Submitted by timr on
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I'm looking for some good activities to use for a technical training session 15-30 minutes in length. Has anyone done this style of interview?
This coming Tuesday, I will be presenting to the hiring manager, and HR rep, and 3-5 other managers. I am confident they will try and derail the session to see how I handle it.
I have just finished Presentation Zen and have been chewing up the podcasts on Meeting and Presentation tips, and am working on my agenda/presentation today and tomorrow, to practice Sunday & Monday. I just got the call yesterday, I wish there was more time to prepare!
Tim
presentations in hiring...
I really interested in this as well, but from the other perspective i.e. managers who use presentations as part of the hiring process.
Specifically, how you structure and assess the presentation to obtain relevant hiring information?
Prepare and Rehearse
First, be VERY careful with Presentation Zen. His ideas are NOT mainstream, and in my experience ONLY effective when used by seriously accomplished presenters. I do not believe it will be helpful to an interview presentation, and I think it would be significantly harmful.
Decide what you're going to present on, develop an agenda, and a presentation deck, and then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
When you get challenged, stay calm. (If you have an agenda which includes ground rules, you can include a PARKING LOT in your ground rules, and just put all the derailing efforts in there. Solved!)
Last couple of rehearsals, do it without your slides. If you can replicate using a projector and remote, DO SO.
Finally, don't have more than about 10 slides. Technical Trainings sometimes need more, but in a 30 minute session, I'd be surprised if you needed more than three. YOU ARE THE PRESENTATION/TRAINER. Not the slides.
Good luck!
Mark
Any thoughts on closing?
Good point about Presentation Zen. I assume the problem with Presentation Zen is similar to the flashy suit: i.e. it stands out, and there is a better chance for failure than success. Even without going full Zen, I think there are some good design principles such as full bleed on choice slides. I get the message though, KISS.
What about closing? There will be 4 other managers (whom I know well, it's an internal position) in the room with my hiring manager and HR rep. I don't know if I can pull it off without looking too cocky. I already closed in the interview, and in a follow up thank you card to both the HR rep and hiring manager.
Tim
Oh, I get it. You mean ALWAYS close!
Just reviewed the show notes for closing an interview, I have my answer.
It's an internal interview for a position where I would lose my company car. I hope they understand my excitement for the position!
Tim