptop and projector because the interviewers have forgotten to organise it.

Don’t be thrown. Everyone else will be in the same situation.

Instead, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate that you are not put out by something unexpected since this is a valued skill. For example, have an alternative to slides, such as a one-page handout, or make a joke about technology always letting everyone down at crucial moments.

Your ability to handle problems in a good-humoured way will not go unnoticed.

Delivering your Presentation

You are unlikely to be expected to stand and deliver a presentation in an interview, because the room is likely to be very small.

However, it’s worth saying something like:

“ I think I’ll sit, as it’s a bit formal to stand. Unless of course you’d prefer me in full presentation mode? ”

They can then say if they want to see you do a formal presentation.

If you have been given a time limit for your presentation, do not go over it . You may have chosen not to practise fully, so as to be more spontaneous. However, be alert to how long your presentation is taking, and be ready to cut it short if necessary.

Do not rely on being able to see a clock in the room.

Instead, either take a clock that you can put on the table in front of you, or take off your watch, and place it where you can see it clearly at a glance.

It’s not a good idea to keep glancing at a watch on your wrist, as it is an off-putting piece of body language.

People are conditioned to read it as ‘ I don’t really have time for you ’, and this isn’t the impression that you want to give your interviewers, even inadvertently.

Remember to speak slowly and clearly, and check that your interviewers look like they have understood your points. Be alert for any body language that suggests lack of interest or disagreement, as you may want to develop those points further.

Make sure that you clearly conclude your presentation by summarising your key points, before inviting questions from the interview panel.

Presenting in a remote (online) interview

It is not unreasonable to be asked to make a presentation in an online interview.

However, it brings some additional challenges on top of presenting in person.

First, you need to be confident that you will be able to handle the technology , and share your slides with the interviewers. If you have not done this before, you have a choice. You can avoid having slides altogether, email through a one-page handout before the interview, or ask someone for help beforehand so that you know how to share your slides.

Second, you need to think about how you will appear . The section on presenting in our page on Remote Meetings and Conferences may be helpful here.

One Final Message…

Above all, remember that you will be at your best if you are relaxed and confident.

This is hard in any interview situation, but you are testing whether you want to work there as much as they are assessing you. Be yourself, as much in the presentation as in the interview itself. Focus on presenting you: your ideas, your plans. You will then have the best chance of getting the job if it is the right job for you.

Continue to: Interview Skills Coping with Presentation Nerves Dealing with Questions

See Also: Tricky Interview Questions and How to Answer Them Creating and Delivering the Perfect Job Interview Presentation The Most Important Skills for Job Assessments

Top 20 Presentation Interview Questions & Answers

Master your responses to Presentation related interview questions with our example questions and answers. Boost your chances of landing the job by learning how to effectively communicate your Presentation capabilities.

Mastering the art of delivering a captivating presentation is an invaluable skill that transcends industries and job titles. Whether you’re pitching to potential clients, sharing insights with colleagues, or inspiring an audience at a large conference, your ability to communicate clearly, engage listeners, and convey information effectively can be a game-changer in your professional journey.

But what makes a great presentation? How do you prepare content that resonates, design slides that captivate, and deliver your message with confidence? In this article, we delve into the key components of crafting and executing a powerful presentation. We’ll provide you with strategic insights, practical tips, and answers to common questions that will help elevate your public speaking skills and enable you to present like a seasoned pro.

Common Presentation Interview Questions

1. how do you tailor a presentation to an audience with varied levels of expertise.

Delivering effective presentations requires understanding the range of expertise within your audience. A speaker must strike a balance, ensuring the content is accessible to novices without being overly simplistic for experts. This question reveals the candidate’s ability to assess audience needs, adapt their message accordingly, and communicate complex ideas in an inclusive manner that engages all participants. Mastery of this skill demonstrates an awareness of the diversity within any group and a commitment to inclusive communication, which is crucial for successful knowledge transfer and audience engagement.

When responding, outline your approach to audience analysis, such as conducting pre-presentation surveys or interviews to gauge expertise levels. Discuss how you would structure your presentation to introduce fundamental concepts while also providing depth for those more knowledgeable. Share techniques for interactive elements that can engage all levels, such as Q&A sessions, and how you might provide supplemental materials for further learning. Highlight past experiences where you successfully managed such a scenario, underscoring your adaptability and consideration for audience diversity.

Example: “ In tailoring a presentation to a diverse audience, I begin with a thorough audience analysis, often leveraging pre-presentation surveys to understand the varying degrees of expertise. This data informs the structure of my presentation, ensuring I lay a foundational narrative that is accessible to novices while incorporating advanced insights to challenge and engage experts. I carefully craft the content to enable a layered approach, where core concepts are clear and additional complexity is introduced progressively.

Interactive elements are pivotal; I integrate Q&A sessions at strategic intervals, which allow for real-time assessment and adaptation to audience needs. These sessions serve a dual purpose: they clarify uncertainties for beginners and open the floor to deeper discussions for seasoned attendees. To cater to ongoing learning, I provide supplemental materials post-presentation, such as advanced reading lists or access to online resources. This approach not only accommodates all levels of expertise during the session but also extends the learning experience beyond the presentation itself. My experience with this method has consistently yielded positive feedback, demonstrating its effectiveness in engaging and educating heterogeneous groups.”

2. What strategies do you employ for maintaining audience engagement during a lengthy presentation?

To keep an audience attentive and invested throughout lengthy presentations, a presenter must understand audience psychology, content structuring, and dynamic delivery. It’s not merely about disseminating information; it’s about crafting a narrative that resonates, using pacing techniques to maintain energy, and incorporating interactive elements to foster active participation. An effective presenter must be adept at reading the room and adapting on the fly, ensuring the material remains relevant and the delivery compelling.

When responding to this question, focus on concrete strategies you use, such as breaking up the presentation into digestible segments, using storytelling techniques, incorporating multimedia, and facilitating audience interaction through questions or activities. Discuss how you monitor audience body language and feedback to make real-time adjustments, ensuring your presentation is a dialogue rather than a monologue. Highlight your ability to weave in anecdotes or analogies that relate to your audience’s interests or experiences, which can create a more personalized and memorable presentation experience.

Example: “ To maintain audience engagement during a lengthy presentation, I segment the content into digestible parts, each with a clear focus and purpose. This modular approach not only helps in keeping the audience’s attention but also makes it easier for them to process and remember the information. I integrate multimedia elements strategically, such as short videos or interactive graphics, to provide a visual break and reinforce key points.

I employ storytelling techniques, crafting a narrative that connects the dots between the data and the real-world implications. This not only humanizes the content but also makes it more relatable and engaging. To ensure the presentation remains a dialogue, I incorporate moments for audience interaction. This could be through direct questions, quick polls, or even small group discussions if the format allows. I’m always attuned to the audience’s body language and feedback, ready to adjust the pace or dive deeper into topics that resonate. By weaving in relevant anecdotes and analogies, I create a personalized experience, making the content stick and the presentation memorable.”

3. Describe your process for distilling complex information into understandable slides.

Bridging the gap between intricate, detailed data and the audience’s comprehension is a key aspect of presentations. The ability to synthesize and simplify complex information is not just about making slides—it’s about grasping the essence of the data, identifying the key messages, and crafting a narrative that resonates. This skill demonstrates a presenter’s capacity to think critically, focus on what’s most important, and communicate effectively, ensuring that the audience walks away with the intended knowledge without being overwhelmed by technicalities or jargon.

When responding, outline a structured approach that starts with thoroughly understanding the complex material yourself. Emphasize how you prioritize the most relevant points for your audience’s needs and interests. Discuss your method for creating a storyline or framework that guides the presentation, and mention any tools or techniques you use to make data visually appealing and digestible, such as infographics, analogies, or real-world examples. Be prepared to provide a specific example of a time you successfully transformed a complicated subject into an engaging and informative presentation.

Example: “ My process begins with a deep dive into the material to ensure I have a solid grasp of the subject matter. Once I fully understand the complexities, I identify the key messages that are most pertinent to the audience’s needs. This involves discerning the essential information from the peripheral details, which often requires a critical evaluation of the data’s relevance and impact.

Next, I construct a narrative that not only conveys these key points but also tells a compelling story. This narrative framework is crucial as it provides a logical flow that guides the audience through the information without overwhelming them. To enhance comprehension, I employ visual aids such as infographics, which distill data into a more accessible format. I also use analogies and real-world examples to create relatable touchpoints for the audience. For instance, when presenting a complex financial strategy, I once used a simple kitchen recipe analogy to illustrate the step-by-step process, which resonated well with the audience and made the strategy easy to understand and remember.”

4. In what ways have you utilized storytelling within a professional presentation?

Transforming a mundane topic into a captivating journey is the hallmark of an adept storyteller within presentations. Storytelling is not merely a method of conveying information; it’s a powerful tool for engagement, making complex data relatable, and driving a message home. Employers seek individuals who can harness the art of narrative to communicate ideas compellingly, ensuring that key points resonate with their audience long after the presentation concludes.

When responding to this question, articulate how you’ve woven narratives into your presentations to illustrate concepts, humanize data, and create memorable moments. Share specific examples where your storytelling skills have enhanced understanding, fostered emotional connections, or inspired action. It’s essential to convey that your use of storytelling is strategic, intentionally crafted to support the presentation’s objectives and cater to the interests and needs of your audience.

Example: “ In leveraging storytelling, I’ve found that anchoring complex data within relatable narratives significantly enhances comprehension and retention. For instance, when presenting market analysis, I’ve utilized customer journey stories that encapsulate data points within the lived experiences of representative personas. This approach not only humanizes abstract figures but also fosters empathy, enabling stakeholders to grasp the practical implications of trends and figures.

Additionally, I’ve employed storytelling to catalyze action, particularly during strategic pitches. By crafting a narrative arc that mirrors the classic hero’s journey, I’ve positioned the product or initiative as the ‘hero’ equipped to overcome the audience’s challenges, which are framed as the ‘villain’. This technique not only makes the presentation more engaging but also aligns the audience’s emotional investment with the desired outcome, often resulting in a compelling call to action that resonates on both an intellectual and emotional level.”

5. Share an example where you had to adjust your presentation style on the fly due to unforeseen circumstances.

Adaptability and audience engagement are critical components of effective presentation skills. When unforeseen circumstances arise—such as technical difficulties, an unexpected change in audience demographics, or a drastic shift in the mood of the room—presenters must be capable of pivoting quickly and effectively. This question allows interviewers to assess a candidate’s ability to think on their feet, demonstrate flexibility, and maintain composure under pressure. It also reveals how a candidate can tailor their communication to suit the audience’s needs and still achieve the presentation’s objectives, even when conditions are less than ideal.

