Nine tips for a better presentation
Q: They’ve asked me to do a 12-minute presentation at a job interview next week. The presentation will focus on the challenges I see for the sector (car sales) in the years ahead. I have very little experience of this kind of thing – the interview is for the position of financial controller. Where would […]
Practice makes perfect in business pitch
Q: My company has announced a competition to find the most entrepreneurial staff member. There is a tidy cash prize, and it would be great for my career if I could win. I have a good business idea, which taps into a need I have spotted from my involvement in rallying, but I have no […]
Seven tips to make the most of your public speaking opportunity
Q: I am completing an internship at a company in a month’s time. Six of us came in on a graduate programme and I have been selected to deliver a wrap-up address at a significant company gathering. I must summarise the internship: what I learned and how I feel my future career will benefit from […]
How to zoom at your own pace
Q: The whole world is on, about to go on, or just after coming off, a Zoom call. I am far from comfortable on it and that makes me feel inadequate. My company has just announced daily group Zoom calls, as if once a week weren’t bad enough. How can I get over my fears? […]
Short title needn’t present a barrier
Q: They’ve asked me to do a ten-minute presentation at the start of the interview, but the instruction amounts to just one word: ‘Challenges’. What’s a woman meant to do with the likes of that? Hemingway wouldn’t manage to cobble together something from that title. Any tips would be appreciated. (IK, email). A: I am […]
Preparation maketh the presentation
Q: I recently applied for a promotion. I was surprised when I found out the interview process would include delivering a presentation at the start. We have been given the title of the presentation and we can use visual aids. The presentation must not exceed eight minutes. This really worries me because I am not […]
Twenty things a good MC does
Q: This might be an unusual one, but as it’s related to my career, I said I’d run it by you. Next week, I’ve been asked to act as MC for an event we are running. All our big customers will be there, and so will all our head buck cats. I want to make […]
You will go far without the PowerPoint crutch
Q: I’m going for a job next week where they have asked me to make a 15-minute presentation on my plans for the position – but they have specifically said it must be done without the use of technology. I’m not a huge PowerPoint person, but I’d like the crutch of something on the wall. […]
Want to communicate well? Speak your natural language
Q: I’ve done all the basic preparation for an upcoming interview – went over my CV, listed reasons why I’m suitable for the role, drawn out examples of career successes, researched the company’s mission and values. I’m focusing now on how to communicate what I’ve prepared. Any thoughts? (DA, email) A: A candidate said to […]
You’re the presentation – not the slideshow
Q: I’ve an interview for manager of a business incubation centre. They want me to present for ten minutes on ‘What I will achieve in the first year’ – but, and here’s the rub, they have stipulated that I can’t use PowerPoint or Prezi. Zero technology. How should I approach this? (EH, email). A: With […]