how to prepare for a blind presentation interview

Interview presentation: A comprehensive guide

Learn how to create an interview presentation. This guide covers everything from planning and research to design and delivery.

Raja Bothra

Building presentations

Table of contents

Welcome to the world of job interviews, where your ability to communicate effectively can make or break your chances of landing that dream job. One of the most daunting aspects of the interview process is the dreaded interview presentation .

But fear not! In this comprehensive guide, we'll demystify the art of giving a stellar interview presentation, ensuring you ace your interview and leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager .

What is an interview presentation?

Let's start with the basics. An interview presentation is a key component of many job interviews. It's your opportunity to showcase your skills, knowledge, and suitability for the role in a structured and engaging manner. This typically involves creating slides using tools like powerpoint and delivering a brief talk on a specific topic relevant to the position you're applying for.

What employers look for in an interview presentation

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of preparing your presentation, let's understand what employers are seeking when they ask you to give a presentation during a job interview. Here are some key factors they'll be evaluating:

• Content of your presentation : Your presentation should be tailored to the role and demonstrate your understanding of the company, industry, and its challenges.
• Delivery skills : Your ability to convey information clearly, confidently, and engagingly is crucial. Maintaining eye contact with the interviewer is essential for building rapport.
• Visual aids : Effective use of visual aids , such as slides with appropriate font and font size , can enhance your presentation's impact.
• Body language : Paying attention to your body language is a must. A positive and well-structured presentation is important, but so is the way you deliver it.
• Relevance : Ensure that every part of your presentation relates directly to the job and the company's goals. Avoid going off-topic.

How to prepare your interview presentation

Now, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of preparing your interview presentation. Follow these steps to ensure you're well-prepared:

1. Research the Company

Before you even think about creating slides, delve deep into understanding the company. You'll want to make sure your presentation demonstrates that you've thoroughly researched the company and its industry.

2. Choose a Topic

Once you have a good grasp of the company's background, choose a presentation topic that aligns with the job you're applying for. It should help the company achieve its goals.

3. Develop Your Presentation

Now it's time to start developing your presentation. Here are some tips:

• Keep the slides short and focused on the key points.
• Stay within the allocated time for your presentation.
• Ensure your presentation has a clear structure with a beginning, middle, and end.

4. Rehearse

Practice your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the content and timing. This will help you feel more confident when delivering it.

5. Make Eye Contact

During your presentation, make eye contact with the interviewer. This shows your engagement and helps build a connection.

6. Ask for Feedback

Before the interview, ask a friend or family member to review your presentation and provide feedback. This can help you identify areas for improvement.

Do’s and don'ts of an interview presentation

To help you navigate the process smoothly, let's go over some do’s and don'ts when it comes to interview presentations:

• Tailor your presentation : Customize your content to align with the company's goals and the role you're seeking.
• Stay positive : Maintain a positive demeanor throughout your presentation.
• Cut out the least relevant : Ensure your presentation stays focused on the most important information.

Don'ts:

• Overwhelm with information : Avoid cramming too much information into your slides.
• Read from slides : Don't simply read your slides verbatim. Your slides should complement your spoken words.
• Lack of preparation : Never wing an interview presentation. Thoroughly prepare and deliver to the best of your ability.

Summarizing key takeaways

• An interview presentation involves creating slides and delivering a talk.
• Employers assess content, delivery skills, visual aids, and relevance.
• Prepare by researching, choosing a relevant topic, and rehearsing.
• Do tailor your presentation, stay positive, and focus on key information.
• Don't overwhelm with information or lack preparation.
• Thorough preparation is essential for success.

1. What is the purpose of an interview presentation?

An interview presentation serves as a visual aid during your job interview. It's a chance to deliver your presentation on a specific topic, demonstrating your knowledge and suitability for the role. Employers use it to assess your ability to communicate effectively and make a positive first impression.

2. How do I prepare for an interview presentation effectively?

To prepare for an interview presentation, follow these steps:

• Research the company and industry it operates in to tailor your content.
• Choose a relevant topic in advance that aligns with the job.
• Develop a well-structured presentation with bullet points and engaging slide design.
• Rehearse to stay positive throughout your presentation and keep it within the allotted time.

3. What are some presentation tips for a job interview?

Here are some good presentation tips for a job interview:

• Practice creating presentation slides that are clear and concise, aiming for about 10 minutes in total.
• Make sure your message of your presentation is coherent and directly addresses the job requirements.
• Be aware that you may be asked to give a presentation to a potential employer at the executive level.

4. Should I bring copies of my presentation to the interview?

It's a good rule of thumb to have copies of your entire presentation on a USB stick as a backup in case of technical issues. This shows that you are prepared and can help you stay calm, especially if you receive a phone call or email to present in a different format.

