Seven tips for wowing an employer during the presentation round

October 27, 8:48 AMEntry Level Careers ExaminerHeather Huhman

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If you think interviewing is tough, what are your thoughts about when an employer asks you to come back and give a presentation to a group of employees? Although this is typically limited to highly-technical fields, such as engineering, you just never know when a hiring manager wants to see your communication and strategic thinking skills in action.

Here are some tips to help you get past this round:

1. Know your audience. Are you speaking to supervisors only or also your future colleagues? You’ll want to tailor your presentation based on who’s listening. After all, just because attendance is mandatory doesn’t mean they aren’t part of the evaluation process.

2. Prepare handouts—and make sure you have enough for everyone. Ask approximately how many people will be attending your presentation, and prepare enough handouts for each of them. Leave-behinds are essential when giving this type of presentation because they encourage the audience to take notes and give them something to reference when reviewing your performance afterward. Also, be sure to include your contact information in case someone who hasn’t seen your résumé wants to ask questions later!

3. Ask what equipment will be provided. Will you have a projector and screen for a PowerPoint presentation, or will you just be standing up there unassisted? Before you even begin to prepare, this is critical information to have as it will impact your presentation greatly.

4. Understand the expected length of the presentation. Again, crucial to know before you tackle the actual presentation. There is a big difference between 10 minutes and 45!

5. Spend just as much time on the visual aspect as the actual content. There’s no need for 100 different types of wipes and fades, but your presentation should be attractive and appealing to the audience.

6. Practice, practice, practice. Although it is acceptable to have note cards to help guide you, you’re going to want to know your presentation well enough to not rely on them. Ask family members and friends to sit through your presentation a few times and provide feedback for how it could be improved.

7. Bring a bottle of cold water. While I don’t get nervous while speaking anymore, I certainly get “dry mouth syndrome”! I strongly recommend having a bottle of water close by in case this happens to you.

For more career advice, visit my new blog at HeatherHuhman.com.