You might not think of a job interview as a presentation, but it’s actually one of the most important presentations you’ll ever give. Job interviews are essentially personal presentations of you—your best qualities and attributes, and what you can contribute to a company.
That said, it’s really helpful to work on developing a few essential presentation skills so that you can be sure to nail your next interview. If you master the following three skills, then you’re well on your way to securing that dream job.
Know Your Audience
Every great presenter knows that a keen understanding of the audience—their desires, interests, and demographic—is critical to delivering an excellent presentation. That’s because it enables a presenter to focus on the information that’s most important to the audience and speak to what moves and drives them.
The same concept applies to a job interview. Before your interview, make sure you have a strong understanding of what the company does, its history, who the key players are, and an idea of its future. Additionally, you should do similar research on the person interviewing you, if possible. Check out their LinkedIn profile, their work and education background, and any common connections you might have in order to build a stronger rapport.
Display a Confident Posture
Your posture is a powerful, science-backed way to improve your confidence and presence. In fact, according to research, a strong, confident posture increases testosterone, a hormone attributed to power and confidence, while lowering cortisol, your stress hormone. That’s why you’ll always see the best presenters with their chin up, shoulders back, and standing tall.
And when do you need a boost of confidence more than before a big interview? If you want a posture and confidence booster before your next interview, then strike a power pose. In her research, communication expert, Amy Cuddy, found that when people stand with their hands on their hips for two minutes prior to an important event, then they display significantly more power and confidence than if they didn’t.
Be Concise and Straightforward
A concise, straightforward presentation is absolutely critical to its success. Not only is a long, meandering presentation painful to sit through, but it also makes it really difficult to digest, understand, and relate to the information being given. And the same goes for an interview.
Before your interview, be sure to have a strong and clear understanding of the key attributes and qualities that set you apart from other candidates, as well as what, specifically, you can contribute to the company. A good trick to be sure you’re on target is to come up with an elevator pitch about yourself—if you only had a minute to describe your value to someone, what would you say?
Want to learn more about how presentation skills propel you forward in life? Then check out Ethos3’s Catapult Training.