When responding, it’s crucial to describe a specific instance that showcases your adaptability without losing sight of your presentation goals. Begin by outlining the initial plan and the unexpected issue that arose. Then, detail the changes you implemented, explaining why you chose that particular adjustment and how you kept your audience engaged. Conclude with the outcome, emphasizing how your quick thinking and flexibility led to a successful presentation despite the challenges.

Example: “ In one instance, I was delivering a presentation to a diverse group of stakeholders when I noticed a significant portion of the audience was not fully engaged, likely due to varying levels of familiarity with the topic. Recognizing this, I pivoted from the planned technical deep-dive to a more high-level approach, interspersing relatable analogies and interactive elements to foster a more inclusive atmosphere. This shift not only recaptured the audience’s attention but also encouraged a dialogue that allowed for a more tailored and dynamic presentation.

The adjustment resulted in a positive shift in the room’s energy, with increased participation and pertinent questions that enriched the session. Post-presentation feedback underscored the effectiveness of the adaptation, with attendees expressing appreciation for the accessible content and the interactive nature of the experience. The ability to read the room and seamlessly modify the delivery ensured that the presentation’s objectives were met and the message was successfully conveyed to all participants.”

6. Outline your approach to handling challenging questions from the audience post-presentation.

Fielding challenging questions after delivering a presentation is where a presenter demonstrates their depth of knowledge and composure. This question is a litmus test for a candidate’s expertise on the subject matter, their critical thinking skills, and their capacity to maintain professionalism under pressure. It also reveals how well they can think on their feet and manage potentially adversarial situations, ensuring that the presentation’s objectives are not undermined by a tough Q&A session.

When responding to this question, articulate a structured approach that includes active listening, acknowledging the questioner, and providing a clear, concise, and confident answer. If unsure about a question, it’s acceptable to admit it and offer to follow up with a more informed response later. It’s vital to stay calm and respectful, using the opportunity to further demonstrate your expertise and enhance the audience’s understanding of the topic.

Example: “ In addressing challenging questions post-presentation, my initial step is to ensure that I fully comprehend the inquiry by actively listening and, if necessary, seeking clarification. This not only shows respect to the questioner but also allows me to tailor my response more effectively. I acknowledge the question and the individual asking it, which maintains a positive and engaging atmosphere.

When formulating a response, I prioritize clarity and conciseness, drawing upon relevant data and examples to substantiate my points. If the question touches on an area outside my immediate expertise, I maintain transparency by acknowledging the limits of my current knowledge. In such cases, I commit to providing a detailed follow-up after consulting additional resources or colleagues. This approach not only upholds my credibility but also demonstrates a commitment to accuracy and ongoing learning. Throughout the interaction, I remain composed and courteous, leveraging challenging questions as opportunities to deepen the audience’s understanding and to reinforce key messages from my presentation.”

7. What is your experience with using interactive elements in presentations?

Enhancing understanding, retention, and participation are the goals of incorporating interactive elements in presentations. They transform passive listeners into active participants, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and ensuring the message is not just heard but experienced. Employers are looking for individuals who can leverage these tools to create memorable and effective presentations that stand out in an era where attention spans are short and the need to impactfully convey information is high.

When responding to this question, it’s essential to provide concrete examples of when you have incorporated interactive elements such as real-time polls, Q&A sessions, or interactive demonstrations. Discuss the impact these elements had on the presentation’s effectiveness, how they helped you achieve your objectives, and the feedback received. This demonstrates your understanding of the value of interactivity and your ability to successfully implement it.

Example: “ Incorporating interactive elements into presentations has been a key strategy in my approach to engaging audiences and reinforcing key messages. For instance, I’ve utilized real-time polls during market analysis presentations to gauge audience sentiment, which not only captures attention but also provides immediate data to tailor the discussion. The dynamic nature of the poll results sparks a conversation and allows me to address specific interests or concerns on the spot, making the presentation more relevant and impactful.

Additionally, I’ve leveraged Q&A sessions effectively by integrating them at strategic points in the presentation rather than leaving them for the end. This ensures that the content remains fresh in the audience’s mind and encourages a more active participation, leading to a deeper understanding of the material. The feedback from these sessions has consistently highlighted their effectiveness in making the presentations more memorable and informative, as they foster a two-way dialogue that enriches the experience for both the audience and myself as the presenter.”

8. Detail how you measure the effectiveness of a presentation.

Gauging the effectiveness of a presentation is essential for continuous improvement and ensuring that the intended message resonates with the audience. Effectiveness can be measured through various quantitative and qualitative metrics, such as audience engagement, comprehension, feedback, and the subsequent actions taken by attendees. A skilled presenter knows that the success of a presentation extends beyond the applause—it’s about the lasting impact and the ability to drive the audience toward a desired outcome or understanding.

When responding to this question, you should discuss specific methods you use to evaluate your presentations. For instance, you might mention using real-time polls or surveys to gather immediate audience reactions, employing Q&A sessions to gauge understanding, or analyzing post-presentation feedback forms. You could also talk about tracking the implementation of ideas or strategies presented, or following up with attendees to see how the information has impacted their work or perspective. It’s important to convey that you have a systematic approach to evaluation and that you use these insights to refine your presentation skills and content.

Example: “ To measure the effectiveness of a presentation, I employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics. Immediately following the presentation, I utilize real-time audience engagement tools, such as polls or interactive Q&A sessions, to assess understanding and retention of the content. This provides instant feedback on the clarity and impact of the presentation, allowing me to gauge whether the audience is aligning with the intended message.

In the days following the presentation, I distribute post-presentation surveys to collect more reflective feedback on the content, delivery, and overall value provided. I analyze this data to identify patterns and areas for improvement. Additionally, I track the long-term effects by following up with attendees to understand how they have applied the information or strategies discussed. This not only helps in assessing the practical impact of the presentation but also informs future presentations, ensuring that they are tailored to foster actionable outcomes and sustained engagement.”

9. Have you ever experienced technical difficulties during a presentation and how did you handle it?

Handling technical difficulties during presentations is a common challenge that can test a presenter’s composure and problem-solving skills. The ability to handle such disruptions showcases flexibility, preparedness, and professionalism. Employers are interested in how potential candidates deal with unexpected challenges and maintain their ability to communicate effectively under pressure. They also look for evidence of a candidate’s technical acumen and whether they have a plan B, such as backup materials or alternative methods to convey their message when technology fails.

When responding, it’s crucial to recount a specific instance where you faced technical difficulties, emphasizing your thought process and actions taken to resolve the issue. Highlight your calm demeanor, your quick thinking to implement a solution, or your decision to proceed without the aid of technology, if necessary. If you had contingency plans in place, such as printed handouts or a whiteboard illustration, mention these. Demonstrating that you can keep your audience engaged despite setbacks will illustrate your resilience and capability as a presenter.

Example: “ Absolutely, technical difficulties are almost an inevitable part of modern presentations. On one occasion, I was in the midst of a critical presentation when the projector suddenly failed. Without skipping a beat, I shifted to a whiteboard to illustrate the key points while the technical issue was being addressed. This not only demonstrated my ability to adapt quickly but also my preparation; I had ensured that the main points could be communicated without reliance on slides. Meanwhile, I engaged the audience with relevant questions to maintain their attention and encourage participation, turning the potential disruption into an interactive discussion.

In another instance, the presentation software crashed, and it was clear that a quick fix was not available. I had anticipated such a scenario and brought printed copies of the slides as a backup. I distributed these to the audience and proceeded with the presentation, effectively turning it into a guided discussion. These experiences have reinforced the importance of always having a Plan B, whether it’s a hard copy of the presentation or an alternative method of delivery, ensuring that the message is conveyed effectively regardless of technological challenges.”

10. Which software platforms are you proficient in for creating compelling visual aids?

Crafting compelling visual aids is a crucial aspect of presentations, as they are the visual voice of the speaker’s ideas. Proficiency in a range of software platforms demonstrates versatility and the capacity to tailor the presentation to the audience’s needs and the context of the information. It also suggests an awareness of current technologies and an aptitude for visual storytelling, which are valuable in creating engaging, informative, and memorable presentations.

When responding to this question, it’s best to list the specific software platforms you’re skilled in, such as PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or any other specialized tools you might use. Provide examples of presentations you’ve created using these platforms and discuss how you leveraged their unique features to enhance your message. If possible, share anecdotes about how your visual aids positively influenced the outcome of a presentation or helped convey complex information in an accessible manner.

Example: “ I am proficient in a variety of software platforms that are essential for creating compelling visual aids, including PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, and Adobe Creative Suite, with a particular emphasis on Illustrator and Photoshop for custom graphics. Additionally, I am adept at using Canva for quick yet professional designs when time is of the essence.

In leveraging PowerPoint, I have utilized its advanced animation and transition capabilities to craft a narrative flow that underscores key points, ensuring the audience remains engaged throughout the presentation. With Prezi, I’ve created dynamic, non-linear presentations that are particularly effective for storytelling and keeping viewers intrigued by the spatial journey. For executive briefings, I’ve turned to Keynote for its clean design aesthetics and seamless integration with Apple products, which often match the technological preferences of the audience. Adobe Creative Suite has been my go-to for developing high-quality, original graphics and editing images to a professional standard, ensuring that every visual element is tailored to the presentation’s message. These tools, combined with a strategic approach to visual storytelling, have consistently led to successful outcomes, such as securing stakeholder buy-in or simplifying the communication of complex data.”

11. Relate a time when you had to present a topic outside your area of expertise.

Showcasing flexibility, the ability to research comprehensively, and the skill to learn quickly are essential when conveying information on unfamiliar topics. It also demonstrates confidence and the competence to step outside one’s comfort zone, which are indicative of a growth mindset and leadership potential. Interviewers are looking for evidence of how you approach the challenge of presenting on an unknown subject, the strategies you use to become knowledgeable, and how you ensure that the information is understood by your audience.

When responding to this question, focus on a specific instance where you had to present on an unfamiliar topic. Detail the steps you took to familiarize yourself with the subject matter, including any research or learning methods you employed. Discuss how you ensured your presentation was engaging and understandable, and reflect on the outcome. Highlight any feedback you received and what you learned from the experience, emphasizing your adaptability and commitment to professional development.

Example: “ When tasked with presenting a topic outside my expertise, I immediately immersed myself in intensive research, seeking out the most current and relevant information from credible sources. I prioritized understanding the fundamental concepts and terminology to ensure I could speak with confidence and clarity. To make the material engaging, I employed storytelling techniques, relating the new information to common experiences and using analogies that resonated with the audience’s background.

