We have encountered so far two uses of personal presentation. One of them became more common in the past years, as the freelancing scene is burgeoning.
As you guessed, the personal presentation is used by freelancers as an extended business card. It includes the services the freelancers provide, their work process, recommendations, and any relevant information they want to share with potential clients. But we will discuss this in a further article.
In this article, we will cover the other use of the Personal Presentation, also known as the Interview Presentation, as a part of the hiring process for middle – senior positions. You reached a point in your career when a simple interview or CV is not enough to fully convey your potential. So, this is where a personal presentation comes in.
Giving a presentation will let you showcase your public speaking skills, knowledge about the position you are applying for, and the field you are working in. This will also help potential employers to better understand the value you are to bring to the company.
Reaching this level in your career comes with high expectations, and the classic PowerPoint templates won’t do you good. There is always the option of going with solid white background and standard font, but take into consideration the aesthetics of the organization. Or choose to work with a specialist that will highlight your attributes and channel your personality.
1. Cover slide
The first impression matters and we are not talking only about your physical appearance, but also your digital one. No one is judging you for how you look or how you dress, it all varies from company to company. Yes, you do need to give your best professional appearance and your presentation alike.
Employers can tell from the cover slide how much interest you put in the presentation. Make a first impression that lasts, get their attention from the beginning, and don’t let go.
You can also download some cover slide templates from here:
2. About me (similar to CV, the most important info)
Your audience has already seen your application, and your CV, they probably went through your social accounts such as Linkedin. This is the time to paint them a picture of yourself, and how you want them to see you from now on, both on a professional and personal level.
In a middle-senior position, some personal details are essential to creating a bond, as the employer is looking for someone that they can work with, that they can bring into the team.
Don’t go into specific details in this part, you are going to talk about your career, achievements, and skills later.
3. Career (where have you worked and what have you done there)
As in a CV, there is no need to present all the jobs you had had. Choose those who are relevant to the job you are applying and if you are specifically fond of one, you can mention it.
Pick 3 or 4 previous positions, mention the company you worked for, and from there you can extend to your main responsibilities and key learnings. It is important to present them as part of your story, not just bullets on the slide and we also recommend making a connection between those positions and the one you are applying for.
4. Achievements and Training
This can be a slide or two slides sections. To differentiate yourself from other candidates, ensure the achievements you are listing focus on the results rather than your duties. Quantify your achievements through specific situations and the results you gained.
You don’t need to brag about yourself, but most people forget that they also need to sell themselves (their results and their knowledge) in this personal presentation. Put out those achievements that would apply to the job and can even enter scenarios on how those situations can help you in the new job.
5. Skill Set
This is about you, about the skills that you worked to get. Again, it’s not about just listing the skills you have, bringing out examples, and experience, and telling on how you acquired that skill.
Before making out this list, research a few things about the company, what are they looking for in employees, what the job will require of you and what are the values of the company. This way it will come easier when presenting the skills that you have and that will help you with the new position.
6. Experience in the position applying
It’s not just the previous jobs you have, it’s the experiences you got from them. So rather than presenting the old jobs, talk about specific projects/situations that would apply to this one.
Talk about what happened, how you handled it, what were the results, and what have you learned from there. Ask yourself first how will this help me in the position that I am applying for. When you figured that out, the presentation will go smoother.
7. Your added value to the company
With all the experience you have and the research done on the company and the job, this is the time to tell your interviewers what is your vision of the company.
Using the skills you presented, explain how can you be an asset to them and what value will you add to the company.
8. First actions on the job
All the stories have built up the person standing right now in front of the committee. What they want to know now is what actions you would take if you got the position. Don’t go after some revolutionary actions, keep your feet on the ground and analyze what are the needs of the company and what can you do about them.
For every action you put on the presentation, think of the small steps and the resources you need to do that action. As a follow-up to this slide, have prepared a few notes with the results you are expecting from them.
9. Final statement
The final statement needs to be a strong selling point, you can point out some of the skills and experience. Put all of this in a way that will bring benefits to the company.
Why you are the best candidate for this position and how will that bring value to the company?
10. References & Contact Info
Ask a previous employer for a short recommendation, remember to mention the name and the position of the author. The other references can be on your CV, and in this slide have just one written recommendation that is relevant for the job.
You arrived at the final slide, inviting your audience to a small Q&A while the reference is still displayed. They already have your contact info, but it’s recommended to put it on the final slide. Have the presentation ready to be sent to the committee if necessary.
Before preparing or delivering a personal presentation, consider these tips:
- As you have seen in the article, we mention a lot that the information you put in the presentation is relevant to the job you are applying for;
- Research the company and the job;
- Keep in mind that your physical and digital appearance can denote how much you have prepared for this interview and how much you want the position;
- You don’t need to be a presentation designer, you can always keep it simple. Though, avoid using regular templates, and personalize the presentation to your aspect;
- Have the presentation ready to be delivered before the interview.
We can always help you prepare the specific presentation and you can take your time to prepare for the interview. Send us a message and let’s talk about you!
For more tips on preparing presentations and free templates subscribe to our newsletter.