5. Is it okay to create a blind presentation without knowing the interview questions in advance?

Creating a blind presentation can be challenging, but it's another way to make a presentation for an interview. While you won't know the exact questions, you can prepare by researching common interview topics and tailoring your content to meet the core competencies sought by the company.

Remember, presenting is a skill that can be honed with practice and preparation, allowing you to deliver a winning job interview presentation and increase your chances of landing that job!

Create your interview presentation with prezent

Looking for a tool to help you create an impressive interview presentation?

Consider using Prezent , a user-friendly presentation platform designed to make the process seamless and efficient. With its extensive library of slides and templates, you can save significant time while ensuring your presentation aligns perfectly with your company's brand. Real-time collaboration ensures you can get input from colleagues or mentors, and you can personalize your presentation to tailor it to the specific role or skills you want to highlight.

Plus, Prezent's overnight presentation service is a game-changer for meeting tight deadlines, ensuring you have a polished presentation in your inbox by the next business day. Prezent streamlines the process of creating interview presentations by providing an array of resources and tools, allowing you to save time, maintain brand consistency, and present your ideas effectively. It's a comprehensive solution that can help you shine during your interview.

In conclusion, while the prospect of delivering a winning interview presentation can be nerve-wracking, thorough preparation and following these guidelines can significantly boost your chances of landing the job. So, practice, rehearse, and remember, your interview presentation is your time to shine!

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Tips to nail your interview presentation

Are you giving a presentation at an upcoming job interview? Presentations are stressful for a lot of people, but they don’t need to be. This guide will help you with how to give a presentation at an interview – with confidence.

The first thing to do is find out what kind of presentation you’ll be giving. Sometimes it’ll be a ‘blind presentation’, which means you’ll be given the topic on the same day as your interview and have minimal time to prepare. In other cases, the company will give you a subject in advance or ask you to pick a topic. Sometimes the subject will be relevant to your field, and other times it’ll be about an ethical or theoretical scenario.

Whatever kind of presentation you’ll be giving, here are our top interview presentation tips:

Start strong

Structure your presentation, think about the style of your presentation, pay attention to details, prepare for potential questions.

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Research the company you’re interviewing and the topic you’re giving the presentation on (if you know it). If possible, research the interviewers too.

Research will help you do a better job and prepare you for any follow-up questions.

If you’re allowed to pick your presentation subject, use your research to choose something that your interviewers are interested in.

Make notes on what you find out and bring them to your interview. Having pre-prepared notes is a game-changer if your interviewer assigns you an on-the-day presentation task.

A good impression is important. You want to win over the interviewers and make sure that they remember you. A strong opening line will help you stand out from the other candidates. An opening line that addresses the audience works well. Starting like this draws the listener in and makes them engage with your presentation.

A lot of presentations fall flat if they’re too muddled to follow. You want your presentation to tell a story, so this means having one idea per slide and progressing as you go.

Don't give a conclusion to your findings at the start. Your audience should follow you on the journey you experienced while researching, so no spoilers! Give your audience a problem or a premise first, then evidence in small segments (one per slide) and, finally, reveal your conclusion.

A professional presentation should be neat. Any slides you’re using need to be organised and easy to follow. Don't have too much text on each slide and pick your illustrations carefully. Avoid anything irrelevant to what you’re talking about.

If you’re building your presentation in PowerPoint, use the Designer function and SmartArt Graphics. Theming your presentation colours to match the logo colours of the company you’re interviewing is a nice touch.

Be careful of slip-ups that make your presentation look sloppy. So, check for spelling and 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. Your friends and family will be able to spot errors and typos.

Preparation is vital for interviews and doubly so for presentations. Do multiple practice run-throughs to make sure that you’ll be comfortable when it comes to the real thing.

Your first practice runs are to check that your presentation will fit in the allocated time without rushing or waffling to fill time. Once you’ve got your timings right, practise in front of someone else. Delivering your presentation to other people will help you get more confident speaking to an audience. Take on feedback from your practice audience, as they’ll let you know if anything was unclear.

Your interviewers will almost certainly ask you questions after your presentation. These questions will be about your presentation or you as a person and your application. Prepare for all likely questions by thinking about what the interviewers will ask you. Encourage your practice audiences to ask questions as they’ll potentially say things you didn't expect.

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.

It’s easier said than done but try to relax. There’ll be an obvious difference in how well you do the presentation depending on whether you’re stressed or relaxed. Practice will boost your confidence, so being well-rehearsed should ease some nerves.

Take the time to prepare your presentation materials, your outfit and anything else you need the night before your interview. Advanced preparation stops you from being in too much of a rush the next day. Plus, you’ll be able to sleep knowing everything’s in order.

Before you head off to your interview, consider meditation and breathing exercises.

If you’ve taken on our tips, be confident that you’ll ace your presentation.

Interview presentations are sometimes scary. But, 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. Practise so that you’re familiar with what you’re saying and ready to give the presentation in front of an audience.

Need more advice? Check out some of our interview help:

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