Many a time we are faced with the task of having to do a presentation and/or engage in a face to face interview(s) at an assessment centre. These are crucial elements in the selection process in order to find someone ideal for the job. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Assessment centres,take a look at my post for an overview.
PRESENTATIONS:
Remember, in giving an effective presentation, assessors are unlikely to be assessing ALL possible skills such as capacity for leadership/collaboration. Skills which will be examined include your communication,analytical abilities and sense of judgement.
This stage of the recruitment process is important as employers wish to analyse how much credibility and confidence you will have in front of a client/senior manager/ any other important stakeholder of the company.
-In preparation period always ask yourself:
1.Say what you are going to say
2. Say it
3.Say what you have said
-During your preparation period, if you are provided with visual aids (e.g. a flip chart) please use it!
-Always maintain eye contact, positive body language, and enthusiasm.
-Interact with your audience: build a rapport, interesting/topical fact/ humour them(if appropriate)
-Keep an eye on the time! break down the presentation into segments and allocate minutes accordingly.
-If you have to do a pre-prepared presentation, never memorise what you are going to say word for word!
-To capture attention of the audience,add variety to voice tone and make use of rhetorical questions
-Sudden "mind block"/you freeze unsure of what to say next - conceal this with a "Dramatic pause" !
-Strong body language when you are at the end of the presentation, i.e. "and the key take-away from this analysis is...Now that I have reached the end of my presentation I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have."
For all those introverts out there who fear public speaking, check out this great article and video featuring a
TED talk by a speaker called Susan Cain. It is worth looking at from the perspective of female presentation style - no hands in pocket, but plenty of eye contact, smiling, use of pause. It's also worth looking at if you have an introverted style - the content of her talk focuses on this issue (and is very encouraging!)
INTERVIEWS:
What do employers look for?
PRESENTATIONS:
Remember, in giving an effective presentation, assessors are unlikely to be assessing ALL possible skills such as capacity for leadership/collaboration. Skills which will be examined include your communication,analytical abilities and sense of judgement.
This stage of the recruitment process is important as employers wish to analyse how much credibility and confidence you will have in front of a client/senior manager/ any other important stakeholder of the company.
-In preparation period always ask yourself:
- who is your audience?
- what skills are they looking for?
- what is your main point?
- how long do you have?
1.Say what you are going to say
2. Say it
3.Say what you have said
-During your preparation period, if you are provided with visual aids (e.g. a flip chart) please use it!
-Always maintain eye contact, positive body language, and enthusiasm.
-Interact with your audience: build a rapport, interesting/topical fact/ humour them(if appropriate)
-Keep an eye on the time! break down the presentation into segments and allocate minutes accordingly.
-If you have to do a pre-prepared presentation, never memorise what you are going to say word for word!
-To capture attention of the audience,add variety to voice tone and make use of rhetorical questions
-Sudden "mind block"/you freeze unsure of what to say next - conceal this with a "Dramatic pause" !
-Strong body language when you are at the end of the presentation, i.e. "and the key take-away from this analysis is...Now that I have reached the end of my presentation I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have."
For all those introverts out there who fear public speaking, check out this great article and video featuring a
TED talk by a speaker called Susan Cain. It is worth looking at from the perspective of female presentation style - no hands in pocket, but plenty of eye contact, smiling, use of pause. It's also worth looking at if you have an introverted style - the content of her talk focuses on this issue (and is very encouraging!)
INTERVIEWS:
What do employers look for?
Fit
MotivationCommitment
Can you do the job?
Proof of skills/ competencies
How you present yourself
Commercial awareness
Interviews may take any one or more of the following types:
Panel, Telephone/ Skype/Competency/Motivation/ Strengths/Technical/Situational judgement/Case study/Brain teasers
Panel, Telephone/ Skype/Competency/Motivation/ Strengths/Technical/Situational judgement/Case study/Brain teasers
Question types (Depending on the interview type):
- Competency: Can you tell me about a time…
- Motivation: Why do you want to work for us?
- Strengths: What energises you more, starting or finishing a task?
- Technical: How does X impact the three financial statements?
- Situational judgement: What would you do if
Common mistakes that you do not want to make:
-Not answering the question-avoid waffling
-Talking too much/too little
-Talking too quickly-pace yourself!
-Negativity in your responses
-Lack of eye contact with the interviewer
-making personal statements about political/religious beliefs or anything seemingly controversial that the interviewer may not agree with.
-at the end of the interview when asked "Do you have any questions?"- Never say no, remember that this is a two way opportunity: show your motivation, intelligence and commercial awareness in the questions you ask.
TOP TIPS!
Face to face interviews: Body language, eye contact, smile
Panel interview: Greet everyone and thank them all, by name if possible!
1:1 interview: Shake their hand, engage with the employer,thank them
Telephone interview: Quiet location, Speak clearly, stay structured in your response,DONT read pre-prepared answers,use prompt notes,thank the interviewer for their time
Shake off those nerves:
- Think positively “I will get the job”
- Appear confident Hand shake, smile
- Relaxation techniques :Get a good nights sleep, take a walk, choose a morning slot
- Lose the pressure There are other jobs!
Last of all, remember that preparation is the key to success! make sure you:
-Check the interview details
-Read through your application
-Familiarise yourself with the job description
-Create a list of possible questions
-Practice answering the questions
-Research of the company and the sector
-Decide what to wear and plan your route in advance
Best of luck!
image source: www.studentbranding.com
image source: www.studentbranding.com
No comments:
Post a Comment