During the presentation, I focused on interactive elements, such as Q&A sessions, to foster a collaborative learning environment. This approach not only enhanced audience engagement but also allowed me to gauge their understanding in real-time, adjusting my delivery as needed. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees appreciating the digestible format and the clear conveyance of complex material. This experience underscored the importance of thorough preparation and the ability to translate intricate concepts into accessible content, reinforcing my adaptability and dedication to continuous learning.”

12. How do you ensure that your body language positively contributes to your message delivery?

Nonverbal cues like body language play a significant role in engaging the audience and reinforcing the message during presentations. Your stance, gestures, and facial expressions can either distract from or enhance the clarity and impact of your communication. Presenters who are self-aware and intentionally use their body to add depth to their message ensure that it resonates more powerfully with their audience.

When responding, it’s essential to highlight your awareness of common body language principles, such as maintaining eye contact, using gestures to emphasize points, and adopting an open stance to appear approachable and confident. Discuss your strategies for practicing these techniques, perhaps through videotaping your rehearsals or receiving feedback from peers. Emphasize your commitment to continuous improvement and how you actively work to align your nonverbal communication with your spoken words to deliver a coherent and compelling presentation.

Example: “ In ensuring that my body language aligns positively with my message delivery, I prioritize the synchronization of verbal and nonverbal cues. This involves maintaining steady eye contact to foster engagement and demonstrate confidence, as well as utilizing purposeful gestures that underscore key points, thereby enhancing the audience’s comprehension and retention of the content. An open stance is adopted not only to appear approachable but also to project an aura of confidence and authority.

To refine these techniques, I engage in deliberate practice, often recording my presentations to critically evaluate my body language and its impact on the message conveyed. This self-review is complemented by seeking candid feedback from peers, which provides external perspectives on my nonverbal communication. This iterative process of rehearsal, feedback, and adjustment fosters a heightened awareness of my physical presence and ensures that my body language consistently reinforces the clarity and persuasiveness of my presentations.”

13. What techniques do you use to open and close a presentation memorably?

Understanding the psychological impact of a strong start and finish is crucial for presenters. The opening and closing of a presentation are pivotal moments that can captivate an audience or leave them with a lasting impression. A powerful opening can hook the audience’s attention, while an effective closing can reinforce the key message and call to action, ensuring the presentation’s objectives are achieved.

When responding, highlight specific techniques you employ to engage your audience from the outset, such as starting with a thought-provoking question, a relevant anecdote, or an interesting statistic. Explain how you establish the relevance of your topic to your audience’s interests and needs. For concluding your presentation, discuss methods you use to summarize the main points succinctly and clearly, possibly circling back to your opening hook for a cohesive effect. Mention any strategies you use to inspire or motivate your audience to take action, reflecting on how you ensure your final words resonate and drive home the purpose of your presentation.

Example: “ To open a presentation memorably, I often begin with a compelling hook that directly relates to the core message—this could be a surprising statistic that challenges common perceptions, a brief story that illustrates the stakes involved, or a question that prompts the audience to think critically about the topic. This technique not only captures attention but also sets the stage for the narrative arc of the presentation. It’s crucial to establish the relevance of the topic early on, so I make sure to articulate how the content will address the audience’s interests or solve a problem they care about.

Closing a presentation is just as critical as the opening, as it’s the last opportunity to reinforce the key message. I employ a strategy of bookending, where I circle back to the opening hook, creating a sense of closure and reinforcing the central theme. I summarize the main points succinctly, ensuring they are clear and memorable, and end with a call to action that is both inspiring and practical. This could be an invitation to adopt a new perspective, a challenge to apply the information presented, or a tangible next step they can take. By doing so, I ensure the presentation has a lasting impact and drives the audience toward the intended outcome.”

14. How do you incorporate feedback from previous presentations into future ones?

Incorporating feedback into presentations is an exploration into your ability to self-reflect, adapt, and evolve your approach. It demonstrates whether you see feedback as a gift for growth or as criticism to be dismissed. Employers are looking for individuals who actively seek out and apply constructive criticism to enhance their performance, ensuring their message resonates more effectively with each iteration.

To respond, outline a systematic approach: First, explain how you solicit feedback, whether through formal surveys, informal conversations, or even by observing audience engagement during the presentation. Then, discuss how you analyze this information to identify patterns or specific areas for enhancement. Finally, share examples of how you’ve altered your presentation style, content, or delivery method based on this feedback, leading to tangible improvements in audience reception or desired outcomes.

Example: “ Incorporating feedback into future presentations is a critical aspect of refining and improving the effectiveness of my communication. Following each presentation, I actively seek out both qualitative and quantitative feedback through structured surveys and open-ended discussions. This dual approach allows me to gather specific insights and gauge the emotional resonance of the content with the audience.

Upon collecting the feedback, I conduct a thorough analysis to identify recurring themes or suggestions for improvement. For instance, if multiple participants point out that certain sections were too complex or not sufficiently engaging, I prioritize those areas for modification. I then iterate on the content, simplifying complex ideas or incorporating storytelling elements to enhance engagement. Additionally, if the feedback indicates that the pacing was off or that the visuals were not impactful, I adjust the tempo of my delivery and redesign the visual aids accordingly. This process of continuous refinement, guided by targeted feedback, has consistently led to more dynamic presentations and measurable increases in audience understanding and interaction.”

15. When have you successfully adapted a presentation for multicultural audiences?

Adapting content, tone, and delivery to suit multicultural audiences is paramount when delivering presentations. The ability to navigate the subtleties of cross-cultural interactions ensures your message resonates with everyone in the room, regardless of their background. This skill is particularly valuable in a globalized business environment where teams and clientele are often international.

When responding to this question, recount a specific instance where you tailored a presentation to cater to a multicultural audience. Detail the research and preparation you undertook to understand the cultural expectations and norms of the audience. Explain how you adjusted your language, examples, humor, and even visual aids to be culturally sensitive and engaging. Highlight the feedback you received and how it informed your approach to future presentations, demonstrating continuous learning and adaptability.

Example: “ In preparation for a presentation to a multicultural audience, I conducted thorough research to understand the cultural nuances and communication styles of the participants. Recognizing the diversity in the room, I carefully selected universal themes and designed the content to resonate across cultural boundaries. I avoided idioms and region-specific references that could lead to misunderstandings, and instead, used clear, concise language.

I adapted visual aids to include a variety of cultural contexts, ensuring that imagery and examples were inclusive and relatable. Humor was used judiciously, with a focus on light, universally understandable jokes that did not hinge on cultural knowledge. The success of this approach was evident in the engaged reactions during the presentation and the positive feedback afterward, which highlighted the clarity and inclusiveness of the content. This experience reinforced the importance of cultural sensitivity and has since guided my approach to crafting and delivering presentations to diverse groups.”

16. Describe how you prioritize content when faced with strict time constraints.

Distilling complex ideas into digestible, impactful points is essential when presenting information under tight time constraints. This question serves to reveal your critical thinking and content curation skills. It also sheds light on your understanding of the audience’s needs and your ability to focus on key messages that align with the objectives of the presentation. Employers are looking for your capability to identify what’s most important and to convey it in a clear, concise manner that respects the audience’s time and attention span.

To respond, illustrate your process for determining the priority of content, which might involve identifying the core message, understanding the audience’s level of knowledge on the topic, and considering the outcomes you want to achieve. Share a specific example of a time when you successfully navigated this challenge, explaining how you decided what to include, what to leave out, and how you structured your presentation to ensure it was effective within the allotted time.

Example: “ When prioritizing content under time constraints, my approach is to distill the presentation down to its essence by focusing on the objectives of the presentation and the key takeaways for the audience. I start by identifying the core message and the most critical pieces of information that support that message. I then assess the audience’s existing knowledge and tailor the content to fill gaps or build on their understanding, ensuring that the content is neither too basic nor too complex.

For example, in a recent high-stakes presentation with a 10-minute limit, I was tasked with conveying the potential impact of a new technology. I honed in on the three most compelling benefits of the technology, supported by succinct data points that underscored its value. I omitted technical jargon and detailed methodology, which would have taken up valuable time and potentially lost the audience’s interest. Instead, I structured the presentation to open with a strong, relatable narrative that illustrated the technology’s significance, followed by the key benefits and closing with a clear call to action. This approach kept the presentation within the time frame and resonated well with the audience, leading to a successful outcome.”

17. What methods do you use to foster collaboration during group presentations?

Transforming a collection of individual contributions into a cohesive, impactful performance is the essence of effective collaboration in group presentations. Beyond assessing your skills in orchestrating a group effort, this question seeks to understand your ability to harness diverse perspectives, navigate interpersonal dynamics, and leverage each team member’s strengths to achieve a common goal. It’s about your approach to leadership, your capacity for empathy, and your strategic planning to ensure all voices are heard and integrated into the final product.

When responding, outline a structured approach: start by explaining how you set clear objectives and expectations from the outset. Discuss the importance of creating an inclusive environment where all participants feel valued, mentioning specific techniques like round-robin brainstorming or utilizing digital collaboration tools. Highlight any processes you implement to ensure accountability, such as regular check-ins or progress reports. Lastly, share a brief example from your experience where your methods led to a successful group presentation outcome, emphasizing the positive feedback and results achieved through your facilitation of teamwork.

Example: “ To foster collaboration during group presentations, I begin by establishing clear objectives and expectations, ensuring that each team member understands the goals and their role in achieving them. I create an inclusive environment by employing techniques such as round-robin brainstorming, which guarantees that everyone has a voice, and by leveraging digital collaboration tools like shared documents and real-time editing platforms to facilitate seamless communication and idea sharing.

Accountability is maintained through regular check-ins and progress reports, which help keep the team aligned and focused. For instance, in a recent project, this approach led to the development of a highly engaging presentation that received commendable feedback for its cohesiveness and the way it leveraged each team member’s strengths. The success was evident not just in the outcome, but also in the team’s increased confidence and the client’s satisfaction with our collaborative process.”

18. Give an instance where persuasive presentation skills led to a tangible outcome.

Influencing and persuading an audience to take action or to view a topic from a different perspective is a key element of effective presentation skills. Employers seek individuals who can not only present information clearly but who can also compel stakeholders, sway opinions, secure buy-in, or drive organizational change through their presentations. This question is designed to assess a candidate’s ability to impact decision-making and achieve real-world results through their communication prowess.

