Presentations
Presentations are very common at assessment centres. They give candidates a chance to show their presentation skills which will be important in the workplace.
They also let assessors see that you can:
- pick out the most important information from a large amount of material
- adapt what you say to suit your audience
- communicate your main message clearly and concisely
- stay calm and organised under pressure
It’s possible to prepare, even if the topic won’t be revealed until the day of the assessment centre. Get familiar with the building blocks of a good presentation on this page before heading to the case studies section for specific advice on how to tackle scenario-based presentation tasks.
An employer's perspective
When our people present technical content to customers, it's important that everyone in the room understands.
One purpose of the presentation task at our assessment centre is therefore to test candidates' ability to make the complex accessible.
The best presentations that we see demonstrate that candidates have actively engaged with the subject matter and thought about how the knowledge and skills that they’ve gained – both on and off their courses – could be applied to real-world scenarios.
Nicola Wild, HR Business Partner at Romax Technology
How should I plan my presentation?
How should I structure my presentation? Use Graduates First's resources
This simple framework can be applied to almost any presentation brief:
- Content - outline the structure of your presentation.
- What? - why are you delivering the presentation? Give your audience the context.
- So what? Depending on the task, either: give your recommendations, backed-up with evidence OR outline your proposed process, method and timeline.
- Now what? Finish with two or three key points or ‘next steps’ that you want your audience to think about and remember.
Expect to be asked questions about the content of your presentation. Assessors want to hear you justify your logic, but be careful not to appear totally inflexible. If new information comes to light, you should be prepared to alter your position.
Graduates First
Graduates First has some useful resources to help with your preparations. Use the presentation exercises and instructor guidelines together. They show what employers look for in good candidates.
How do I deliver my presentation?
This isn’t about ‘wowing’ with TED-worthy presentation skills; focus on doing the basics well:
- Be clear on the key points you want to make before starting. If you’re worried about forgetting them, use cue cards.
- Make roughly even amounts of eye contact with everyone in the room.
- Inject energy into your voice to emphasise key points and keep your audience engaged.
- Embrace pauses; people’s brains need time to absorb information.
It’s a good idea to practice presenting, even if you haven’t been set your task in advance. You can use the resources from Graduates First (see above) or you could design your own topic to present on.
Try practising your presentation in front of others such as friends, family or a career adviser, and ask for feedback. You could also attend one of our Career Essentials sessions on this topic to practice with your peers.This should help you to feel more at ease when you present at the assessment centre.
Luke Lynch, Careers Adviser, gives his top tips on how to deliver an effective presentation during the recruitment process.
Top tips to remember on the day
1. Conduct thorough research.
Whether you know your presentation topic ahead of time or receive it on the day, it’s important to gather relevant information, facts, and statistics, and familiarise yourself with the subject. If the topic is assigned on the day, the employer will often provide resources or let you research online.
Since your presentation time is limited, focus on the most important points. Remember, most people only include a small portion of their research in the final presentation.
2. Use resources available to you
If you are set the presentation in advance then make sure you read the instructions carefully and clarify the resources you can use. If the presentation is set on the day, then you may not have access to digital resources.
Again, take time to absorb the information given to you and make good use of the resources you are provided/allowed to use.
3. Know the timings
Keeping to time is fundamental. Whether it be planning time or the allocated delivery time of your presentation. If you are set the presentation on the day, then it’s a good idea to take time to plan how you will use your time ahead of jumping in.
It’s also incredibly important that you keep to time during your presentation. Not only does this show the employer that you have good time management skills, it also shows that you are respectful of others and that you can follow instructions.
4. Practice
Practice really does make perfect! Obviously if you are set your presentation in advance then you will have plenty of time to practice. If you are set the topic on the day, then don’t forget to factor practice time into your planning.
Use the How To: Analyse, Hone and Rehearse Your PowerPoint presentation from the University's Digital Transformations Hub
Watch this video for PowerPoint design inspiration