7 Presentation Skills to Give You an Edge in Your Next Job Interview - GLOBIS Insights (2024)

Awhile ago, I bumped into a former MBA student who’d just had a job interview.He said the interview had gone well, partly because he paid attention to bodylanguage, eye contact, and speaking speed—things he’d learned in a course Iteach on business presentation.

That experience—he got the job—shows how the skills that matter when delivering a presentation also matter in a job interview. Both are about persuasion, and there are seven ways presentation skills can help you nail your next interview.

1. Understand your audience

Theaudience’s needs and concerns should drive a presentation. Success lies inknowing these and finding the overlap between their needs and your call toaction (more on this in a bit).

Inan interview, that means being able to articulate the overlap between the joband your qualifications by understanding your audience. Go beyond researchingthe company by also researching the people who will interview you. Look them upon LinkedIn, check out their Twitter feeds, see what they are talking aboutonline. Try to guess what kind of questions they might ask, and prepareanswers.

Rememberthat you’re interviewing with people who want to make sure that they let theright person in the front door. Impress them and engage with them by tailoringyour storyline—and the stories you tell—to them and what they care about.

2. Tell the story of you

Aneffective presentation starts with thinking about overall structure andcreating a storyline to guide the audience towards your goal. In an interview,your interviewers are your audience.

Sitdown and think about your past work experience, passions, and interests. How havethey brought you to where you are now? Find common elements that run throughyour past, personally and professionally, noting key milestones andcrucibleexperiences.

Tie all that together to create a consistent storyline that connects the dots between your past and a future with your new company. You now have a storyline that shows why you’re the ideal candidate.

3. Create a call to action

Weend presentations with a call to action (CTA). It’s what we want our audienceto think, feel, or do after the last PowerPoint slide. Your CTA in a jobinterview boils down to “Hire me!” but you must explain why and tie it back toyour storyline.

Createyour CTA as an elevator pitch about you. Summarize your storyline, in 30seconds or less, to show why they should hire you. Just as a presenter shouldalways control the narrative and make their CTA the last thing the audience hears,end your interview with your CTA.

4. Use storytelling to make your résumé come to life

Duringan interview, you’ll be asked to give examples of your past work experience.This is where storytelling makes all the difference.

Wenaturally respond to stories. We feel more empathy for the storyteller, feelmore trust in them, and remember stories better than words or images. We showmore authenticity when telling personal stories, which makes us more believableand trustworthy. Impactful presenters tell stories, as do successful jobcandidates.

Turnsuccesses you’ve noted on your résumé or in the story of you into shortthree-act stories. Set up the situation, define the problem, and show a happyending where the main character of the story—you—overcame challenges. Prepare astory of a failure and what you learned, in case you get asked the dreaded “tellus about a time you failed” interview question.

Make those bullet points on your résumé come alive through storytelling.

5. Rehearse your interview

Effectivepresentations have been well rehearsed, and the same goes for interviews. Get afriend or colleague to run a mock interview by asking you common interviewquestions and ones that you’re likely to be asked based on your audience.Practice what you’ll say so you make any mistakes when you rehearse, not duringthe interview.

Practice introducing yourself, storytelling, and delivering your CTA. All of that will reduce any nervousness, make you look confident and prepared, and so get you ready for the big day.

6. Watch your body language

Nowyou’ve made it to the interview, which begins the moment the interviewers layeyes on you. Even before you open your mouth, they are sizing you up by yourposture, eye contact, and overall demeanor. Interviewers may make up theirminds about a candidate within as little as seven secondsof meeting them.In a presentation, the audience also judges you before you begin speaking orhave shown the first PowerPoint slide. In both situations, you must controlyour body language so that what your audience sees is confidence, poise, andpositivity.

Whenfirst meeting your interviewers, stand up straight, throw your shoulders back,and approach them with a smile and a warm greeting. Look confident, and makethat critical first impression.

Continueto show good posture when you are seated during the interview. Keep your handson the table, and if you’re anxious, clasp them together to avoid any nervousshakes or touching your face—a common sign of nervousness. Make eye contact,nod, and lean forward when the interviewers say something interesting. Show youare engaged.

Watchthe body language of your interviewers, too. Are they showing interest—or alack—in what you are saying? Adjust your performance based on the signals theygive off.

7. Control your voice

Presentersand public speakers need to have clear, strong, confident voices, and so do youwhen facing your interviewers.

Drinkwater before the interview because your voice may dry out from speaking or fromnerves. Your interviewers don’t want to hear you croaking your way through theinterview.

Watchyour speaking speed. You want your interviewers to be able to understand youranswers to their questions and have time to make notes, so make sure to pauseperiodically. Vary your speaking speed, tone, and pitch to emphasize keywords,like numbers or data that show past successes.

Presentationsare dreaded almost as much as job interviews, but excelling at both isnecessary for professional success. By seeing the connections between the two,you can approach your next presentation with more enthusiasm. By doing morepresentations, and by then getting better at presentation skills, you canapproach your next interview with more confidence and that extra edge over thecompetition.

This article originally appeared on Fast Company.