When responding, select a specific example that showcases your ability to craft and deliver a persuasive presentation. Focus on the preparation work, the audience analysis you conducted, and how you tailored your message for maximum impact. Discuss the strategies you used to engage the audience, any visual or data-driven aids that supported your case, and how you handled objections or questions. Conclude with the outcome, detailing how your presentation directly influenced a decision, action, or shift in perspective, and, if possible, mention any measurable results that followed.

Example: “ In a recent instance, I developed a presentation aimed at persuading a panel of stakeholders to adopt a new software solution that promised to enhance operational efficiency. I began by conducting a thorough audience analysis, identifying the key concerns and motivations of each stakeholder. This enabled me to tailor the content, focusing on the software’s ability to address specific pain points such as reducing manual errors and streamlining workflow processes.

I employed a narrative structure, anchoring the presentation around a central story of a hypothetical yet relatable scenario where the software dramatically improved productivity. To bolster my argument, I integrated compelling data visualizations that clearly demonstrated the potential return on investment and comparative analyses with existing systems. Throughout the presentation, I engaged the audience with rhetorical questions and interactive elements, maintaining their attention and fostering a collaborative atmosphere.

When faced with skepticism, I addressed questions with evidence-based responses, reinforcing the software’s benefits with real-world success stories from similar organizations. The outcome was a unanimous decision to proceed with implementation, and within six months, the organization reported a 25% increase in operational efficiency, validating the effectiveness of the persuasive strategies employed in the presentation.”

19. How do you maintain coherence when integrating data and statistics into your narrative?

Weaving data and statistics into a narrative without losing the audience’s attention or confusing them is an art form. It requires a clear understanding of the story you’re trying to tell and the role that data plays in that story. It’s not just about presenting numbers; it’s about making those numbers meaningful and relevant to your audience. Employers are looking for individuals who can take complex information and distill it into a compelling, accessible format that supports the overarching message. This skill demonstrates critical thinking, analytical prowess, and the capacity to engage and persuade an audience.

When responding to this question, emphasize your approach to storytelling with data. Discuss how you prioritize the most impactful statistics, use analogies or visual aids to illustrate your points, and ensure each piece of data reinforces the narrative thread. Mention any techniques you use to make complex data more digestible, such as breaking it down into simpler terms, building it up piece by piece, or relating it to something familiar to the audience. The goal is to show that you can make data a tool for storytelling rather than a stumbling block.

Example: “ To maintain coherence when integrating data and statistics into a narrative, I prioritize selecting data points that directly support the story’s core message. This involves a careful curation process where I identify the most impactful statistics that align with the narrative’s objective and resonate with the intended audience. I also use analogies and visual aids to contextualize the data, grounding abstract numbers in concrete and relatable terms. For instance, if I’m presenting on the growth of renewable energy, I might compare the increase in solar panel installations to a familiar concept, like the growth of a city’s population, to make the scale more understandable.

In addition, I employ a progressive disclosure technique, introducing data in layers to avoid overwhelming the audience. I start with a high-level overview, then gradually delve into more detailed statistics as the story unfolds, ensuring each data point is a logical extension of the previous information. This scaffolding approach helps the audience to assimilate complex data in manageable increments. By using these strategies, I ensure that data enhances the narrative, providing evidence and clarity, rather than detracting from the story’s flow and coherence.”

20. Reflect on a moment when you effectively used silence as a tool in your presentation.

Controlling the room and the audience’s attention can be achieved by mastering the art of silence in a presentation. Effective use of silence can emphasize important points, give the audience time to absorb information, and create a dynamic rhythm that keeps listeners engaged. It demonstrates a presenter’s confidence and comfort with the material and the presentation space. Silence can also serve as a non-verbal cue, signaling to the audience that something significant is being communicated, which can heighten interest and focus.

When responding to this question, you should recount a specific instance where you strategically employed a pause. Describe the lead-up to the moment of silence, the audience’s reaction, and the impact it had on the overall presentation. Explain your thought process behind the decision to use silence at that particular juncture and how it contributed to the effectiveness of your communication. Your response should convey your understanding of pacing and your ability to use silence not as an absence of words, but as a powerful communication tool in itself.

Example: “ In a recent presentation on the impact of strategic pauses in speech, I deliberately incorporated a prolonged silence following a key point about the power of pausing to enhance audience engagement. After discussing the cognitive overload that can occur with a constant stream of information, I paused for a full ten seconds. This silence not only allowed the audience to digest the information but also served as a live demonstration of the concept. The room’s dynamic shifted palpably; attendees leaned forward, anticipation built, and when I resumed speaking, the engagement was markedly heightened. This silence punctuated the importance of the point and underscored the effectiveness of the technique.

The decision to use silence at that moment was informed by the understanding that strategic pauses can act as an auditory underline, giving weight to the preceding statement. It was a calculated risk, but the payoff was evident in the audience’s renewed focus and the lively Q&A session that followed. This approach reinforced the message that silence, when used purposefully, is not a void but a tool for emphasizing content and facilitating deeper comprehension.”

Top 20 Facility Management Interview Questions & Answers

Top 20 insurance claims interview questions & answers, you may also be interested in..., top 20 physiology interview questions & answers, top 20 corporate strategy interview questions & answers, top 20 project management interview questions & answers, top 20 supply chain interview questions & answers.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

Partner Center

60 Effective PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks (Giant List)

Here's a PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks guide that takes you through how to make a good PowerPoint presentation.

The best PowerPoint presentations shouldn’t be remembered. Instead, they should fall into the background to support you and the message you’re trying to get across.

Unlike good PowerPoint presentations , bad PowerPoint presentations are a distraction. You may remember them, but not in a good way.

You’ve seen them before. They might have millions of lines of text. Or a disjointed flow to the slides. Even worse, some slides feature ugly photos and poor design that detract from the message you’re trying to get across. That can even hurt your credibility as a professional or speaker.

This article will take you from finding your initial topic to learning how to make a great PowerPoint presentation. Our guide covers everything in between so that you learn how to present a PowerPoint like a pro.

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines are organized into sections. So cut straight to the advice you need and come back when you’re ready for the next steps.

Guide to Making Great Presentations (Free eBook Download)

Also, download our Free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It’s the deepest resource for learning effective presentation skills for a PPT.

This eBook covers the complete presentation process. It takes the PowerPoint tips and tricks you learn in this article further. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. It’s another great source for presentation design tips.

Master PowerPoint (Free Course): 15 Essential Tips

This article is full of helpful tips so you can build a powerful presentation. You can also find more PowerPoint tips in this video lesson:

To learn even more about how to make a PowerPoint look good, review the huge list of tips below.

What Makes a PowerPoint Presentation Effective?

Knowing how to use PowerPoint and work within it quickly is helpful. But more important is making a good presentation that hits all your goals. A great PowerPoint presentation is:

• Prepared to Win . Research, plan, and prepare your presentation professionally. It helps you deliver an effective message to your target audience.
• Designed Correctly . Your visual points should stand out without overwhelming your audience. A good PowerPoint visual shouldn’t complicate your message.
• Practiced to Perfection . Rehearse your timing and delivery so that your points land as practiced with a live audience.
• Delivered With Poise . Present with a relaxed inner calm and confident outward projection. Give your audience warmth, excitement, and energy.
• Free From Mistakes . Avoid typos, cheesy clip art, and mistakes like reading directly from your slides.

Consider this your all-inclusive guide to how to make a good presentation. We’ll look at preparing your presentation and explore how to design it in PowerPoint. Plus, we’ll cover how to practice and nail your delivery successfully come presentation time.

We’ll also address what not to do in these tips for PowerPoint presentations—so you can sidestep any big mistakes. Now let’s dig into these tips for effective PowerPoint presentations.

Killer Presentation Preparation Tips to Get Started Right

Before even opening PowerPoint, start by addressing these things. These Microsoft PowerPoint tips and tricks will ensure that you’re prepared for your presentation:

1. Know Your Stuff

Your presentation isn’t about your slides alone. It’s about the message you want to get across. Before filling in stats, facts and figures, think about the narrative that’ll be discussed, why, and in what order.

2. Write It Out

Start in a Word or Google doc, and storyboard or script the entire presentation. This will give you an idea of how the information presented will flow and how viewers will see it in sequence. Learn the complete writing process .

3. Highlight What’s Most Important

A presentation covers the most crucial pieces only. Whatever you’ve been working on that led to this—a paper, a work project, a new product design—doesn’t need to be shared in its entirety. Pick key points and put the rest in an “Appendix” to refer to during the Q&A session at the end.

4. Know Your Audience

How you talk to a room full of medical professionals should be different from the way you address a room full of young entrepreneurs. Everything, in fact, is different: your topic selection, the language you use, the examples you give to illustrate points. The little bits of humor you include should be tailored specifically with your target audience in mind.

Understand your audience’s needs to create a successful PowerPoint presentation. Customize your content to meet their specific requirements.

5. Rehearse! (Yes, Already)

It’s never too early to get used to the rhythm of your presentation and take note of points you want to emphasize. While saying it out loud, you’ll start to develop a “feel” for the material. You’ll notice that some things work well, while others don’t and might need to be worked around.

6. Rewrite After You Rehearse

As you’re rehearsing your presentation, you’re bound to stumble over sections that don’t quite flow naturally. Instead of reworking your delivery, it might be time to consider the content and rewrite the areas that served as stumbling blocks.

“Editing is hard. ‘It’s good enough,’ is a phrase wannabes use. Leaders take editing seriously.” – Anthony Trendl

The most important part of creating a great presentation is the writing stage. The second most important stage is rewriting.

7. Share With a Friend

If the stakes are high for your presentation, it’s never too early to get feedback from those that you trust. Here’s an article that helps you collaborate as a team on a PowerPoint presentation. Get PowerPoint design tips from those that you trust when you collaborate.

Simple Tips to Design Your PowerPoint Presentation Better

Second only to you (the information you bring and how you present it) is your PowerPoint slides. If not designed well, a PowerPoint can be disengaging or distracting (regardless of the content quality). Here are some presentation design tips to make sure this doesn’t happen to you:

8. Keep Your Slides Simple

This is one of the most important PowerPoint presentation tips to follow when designing your slides. Keep in mind that less is more (effective.) A cluttered slide is distracting. It causes confusion for an audience: Which part of the slide should I focus on? Should I read the slide or pay attention to the presenter?

A simple, visually appealing slide will engage your audience, keeping them on track with your main points. Here’s an example of a simple slide that serves its purpose perfectly:

Minimalist slide templates like Nook can help you resist the urge to clutter your slides.

9. Limit Words on Your Slides

Piggybacking on the last point, less is more effective. If possible, avoid bullets altogether. Otherwise cut them to just a few simple words. The audience should be listening, not reading.

