8 tips to nail your interview presentation

Have you got to give an interview presentation as part of your application and interviews for a new job? Presentations can be a stressful and intimidating part of the interview process for a lot of people, but it doesn't need to be.

The first thing is to find out what kind of presentation you have to make. Sometimes you will be asked to do a blind presentation. This means that you will be given the topic on the same day as your interview and you will be given minimal time to prepare. In other cases, the company might give you a subject or ask you to pick a subject. Sometimes this will be a relevant subject to your field, but sometimes it will be about an ethical or theoretical scenario.

Whatever kind of presentation you have to give, here are our top interview presentation tips.

• Research
• Start strong
• Structure your presentation
• Think about the style of your presentation
• Pay attention to the details
• Practise
• Prepare for potential questions
• Relax and smile
• Summary

1. Research

Research is the key to all interviews. You should research the company you are interviewing with alongside the topic you are asked to give the presentation on. If you can, try to research the interviewers as well. You can always work this into questions you want to ask and it helps prepare you for what kind of questions to expect. If you are allowed to pick your presentation subject, you can also pick something that you know the interviewers will be interested in.

You should make notes of what you find out and bring these into the interview for you to refer back to.

2. Start strong

A good impression is important. You want to win over the interviewers, and you want to make sure that they remember you. A strong start and a good opening line can help make sure that you stand out over the other candidates who are doing presentations. Some examples of good opening lines are things that address the audience - this helps to draw the listener in and makes them engage with the subject of your presentation.

3. Structure your presentation

A lot of presentations fall flat when they are too muddled to follow. Instead, you want your presentation to tell a story. This means having one idea per slide and progressing as you go. Don't give a conclusion to your findings at the start. You want to make sure that the audience follows you on the journey you experienced while researching. Give them a problem or a premise first, then evidence in small segments, one per slide and, finally, give them your conclusion and overall findings.

4. Think about the style of your presentation

A professional presentation is a neat presentation. Any slides you are using should be organised and easy to follow. Don't have too much text on each slide and pick your illustrations carefully. You want to avoid anything that makes it unclear what you are talking about, as well as anything offputting. If you are building your presentation in PowerPoint you can use the Designer function and SmartArt Graphics to help. You can also theme your presentation colours to the logo colours of the company you are interviewing with.

5. Pay attention to details

You want to avoid any little details that could make your presentation look lazy or poorly made. This means checking for spelling errors, spacing errors, font changes, and off-centre graphics. It's always a good idea to get someone else to read through your slides and your notes for errors and typos.

6. Practise

Preparation is vital for interviews and doubly so for presentations. You should always do multiple practice run-throughs to make sure that you are comfortable when it comes to the actual interview. Your first practice runs should just be to make sure that you can give the presentation in the allocated time without having to rush or add too many long pauses. Later practices should be in front of someone else (or multiple people if possible) so that you are more comfortable giving the presentation to an audience. It's also a great idea to take on feedback from your practice audience, as they might be able to help make sure that you are clear and concise.

7. Prepare for potential questions

You will almost certainly be asked questions after your presentation. These questions could be about the material in the presentation but also about you as a person and your general application. It's important to prepare for these questions. Try to anticipate what you could be asked. Think of the most common questions people might have about the subject, as well as other questions around the subject — especially if it overlaps with what the company does. This is another part where asking for feedback from others can be helpful, as they might have questions that you didn't expect. Of course, if an interviewer asks a question you don't know the answer to, don't lie and try to make up an answer. Be honest if you don't know something about the subject.

Read: How to tackle face-to-face, phone and video interviews.

8. Relax and smile

There will be an obvious difference in how well you do the presentation depending on whether you are stressed or relaxed. Make sure you get your practice in beforehand. Then, the night before the interview, prepare your presentation materials as well as your outfit and anything else you need. This will make sure that you are not in too much of a rush the next day. It's also worth looking at meditation and breathing exercises to help calm yourself. You should also try to smile and look confident to help give off a good first impression.

Summary

Interview presentations can be scary and it can be hard to know how to do a presentation for a job interview. However, with the right preparation, they don't need to be. Make sure you know your subject and have a presentation with a strong start that progresses naturally to a conclusion. Practice so that you are fully ready to give the presentation in front of an audience.

Need more advice? Check out our guides on what to wear to an interview and how to make the most of video interview practice.