10. Use High-Quality Photos and Graphics

One of the most important tips for quality PowerPoint presentations is to use high-quality photos and graphics.

Earlier in this tutorial, you saw Envato Elements, an all-you-can-download service with PPT tips inside of templates. Those pre-built designs are a beginner’s best friend. They’re even better when paired with Elements’ unlimited library of stock photos .

People are more likely to take you seriously if your presentation is visually appealing. Users view attractive design as more usable. Similarly, they’ll view a more attractive PowerPoint as more effective.

11. Use Accurate and Relevant Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs can also be distracting if they’re not used right. Make sure your information design is simple and clean so that the audience doesn’t spend the entire time trying to decipher what your X axis says. Learn more about PPT data presentation .

12. Use High-Quality, Fresh Templates

Have you seen the old PowerPoint template that looks like worn paper and uses ink splashes? Yeah, so has your audience. Templates can be distracting if they’re too basic or if the design feels dated. You need one with great design options.

Costs are always a concern. But when you use Envato Elements, you’ve got everything you need to create a great PowerPoint presentation . That’s thanks to the incredible all-you-can-download subscription package.

The best PowerPoint tips and tricks can hardly compare to the value of using a template while building your presentation.

On Envato Elements, there are thousands of PowerPoint design templates that are ready to use. Instead of designing a presentation from scratch, start with a template! Just add your specifics to the placeholders.

Templates like Galaxi are impressively designed and waiting for your slide specifics.

The best PowerPoint design tips save you time. And there’s no tip more powerful than this one: use a pre-built template . It helps you master how to present a PowerPoint without spending all your time in the app.

13. Choose Appropriate Fonts

Fonts are an important part of engaging your audience. Fonts and typography choices have a subconscious effect on viewers. They can characterize your company’s presentation and brand either positively or negatively. Make sure that you’re choosing fonts that are professional and modern.

14. Choose Color Well

Like font choice, colors cause specific subconscious reactions from viewers. Choosing an outdated color combination for your presentation will render it ineffective.

Below is an example of the Popsicle PowerPoint template , which has a modern presentation color choice:

The Popsicle PowerPoint template highlights how harmonized color palettes can create beautiful slides.

15. Clean + Simple Formatting Makes All the Difference!

We’ve got a full tutorial on how to make a good presentation slide . Give it a read through and review the accompanying video. Just remember, less is more. The focus is you and your message , not your slides.

16. Make Sure All Objects Are Aligned

A simple way to create a well-designed presentation is to make sure all items on a slide are intentionally aligned. To do this, hold down Shift and select all the objects you want to include. Then choose Arrange in the options bar and apply Alignment Type .

17. Limit Punctuation

This isn’t the place for exclamation points. Emphasize your points (while speaking). Don’t enlist punctuation to do this for you. (Leave these at home!!!)

18. Avoid Over-Formatting Your Points

This PowerPoint presentation tip is simple. There’s no need to have every word of every bullet point capitalized, or to have all your bullet points in title case. If possible, drop bullets altogether. Again, the simpler, the better!

Limit your text formatting, including reducing the use of bullets, underline, and other effects. Compare the before example on the left to the revised version on the right.

19. Combine Information With Graphics in PowerPoint

One of the most powerful presentation skills for PPT is using infographics. With the right type of visuals, slides come to life and reduce the text in favor of graphics.

Infographics help combine information with graphics. It’s easier to explain complex ideas when you use visual formats that are intuitive.

Practice Presentation Tips: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse!

Delivery is probably more important than the actual content. Here’s how to become more aware of your own unique ticks, and how to present like a polished pro:

20. I’ll Say It Again, Rehearse!

Just do it. Again and again. Experiment with pauses, gestures, and body language. Practice around one hour for every minute of your speech.

21. Practice With a Timer

Consistency is key to an effective PowerPoint presentation. The timing should be similar (ideally the same) each time you rehearse. This one will especially pay off when it’s time to present in front of your audience.

22. Slow It Down

Many of the best speakers today intentionally speak slowly. You’ll have the chance to emphasize, appear more thoughtful, and make your information easier to digest.

23. Pause More Often

Like the prior tip, pausing more often allows your main points to be emphasized and gives time for information to sink in. You need to let key points breathe a little before rushing into the next section.

24. Record Yourself

Use your phone’s voice recorder. Assess and critique yourself. Consider:

• Are your pauses too short or too long?
• Are you speaking slowly enough? Too slow?
• When you’re nervous, does your voice get high like the mice in Cinderella?

It’s always weird to hear your own voice recorded; don’t stress it. Use this as a time to adjust.

25. Choose Three Focal Points in the Room

If you stare at the same spot (or even creepier, the same person) the entire time, your presentation will be ineffective (and awkward.) People will be distracted by you, wondering what you’re staring at.

Try this: pick three points in the room (typically: left, center, right). Take time to direct your delivery toward each physical focal point in the room. Also, focus on the center when making your primary points.

26. Vary Your Sentence Length

This makes you sound more interesting, and it’s easier for your audience to follow. Think short and punchy. Or go long and complex for dramatic effect.

27. Modulate!

Don’t speak in monotone for your whole presentation. Be conscious of raising and lowering your voice tone. Otherwise, people will tune you out, and you’ll come across like the teacher in Charlie Brown.

28. Practice in Front of a Mirror

What you look like is as important as how you sound. Pretend you’re having a normal conversation, and allow your hands to move with your speech to emphasize your points. Just don’t get carried away! (I’m thinking Brene Brown or President Obama , not your Aunt Jamie after a few gin and tonics.)

29. Use “Present Mode” When Rehearsing

When you finally are ready to hit the Present button in PowerPoint, make sure you use the Present Mode option. This allows you (and only you) to view extra notes about each slide—just in case you forget something!

30. Practice With New Audiences

If possible, try doing a few real live test runs as a webinar or even at a local Toastmasters organization to get some feedback from a live audience.

31. Engage the Audience by Asking Questions

There’s no reason that a presentation should be one-sided. Why not invert the format and ask your audience a question?

To learn how to create a slide that kicks off a Q&A, use this article . These PowerPoint design tips help you create an engaging and exciting discussion.

Helpful Tips to Step Up and Deliver Come Presentation Time

When the actual day arrives, there are only a few last PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to keep in mind:

32. Take a Deep Breath

Deep breathing is proven to relieve stress. It’s simple, and it’ll help you remain calm and in the moment, even up to the last minute before starting.

33. Lighten Up Your Mood

Tell yourself a joke or watch a funny video clip. Do this before the presentation, of course. Research concludes that happy people are more productive. More productive is more focused and able to perform better.

34. Remind Yourself to Take It Slow

When we’re stressed or nervous (or both), we tend to speak faster. Consciously, take yet another deep breath and remind yourself to take it slow!

35. Read the Room

Every presentation room has a temperature. It’s your job as a speaker to gauge it and tailor your presentation to it.

Here’s a great example. Layoffs are coming at a company, and you’re asked to speak to an audience. Even if the audience isn’t personally affected by the actions, you’ve got to consider the morale of the workforce.

Skilled speakers have a knack for reading the energy of the room and adjusting their presentation on the fly.

The last thing that group will want to hear is how strong the economy is and why the company is the best place to work. That doesn’t mean that you’ve got to align to their uncertainty, but don’t go too far against the grain while presenting.

Robert Kennedy III is a master of bringing energy and aligning a speech to the audience. Here’s his advice for adjusting:

“It can be hard to wake up a “dead” crowd but go for it. Most of all, don’t take their energy personally. Focus on serving them with every bit of your fiber then leave empty.”

36. Fake It ‘Til You Make It!

Go forward with confidence. If you act confident, you’ll start to feel more confident. Move slowly with grace, speak clearly, smile, wear something nice. You’ll appear confident to all attendees (no matter how you feel internally).

PowerPoint Presentation Tips and Tricks to Help Avoid Mistakes (What Not to Do)

Most importantly, focus on what you can do to make your presentation better. There are a few important things not to do that we’ve got to address. Here are a handful of PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks to help you avoid missteps.

37. Stop With the Sound Effects

Sound effects are distracting and outdated. In most cases, avoid them. Add audio or music to your presentation to inject interest or highlight an important point, but it’s something to take extra care with. If you insert audio, then make sure your use really connects with your audience and has a fresh approach. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it out.

38. Don’t Use Flashy Slide Transitions

Again, this is distracting and outdated. Use transitions and subtle animations in your PowerPoint presentation. But you need to take care and do it right .

39. Beware of Clip Art

This PowerPoint presentation tip shouldn’t even have to be said. But please, please don’t use clip art. Use professional graphics instead.

40. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Afraid

The fear of public speaking is a real one. Many beginners think that if they’re feeling nervous that a presentation won’t go well or succeed. That might lead them to cancel the presentation.

Here’s a tip from expert Sandra Zimmer, who leads The Self-Expression Center on conquering your fears before you take the stage:

“Get out of your head and into your body. I do this through a grounding exercise that really works to calm nerves and bring you present in the moment.”

If you think that public speaking fears aren’t normal, you might never give your award-winning presentation. So don’t be afraid to be afraid, and acknowledge it’s part of the process!

41. Don’t Read Directly During Your PowerPoint Presentation

If you spend your entire presentation looking at the screen or your note cards, you’re sure to lose your audience’s attention. They’ll disengage from what you’re saying, and your presentation will fall flat.

Reading from your paper or screen also makes it look like you’re not prepared. Many people do it, but no one should. As a general rule, only present something you know well and have, at least mostly, memorized the main points of.

42. Don’t Miss Out on PowerPoint Customizations

Many new PowerPoint users often make significant mistakes when using Envato Elements designs.

The best way to see how to make a good presentation PPT is to start with designs from others. That means using a template, but that doesn’t mean you can’t customize them!

Don’t forget that PowerPoint templates are infinitely customizable. Think of them as guides with built-in presentation design tips.

To see more presentation tips that show you what not to do, make sure to check out our guide .

Work in PowerPoint More Effectively (Tips & Tricks to Level Up Your PPT Skills)

These PowerPoint tips will help you get the most out of the application to level up your next presentation. Let’s dive in.

43. Use the Visual Guides

When you’re designing your next PowerPoint presentation, it helps to create a sense of visual rhythm. Slides that have objects aligned and centered are more likely to resonate with an audience.

44. Use a Few Animations (Tastefully)

Animations in effective PowerPoint presentations are a slippery slope. We’ve all sat through presentations where there were so many objects in motion that it was easy to lose focus on the key ideas in the presentation.

But that’s why animations get an unfairly bad reputation. Use animations to create motion and hold an audience’s attention. Use them sparingly and on key elements on your slide, and you’ll capture that attention properly.

45. Stage Key Content With Animations

You just learned that animations should avoid being distracting. But there’s an important principle to using animations properly. It’s called staging content.

Staging content means that the content appears step by step. There’s nothing worse than overwhelming an audience with all your content at once. But when you stage content, bring it on step by step.

Take it from presentation pro Suzannah Baum :

“If you’re sharing a slide with lots of different points on it, using the animation to reveal those points one at a time is a way to keep the presenter’s content flowing smoothly.”

For more animation presentation tips and tricks, follow our guide .

46. Add a Video to Your PowerPoint

When you’re sharing a big idea in your presentation, it helps to share your perspective from a few different angles. Adding a video to supplement your content can do just that. Luckily, it’s easy to add and embed a YouTube video in your next PowerPoint presentation.

47. Add Charts & Graphs

Charts and graphs can help you tell stories with data. It’s easy for an audience to zone out when you throw a big data table or set of statistics at them.

instead, convert those to charts and graphs. Try out our tutorial to learn how to edit those graphs.

48. Build Your Own Infographics With SmartArt

Earlier in this tutorial, we gave you one of my favorite PowerPoint design tips: use infographic templates.

Here’s another. One of my favorite PowerPoint features is SmartArt, which allows you to build infographics right inside the app.

You don’t have to use another graphic design app like Photoshop or Illustrator to add visuals. Instead, try out SmartArt to help you build graphics that are easy to update.

49. Use Presenter View

Remember that when you use the PowerPoint, you’ re the presentation. The slides are just there to reinforce what you’ve got to say and support your speaking points.

That’s why I always recommend using Presenter view. More often than not, you’re going to have several displays. Presenter view shows your content on your screen, while your presentation is displayed on another screen.

50. Track Your PowerPoint Changes

One of my favorite PowerPoint design tips is to collaborate. Those who know you best will suggest compelling changes that are sure to help you succeed.

As you start collaborating on your presentation, it helps to keep track of proposed and included PowerPoint changes. Use this article to track changes made by others.

10 More Advanced PowerPoint Tips & Tricks

Really need to wow an audience with a good PowerPoint presentation? Give these tips a try to make an unforgettable impression:

51. Engage With an Interactive Quiz

A good PowerPoint presentation gets your audience involved. One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to do that with a quiz. By engaging audiences, a quiz makes your slides memorable.

By adding trivia, you’ll see how to present a PowerPoint in a way that people will love. Channel your inner game-show host today. MIDTEST is a  good PowerPoint presentation  with quiz slides.

52. Illustrate With Custom Image Masks

One of the top PowerPoint tips is to illustrate your slides. But you can go beyond simple, rectangular images on each slide.

The Burte template is full of  PowerPoint tricks , including custom image masks. Image masks shape photos into unique works of art. And thanks to premium templates, you can style photos just like this. Masks overlay your photos onto geometric shapes, instantly elevating your style.

53. Print Handouts With Extra Notes

Wonder how to give a good presentation PPT that audiences will remember? Give them a piece of it to take home.

PowerPoint makes it easy to print handouts with room for notes on the page. This way, audiences can keep copies of your slides, along with their own notes. This is the perfect way to ensure everyone engages with and retains your content.

54. Make Bulk Edits With Master Slides

When you think about how to present a PowerPoint, consider your branding. That means keeping your logo front and center in the eyes of an audience. But if you’re working with a lengthy slide deck, this could seem daunting.

That’s where master slides come in. They’re common in premium layouts, and they’re a leading example of presentation skills for PPT. Master slides let you make bulk edits fast.

55. Shrink File Sizes for Sharing

Many of the top presentation tips involve making your slides more accessible. Often, that involves sharing them with audiences online.

You’ll often find that email clients and cloud services limit the size of files that you share. This can be a problem with large PPT slide decks. But there are a few quick steps you can take to reduce PPT file size. Cut graphics, scale down photos, and more.

56. Map Processes With Flowcharts

As you consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation, think of ease of understanding. After all, you’re trying to explain something to your audience.

The  Flowcharts in Infographics  template seamlessly illustrates ideas and processes. A flowchart maps out a process in a visual way. Instead of resorting to endless narration, try a quick illustration like this. It saves you time and effort, and your audience is sure to thank you.

57. Use Brand-Specific Colors

Using presentation skills for PPT helps form an association between your message and branding. There’s no better way to do that than with your brand colors.

PowerPoint makes it easy to change color themes, adding your brand colors and logo to each slide. This is one of the top PowerPoint tricks for marketing presentations.

58. Build Social Media Posts in PPT

A good PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be shared through a projector. Use the app and templates to build amazing illustrations to use anywhere.

A template like Soffee helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint easily with a pre-built design.

Try using PowerPoint to create social media posts. It helps you engage with your audience, with no need to design custom layouts from scratch.

59. Be Industry-Specific

One of the top presentation tips in 2024 is to be industry-specific. That means avoiding generic layouts and choosing something more customized.

This offers two key advantages. First, you save time by having layouts built for you. Second, you gain design inspiration for your specific topic. Themed templates are truly the best of both worlds.

The Medical and Health template is a good PowerPoint presentation with a set theme.

60. Design for Online (Virtual) Sharing

Last but not least in our list of PowerPoint tips comes virtual presenting. More and more often, slides will be shared with online audiences around the globe.

Why not design your slides for that very purpose? And then learn how to share flawlessly with a global team? It’s one of the top presentation tips for 2024. Embrace it today.

More Great PowerPoint Tutorial Resources

We’ve built a resource for Microsoft PowerPoint that you’re sure to want to try. It includes countless PowerPoint tips and tricks. It’s called How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide) and has all the PowerPoint design tips you need.

Discover More Top PowerPoint Template Designs From Envato Elements for 2024

You’ve just seen our favorite powerful PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to help you improve your speaking. We’ve also mentioned Envato Elements, an incredible all-you-can-download source for top PowerPoint designs .

Here are five of the best PowerPoint templates that you can use to create your best presentation yet:

1. Galaxi PowerPoint Template

Blast off to success with the help of this PowerPoint template! Think of the pre-built slide designs as pro PowerPoint design tips. They’re built by professional graphic designers. All the popular and modern slide styles that are perfect for your next presentation. Use Galaxi’s five styles and 30 designs to create a great presentation.

2. Masmax PowerPoint Template

We selected templates for this article that match the PowerPoint tips and tricks provided. Masmax fits the bill perfectly across its 234 unique slide designs. These slide designs are sure to align with the latest in design expectations.

3. STYLE Multipurpose PowerPoint Template V50

Style is subjective, but we can all agree that this template is stunning! The light and airy slide designs are built with fashion-focused designs in mind. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not perfect for most presentations. When learning to present a PowerPoint, remember that templates can be customized to suit your purpose.

4. Peachme Creative PowerPoint Template

Peachme has image-focused slides with splashy designs. The slides are colorful and perfect for a modern presentation. Don’t worry about remembering all the PowerPoint design tips because they’re included in the pre-built slides. Use Peachme’s designs for your presentation today.

5. Buizi Office Building Rent PowerPoint Template

Buizi markets itself as a real estate focused template. It’s ideal for that purpose because of the minimal, image-focused slide designs. But that also makes it a perfect choice for presentations in many fields.

We’ve just scratched the surface of PowerPoint design tips with these five options. Here are many more, bundled inside of the best roundups on Envato Tuts+:

How to Build a Good PowerPoint Presentation Quickly (In 2024)

You’ve already seen effective presentation skills PPT techniques. But you may be wondering exactly how to do a good PowerPoint presentation. It only takes a few clicks. Let’s learn how in just five steps.

For this mini-tutorial, we’ll use the Enjoy PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements. You’ll see that it’s a beautiful template that helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint by giving you every object and layout you need.

Let’s get started:

1. Choose Your Slides

As you can see, a template like Enjoy has dozens of unique slides inside. The key to how to give a good presentation PPT is to choose only the slides that you need.

One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to start by selecting slides you wish to use from your template.

In PowerPoint, scroll through the sidebar on the left to view different slide layouts. Right-click and choose Delete to remove unwanted designs. Plus, you can click and drag slide thumbnails to reorder them in the deck.

2. Add Text

Consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation without investing a ton of time. That’s where premium templates come in.

One of our top presentation tips when working with a PPT is to lean on the pre-built text boxes for your content.

To add custom text, simply click and select the contents of any text box on your slide. Then, type in your own words. Repeat as needed throughout your slide deck.

3. Customize Fonts

With text selected, it’s easy to customize fonts on each slide. Find the Font section on PowerPoint’s Home tab. From there, you’ve got a variety of dropdown options.

Another of our top tips for presentation tricks is to use a custom font setting in your template.

Click to change the font, font size, and more. You can also use the buttons on the left to add bolds, italics, and more.

Need more custom font styles? As an Envato Elements subscriber, you’ve got instant access to thousands of custom fonts . Use them in your presentation with ease.

4. Insert Images

Slides like this one contain an image placeholder. That’s another advantage found only with premium templates. These make adding images a breeze.

Add images to your PPTX template for more visually interesting slides.

To get started, find an image file stored on your computer. Then, drag and drop it over the placeholder. PowerPoint will import it, sized and scaled for a perfect fit.

5. Change Colors

One of the top effective presentation skills is changing shape colors. This helps you control the look and feel of each slide.

With a shape selected, find the Shape Format tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon. Then, click on the Shape Fill dropdown. You’ll see a color chooser menu appear. Click on any thumbnail to apply it to the shape or browse through the Gradient and Texture options.

Start Putting These PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks Into Use Today!

Learning to write, design, and present a PowerPoint presentation is an invaluable skill, no matter where you use it. If you’re a good communicator of important messages, you’ll never go hungry.

Luckily, improving PowerPoint presentations isn’t as hard as it seems. Follow these tips for PowerPoint presentations to design and deliver with greater confidence.

Remember: Less is more (effective) . Use PowerPoint presentation templates for better design and more effective visual impact. And you can customize a PPT template quickly , with the right workflow.

Related Articles

More From Forbes

Study reveals why 70% of hiring managers lie to job candidates in 2024.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Why hiring managers lie to job hunters during the interview process.

According to U.S. News, a pattern known as “shift shock” was one of the top 10 workplace trends of 2023, and it has risen in early 2024. Shift shock is the realization that your new job isn’t what you expected it to be. So what does a job candidate do if a hiring manager hasn’t been honest about the role? A recent Muse Shift Shock Survey found that 72% say they’ve experienced shift shock, and 80% say it’s acceptable to leave a new job before six months if it doesn’t live up to your expectations.

According to Josh Millet , founder and CEO of Criteria , shift shock often results from a misleading or poorly designed hiring process that paints a rosy, unrealistic picture of the role or company, often leading to high turnover. Recently, I reported here on research by Resume Genius that shows why hiring managers ghost job candidates after the interview process. Millet urges job candidates to set clear expectations and voice what they’re looking for in a position in terms of the role, salary and general job expectations.

This week Resume Genius released its Misrepresentation in Hiring Practices Report , revealing that 70% of hiring managers have lied to job candidates during the recruitment process. After surveying over 600 hiring managers, the results showed that the primary reason they lie is pressure to meet immediate hiring demands and protect company interests, with 35% admitting they frequently engage in this behavior.

Why Hiring Managers Lie To Job Candidates

The second most common reason is to protect sensitive company information, with 41% of hiring managers saying they lie frequently for this purpose. Other key findings include breakdown other reasons driving hiring managers to lie:

• To fulfill immediate hiring needs (76%)
• To protect sensitive company information (75%)
• To avoid giving negative feedback (73%)
• To control the narrative and prevent bad reviews (72%)
• To please the candidate and increase offer acceptance (69%)
• To exaggerate job benefits and responsibilities (65%)
• To cover up negative aspects and protect the company’s reputation (64%)

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

Corissa Peterson, career expert at Resume Genius, stated, "While it’s understandable that hiring managers are under pressure to fill positions quickly, it’s unfortunate that dishonesty is leveraged as a way to do so. This kind of behavior can really hurt job seekers and erode their trust in employers. Lying can also result in disappointment and dissatisfaction when the reality of the job doesn’t match the promises made during the hiring process."

Growing up in a digital age, younger managers are used to rapid communication and quick decision-making,” according to Samuel Johns, recruiting manager at CV Genius . “This constant urgency can lead to quick fixes in the hiring process, like stretching the truth to fill positions quickly,” he says. “For instance, they might exaggerate job benefits or downplay certain aspects of the role to make the position more appealing. While these tactics can help fill roles faster, they may lead to mismatched expectations and potential frustration later on.”

Strategies For Hiring Agencies To Amp Up Transparency

1. Be honest about job details. The authors of the study mention that recruiting new employees is a significant investment and suggest that companies provide candidates with positive yet realistic expectations before they join. They explain that clear and straightforward communication can build trust and create a better hiring experience for all parties involved.

“Employers should ensure their hiring teams clearly explain job responsibilities, work environment, and company culture during interviews,” the report says. “This communication includes mentioning any challenging aspects of the role, such as long hours or frequent travel, so applicants are fully aware of the job’s demands and can assess their fit for the role.”

The findings recommended creating detailed and specific job descriptions to help candidates understand the role's responsibilities. They add that descriptions should include daily responsibilities, required skills and insights into the company’s culture, an example being,

2. Let candidates interview your team. The report suggests allowing candidates to connect with current employees to build trust and provide a genuine understanding of the workplace culture and job expectations. This approach encourages potential hires to ask candid questions and receive unfiltered feedback, fostering transparency and confidence in their decision-making process.

3. Share realistic expectations about career growth. Employers should be upfront about opportunities for advancement and professional development within the company, according to Resume Genius’s recommendations. “Providing specific examples of employee progression and the support systems in place helps candidates understand potential career paths,” they point out. “Instead of making vague promises about promotions, companies should offer concrete information.”

Tips for Job Seekers to Avoid Being Misled

1. Ask specific questions during interviews. The career experts suggest that applicants gather concrete information and ask specific, direct questions during interviews to gain a clear understanding of the role and company. Instead of general inquiries like "What’s the work culture like?", they provide examples to candidates such as "Could you describe a typical day in this role?" or "How does the team handle high-pressure situations?"

If interviewers dodge questions or give vague answers, it may indicate a lack of transparency. So, Resume Genius advises candidates also to ask about specific challenges and how the company supports employees in overcoming them.

2. Clarify role expectations and metrics. Job seekers should understand how success is measured in a role and the key performance indicators (KPIs) to help them determine if the position aligns with their skills and career goals.

Candidates are also advised to inquire about the performance review and criteria process to determine how often feedback is given and what a company’s benchmarks for success are. Additionally, the report notes, asking about specific goals for the first few months, such as "What are the expected accomplishments in the first 90 days?" ensures reasonable expectations.

The career experts state that questions like, "What kind of training or support will be provided?" and "Are there opportunities for professional development?" help determine if the company will aid in the candidate's success. Clarifying these aspects, they insist helps job seekers judge if the job is a good fit and confirm the company's transparency.

3. Trust your gut. Applicants should always trust their instincts during the interview process, the report explains, adding, “Pay attention to how the responses and overall interaction feel. Evasive answers or a rushed interview might indicate underlying issues or a lack of transparency.”

“If job seekers can visit the workplace, they should observe the environment. A welcoming and positive atmosphere is a good sign, while a tense and uninviting one may raise concerns,” they caution. “After the interview, reflect on the experience. If there are lingering doubts or something feels off, applicants should take those feelings seriously and reconsider the job opportunity.”

A Final Word

Eva Chan, lead career expert at Resume Genius, had this to share: “Securing top talent is tough, and finding a good job is equally difficult in today’s job market.” Chan further states, “Despite these challenges, both sides need to uphold high standards and ethics. Employers need to improve their hiring practices and strive for transparency while avoiding any form of dishonesty if they can help it. Job seekers should also do their due diligence and ask specific questions to ensure they have a clear understanding of potential roles. By being honest and diligent, employers and job seekers can make the hiring process feel more trustworthy and effective, she concludes.”

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

How to Build a Skin-Care Routine for Your Tween

By Megan McIntyre

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

From sea to shining sea, preteens are spending their birthday money on barrier-repair creams and collecting fragrances like Beanie Babies. Allure set out to find out when and how tweens became beauty experts—and over the course of six weeks shadowing seven of them, we got some compelling answers. Come get to know Generation Beauty .

While many parents are still trying to wrap their heads around their kids’ sudden obsession with skin care and the moral quandary posed by purchasing pricy potions for a nine-year-old, the so-called #KidsAtSephora trend doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. And, while older generations may balk at the idea of preteens putting so much effort, attention, and, yes money into their skin at such a young age, Gen Alpha represents not only a more informed and connected generation than those past, but one growing up at a faster rate.

According to a 2020 analysis of global data , the average age of puberty for girls in the U.S. has been dropping by three months every decade for the last 40 years, meaning kids are experiencing hormonal changes that can lead to skin issues like acne at younger and younger ages each year. Couple that with the bombardment of marketing messaging talking about “preventative” skin care and the rise of online communities like #SkinTok, and it’s no wonder preteens are so invested in their complexions.

To help you and your preteen better navigate this confusing landscape and determine what’s hype and what’s healthy, we asked top dermatologists (who are also preteen parents) to tell us what kids in the eight to 13 range actually need for their skin and how you can be a resource for your child as they become more involved with their beauty routine.

Meet the experts

• Kavita Mariwalla , MD, a board-certified dermatologist in West Islip, New York.
• Laura Scott , MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in San Diego.
• Mona Gohara , MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale.
• Corey L. Hartman , MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, AL.

How does puberty change skin?

Depending on their age and what stage of puberty they are in, a preteen could be experiencing any number of changes in their skin. “There’s three things we need to think about in skin: One is the microbiome . The second is the barrier function and the third is sebum production,” says Kavita Mariwalla , MD, a board-certified dermatologist in West Islip, New York.

Typically those three things are functioning in harmony until children start to undergo the hormonal fluctuations that come with puberty, she says. Puberty is tracked by doctors through what’s called the Tanner stages, with studies having indicated the changes each stage has on your skin’s microbiome, the collection of microorganisms that live on its surface. “These hormones influence the production of sebum,” explains Dr. Mariwalla. “So now you go from a relative state of normalcy to an abundance of sebum.” That sebum — the so-called “bad lipids” — combine with your skin’s “good” epidermal lipids to create dysfunction of your skin’s barrier function, says Dr. Mariwalla. “When you produce a ton of sebum, what flourishes is cutibacterium acnes — it goes from low levels to very high levels,” she notes.

The result, over those five stages of puberty, can be varying degrees of acne breakouts . And while historically those breakouts were not emerging until kids were in their early teens, dermatologists are noticing younger patients coming to them with instances of acne. Laura Scott , MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in San Diego, says she gets messages on social media from parents of kids as young as 10 who are starting to experience breakouts: “I do think that’s driving some of the insecurities that young people are starting to face because now they are struggling with changes in their skin at an earlier age.”

What is the ideal tween skin-care routine?

With so many options available, it can be confusing for parents to know what’s appropriate and safe for their kids’ skin. While many parents are familiar with the ingredients and products that are effective for their adult complexions, deciphering what brands and products are right for preteens isn’t always an obvious choice. For those struggling to cut through the marketing noise, Mona Gohara , MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale, says to remember that skin is an organ. “It deserves health, it deserves attention,” she says. “There are basic things that you should be doing — whether you’re five or 85 — like cleansing , moisturizing, and applying sunscreen . Those are the basic tenets of skin health, and skin health is something that I don’t have a problem with a young person taking ownership of. It’s like good dental hygiene.”

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Ulta Beauty

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Body and Face Lotion

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Dr. Scott advises a simple, efficacious routine with an emphasis on gentle formulations. “The best [products] are the things that are essentially setting up good habits for the future,” says Dr. Scott. That means a gentle, non-stripping cleanser, a lightweight moisturizer, and a mineral sunscreen , which is less likely to cause sensitivity than chemical formulations.

By Aliza Kelly

By Nicola Dall'Asen

By Elizabeth Siegel

Within those buckets, preteens can experiment with textures such as gels, creams, and lotions. “When you get into trouble is when you start incorporating things like an oil and emollients that are thick and heavy like an ointment, because if you do have acne, then you’re going to have issues,” says Corey L. Hartman , MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, AL. For preteens with acne, Dr. Scott recommends a salicylic acid cleanser and, if that doesn’t help, consider potentially adding a topical retinol treatment like Differin into their routine.

The Inkey List

The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment

Should tweens use active ingredients.

While active ingredients like retinoids , acids , and antioxidants may be seen as essential in adult skin-care routines, it’s a completely different story when it comes to preteens. Adults use these potent ingredients to help their skin act younger by shedding dead skin cells, promoting cellular regeneration, and boosting collagen and elastin production, says Dr. Gohara. Children don’t need them because their skin is already functioning at its optimal efficiency.

“I don’t think an eight-year-old should be using a retinoid or salicylic acid or glycolic acid if they don’t have acne,” Dr. Gohara says. “I would tell a 40-year-old to do that because their skin isn’t exfoliating as much and isn’t producing as much collagen, so there’s a reason to boost those biological functions. But in a young person, their skin is exfoliating itself, their fibroblasts — which make collagen — are in overdrive and [their skin] is happy and plump, so they don’t need that.”

Some collagen-boosting ingredients, like peptides , won’t hurt the skin of preteens, but they won’t have a benefit that justifies the price tag. Other ingredients aren’t just superfluous, but can actually cause trouble. Using vitamin C , for instance, runs the risk of causing increased sensitivity in preteen skin, says Dr. Mariwalla. “I can’t imagine there’s some eight-year-old running around that needs that degree of antioxidant on their skin,” says Dr. Mariwalla. “Their skin does not have so much free radical or pollution exposure. Skin that is in the eight to 11-year-old range is perfectly functioning and healthy.”

Ultimately, for preteens, “there’s no need for a lot of extra ingredients,” says Dr. Hartman. “They just need hydration.” He points to ceramides (“good to restore the skin barrier”), hyaluronic acid , and niacinamide as ingredients to look for.

For kids just starting out on their skin-care journeys, the temptation to experiment with new products and ingredients can be irresistible, but Dr. Gohara warns parents to proceed with caution and opt for a slow and steady approach instead. “I think the most important thing is to not hop around from product to product because that’s a recipe for irritation,” she explains. “I’m seeing young people come in and they have a lot of perioral dermatitis . And the first thing I ask them is ‘What are you using?’ and they rattle off all these different things I would have never had access to as an eight-year-old that they can just have their parents take them to Sephora [to get].” Perioral dermatitis is a form of rosacea that presents as red bumps around the eyes or mouth; Dr. Gohara is also seeing young patients with contact dermatitis, allergic dermatitis, and acne brought on by their product experimentation. “Once you start deviating from a basic skin routine, that’s how you get these little skin grenades of inflammation,” she says. This can be especially detrimental for children with more melanin content in their skin, notes Dr. Hartman. “These kids might as well learn at an early age that high melanin makes you more susceptible to having issues like hyperpigmentation when you have breakouts and inflammatory reactions.”

How can preteens build healthy skin habits?

One of the most important things any parent can do with their preteen, especially one who is showing an interest in their skin, is to create a dialogue around healthy skin habits. Many parents may have a knee-jerk negative reaction to their child’s interest in what might seem like an adult practice, but as Dr. Gohara points out, it only benefits them as they get older. “It’s really good that kids’ attention is heightened to skin health,” she says. “The first freckle that a two or three-year-old gets is the first sign of aging. And once that skin cell is damaged enough to produce a freckle, you know that area is vulnerable to things like skin cancer . The sooner you learn to protect yourself, the better off you will be later in life.”

Dr. Scott notes that creating moments together with your child to practice your skin-care routines can function as both an educational and bonding exercise for parents and preteens. “I’ve got four daughters — ages 3, 6, 8, and 10 — and we do spa days all the time,” she says. “They’re not super crazy into skin care, but they appreciate my routine. I don’t necessarily want them to copy that yet, but we do have fun with a spa day where we’ll light a candle and all put a sort of mask on. But that should just be for fun. It’s never ‘Your face looks like XYZ, we must do this.’” Just be sure you are choosing gentle, hydrating masks — look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides — and avoiding anything that says brightening or peeling, she notes.

If you are having trouble getting your child excited about a simple routine or using products that aren’t trendy on social media, Dr. Gohara says to take a mix-and-match approach, blending things they love with things they need. “To increase compliance, put their favorite products next to the ones you really want them to use,” she advises. “My sons have their skin care next to their can't-do-without cologne that goes on every morning.” Or, buy them one tween-appropriate item from a brand they love and create the rest of their routine from derm-approved brands for their age group.

And, while we all might have heard some good-natured jokes about Sephora looking more like a daycare than a beauty store these days, some, like Dr. Mariwalla, believe that Gen Alpha’s interest in skin care can have a positive impact on their self-esteem. “Teens are starting to normalize normal skin,” says Dr. Mariwalla. “They’re starting to be body positive about the normal function of skin, and that blemishes and pore sizes are normal to have. I think it's empowering for them to take ownership of how they want to look. Far too often, teens feel self conscious and want to hide. So if they feel that doing a skin-care routine brings them a sense of control over their bodies and makes them feel more confident, I'm all for it.”

Read more about skin-care ingredients:

• What Do All of Those Unpronounceable Words on Your Products' Ingredient Lists Mean?
• 9 Skin-Care Ingredient Pairings You Should Completely Avoid
• Why Are These 6 Beauty Ingredients Banned in California?

Watch Jennifer Garner react to TikTok trends:

Follow Allure on   Instagram and   TikTok , or   subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.

Allure Daily Beauty Blast

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Allure. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Allure Editors

By Jennifer Hussein

By Fiorella Valdesolo

By Kara Nesvig

• PlayStation 5
• PlayStation VR2
• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation Store
• PlayStation Plus
• Portuguese (Br)
• Spanish (LatAm)
• Spanish (EU)
• Traditional Chinese

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: 5 spoiler-free tips

Returning Tarnished, equip yourself with this guide to the massive new expansion, out tomorrow.

Rise, Tarnished. Your time has come again. After a long wait, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree launches tomorrow on PS5 and PS4. With a massive new world to explore, weapons to be found, skills to master and, of course, bosses to face, FromSoftware’s latest expansion could seem like a daunting undertaking. But fear not, Tarnished, as our tips – spoiler-free and covering the first few hours – will help set you on the right path. To begin, a crucial step: what’s required to enter the Shadow Realm.

Entering the Shadow Realm

If you’ve ever played a FromSoftware expansion, you’ll know that gaining access is never a straightforward process. Shadow of the Erdtree continues this tradition. In order to enter the Shadow Realm, you’ll need to complete a few tasks in the base game. On your journey through the Lands Between, you’ll firstly need to have defeated Starscourge Radahn, a notoriously challenging boss. To face him, traverse Redmane Castle in Caelid during the Radahn Festival and take the elevator down to fight him on the beach. You’ll also have to have bested Mohg, Lord of Blood. He can be found at Mohgwyn Palace, reached by following Varré’s questline or using a Waygate hidden in the Consecrated Snowfield. Mohg is known for being a particularly tough fight, but other Tarnished have been setting up summon spots next to the battle to help shepherd fighters through and open the DLC. At the back of the Mohg boss arena you’ll discover Miquella’s cocoon. If both foes have been conquered (and expansion downloaded) a new interaction option will appear when you stand by the cocoon. Accept, and you’ll enter the Shadow Realm and begin your journey into the Shadow of the Erdtree.

Navigating the world

If you put dozens of hours into Elden Ring’s base game, it’s easy to forget that you originally had to collect map fragments in order to build up a picture of the world around you. In Shadow of the Erdtree, this feature returns, meaning when you first enter the Shadow Realm, your map will be blacked out, with one exception; a single bright spot somewhere in the darkness. One of your first objectives should be to navigate to this point, where you will find a map fragment beneath a tall obelisk. Collecting this will reveal the region’s map, but be warned — Shadow of the Erdtree’s world design uses verticality on a scale unlike almost anything seen in the Lands Between, meaning there is still so much more to be discovered – both above and below – what the map can show you. This world is dense with secrets, so be sure to explore every nook and cranny. You’ll no doubt be rewarded with weapons, spells and items for your effort.

Making friends and enemies

The starting area of the Shadow Realm is full of friendly (and not-so-friendly) characters who can help fill you in on the story, point you in the direction of hidden areas, send you on missions or challenge you to a duel.  You’ll come meet warriors, tribesmen, worshipers and devotees among others within your first hour or so of gameplay. Speaking to them, bringing them items they require, or taking the correct action in front of them can help progress their story arc within the overall narrative. And of course, they may reward you with items, join you as companions in battle and more.

Using Shadow Realm Blessings

While you can still level up your character as before, within the Shadow Realm, character progression comes in the form of special blessings. Two new consumables, Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, can be found around the world and used at a Site of Grace to buff your character and their skills, so seeking them out during your first few hours is a worthwhile endeavor. 

Scadutree Fragments: These increase both damage negation and attack power for your character, meaning you receive less damage from enemy attacks and deal more with your own. Revered Spirit Ashes: These have a similar purpose but apply to your Spirit Ashes, granting your summons more survivability and power, so you can beef up your Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche before facing that next boss. (Other Spirit Ashes are available…) Note that both of these special blessings only apply to the Shadow Realm, and therefore will have no effect in the base game.

Managing new discoveries

Like all FromSoftware games, Elden Ring is chock-full of items and consumables, some useful, others mysterious. Alongside Shadow of the Erdtree, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team have introduced a new quality of life feature that allows you to more easily explore the recent commodities you’ve discovered on your adventure. This new feature, which is turned off as standard, will highlight new pick-ups with a “!” in your inventory, making it easier to survey your collection. It also offers an optional Recent Items Tab, where everything you’ve found recently is collated into one easy-to-understand menu. Both of these features make it simpler to uncover the use of the many new items in Shadow of the Erdtree, but the choice of whether to use them or the original system is entirely yours. If you wish to turn these features on, they can be found under the Display section of the Settings menu. Here you can turn on either Mark New Items or Show Recent Items Tab, or use both together.

These tips should help you enter the Shadow Realm and make smooth progress during your first few hours. But there is still so much to be discovered when Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree launches tomorrow, June 21.

Did you like this? Like this

Join the Conversation

But don't be a jerk!

Please be kind, considerate, and constructive. Report inappropriate comments to [email protected]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Trending Stories

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 hits PS5 on October 25

Valerie Lee Editorial Manager, Activision

Astro Bot hands-on report

Tim Turi (he/him) Content Communications Manager, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Monster Hunter Wilds interview: How Capcom is evolving its apex franchise

Brett Elston Senior Manager, Content Communications, Sony Interactive Entertainment

LEGO Horizon Adventures hands-on report

Kristen Zitani (she/her) Content Communications Specialist, Sony Interactive Entertainment

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for April: Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, Skul: The Hero Slayer

Adam Michel Director, Content Acquisition & Operations, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 arrives only on PS5 October 20, Collector’s & Digital Deluxe Editions detailed

James Stevenson Community Director, Insomniac Games

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for June + PS5 Game Streaming news update for Premium members

Nick Maguire VP, Global Services, Global Sales and Business Operations, SIE

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup for February: Horizon Forbidden West, The Quarry, Resident Evil 7 biohazard and more

Please enter your date of birth.

Sorry, you may not access this content..