The Ultimate Interviewing Guide: Providing and Preparing Samples and Presentations

A couple of weeks ago The Headhunter Guide discussed best practices to nail both phone (https://bit.ly/2rGBXNT) and face to face interviews (https://bit.ly/2FkEFu6). In addendum to this series, it is not uncommon for companies to ask candidates to provide samples of previous work or to create and perform a presentation during the interview. What I have found over the years is nearly every time a client had asked a candidate to provide a work sample or to create a presentation, there was a sense of uncertainty and nervousness coming from the candidate. The chill that suddenly besieged them, is not a fear of actually providing a sample or creating a presentation. Instead, the fear is making the right choices in selecting the right sample or the creating the perfect presentation that brings meaningful support to their candidacy, a task that can be rather confusing when dealing with ambiguous instructions.

What makes these choices even more difficult is the reality that these samples/presentations tend to weigh heavily on the hiring team’s decision making. Many times it’s the determining factor on who gets the job versus who gets a canned rejection email. When extending an offer, I often hear clients say, “We chose John because his presentation was the most impressive,” or, “His samples were far better than the others we have seen.” It is important to note that samples and presentations are being compared across candidates which means it is truly a you vs them situation. You are competing with the rest of the candidates. This is not the time to hurry up and throw something together quickly. Instead, be strategic and keep in mind that only the best of the best move on.

How to Provide Proper Samples of Your Work

Providing samples of your previous work adds an additional layer to the vetting process, giving the team additional information to ensure they are minimizing their risk by hiring someone that has previously, and can continue, to perform. Answering questions during an interview helps the team better understand your responsibilities, achievements, and cultural fit, but providing samples of your work give the hiring a team hard evidence.  

Step 1: Find out what the team is assessing.

Before aimlessly shuffling through papers, folders, and emails trying to pull out your best work, you first need to have an understanding of what the team is looking. Why are they asking for a sample and how will the work be graded? In most cases, the team assessing written communication skills, which is something hard to pull out during phone and in person conversations. Other times they want to see your past work so they know the caliber of work you can replicate on future projects that are similar in scope. However, sometimes the team has their own set of criteria they are looking for and it is this criteria that should govern your decision making process when deciding what samples to provide.

For example, if the team is looking for an example of your ability to summarize an article and you send in a poem that you have written, you have clearly missed the mark. If you are not sure what the team is looking for, ask. It is better to double check the requirements than to assume you are on the right track.

Step 2: Stop and think.

Once you have an understanding of what the team is looking for don’t rush to send the first example that comes to mind. Put yourself into the perspective of the hiring manager and create a shortlist of your best work, the type of work that you are proud of and are confident is of better quality that 90% of your competition. Once you create your shortlist of a handful of potential examples, walk away, preferably wait until the following day before making your final decision. Too many times, candidates have reached out to me after they had forwarded me their sample(s) to pass along to the team, stating that after further thought they found a better example that they would like to use instead. Take your time with the decision. It doesn’t reflect well to the team if you are indecisive and sending more examples than are being asked for.

Step 3: Follow Instructions.

If the instructions are to send a writing sample as a Word document, don’t send it as a PDF. If the team is asking for three samples, don’t send five. Part of the criteria that you are being graded on is the ability to follow instructions. If you can’t follow simple instructions during an interview, how are you supposed to follow much more detailed and difficult instructions after you a part of the team? If you have any questions regarding the instructions, it is better to ask for clarification rather than assume.

Best Practices: Picking samples is similar to picking professional references. You want to make sure that you are able to provide the most up to date, relevant, and meaningful samples that will sing your praises. If you are stuck using old examples, the team may be concerned that your recent work hasn’t been impressive. That said, it is often advantageous to produce a better quality sample or one that better reflects the interviewer’s criteria compared to sending a run of the mill sample that is most recent. 

Step 4: Redact confidential information.

Most companies prohibit their employees from sharing confidential information, especially to their competitors, which is why most professional industries have their new employees sign non-disclosure (NDAs) agreements before they start their first day on the job. Not only do you want to avoid leaking confidential information for fear of your company finding out and taking repercussions, but the company you are interviewing with will see your lack of judgement as a huge red flag. As part of the review process, make sure you redact any confidential information. Don’t shy away from telling the team that the sample(s) you provided were redacted. Not only will they appreciate the attentiveness to detail and professionalism, but it will also explain any formatting errors or deletions from the sample(s).

Step 5: Conduct three layers of review.

Although you may be confident in your work sample(s), you should still review before submitting. The first layer of review is for you to make any edits, updates, and changes while making sure every I is dotted and T is crossed. Next, recruit a second pair of eyes to critique your work. Let them pretend to be the hiring manager and point out any mistakes, concerns, or areas of improvement. If possible, make the necessary changes and review one more time before submitting. There should never be a spelling or grammatical error anywhere in your sample(s). Remember, this is the best representation of your work.

Best Practices: If you are working with a recruiter, get the sample(s) over 24 hours before the due date so they can review as well. Most likely they have experience with providing the team successful samples and will make sure you are hitting the mark and will add another layer of review.

Step 6: Be prepared to talk about the sample(s) and your reasoning behind your choices.

Sometimes the hiring team will want to discuss your samples, and sometimes they don’t. Either way, be prepared to talk about your reasoning for choosing the sample(s) while being able to point out how they align with the team’s criteria. Thoughtful reasoning and clear communication skills are in demand skill sets, no matter your trade. Use this to your advantage. Sometimes the explanation means more than the sample itself.

How to Create and Execute Memorable Presentations

Businesses are as successful as their ability to communicate. Everyone is selling something, whether it’s from business to business, business to consumer, internal department to department, or employee to management (I think it’s time for a raise). A successful sale is backed by a successful presentation. Presentation skills can’t be judged on a CV which is why mock presentations can be such a powerful interview tool. Depending on the position you are interviewing for, the team may ask you to provide either a written presentation (for the sake of reviewing your creativity and writing skills), while others will ask you to develop and present in front of an audience, either in person or via video interview, to judge both creative, written, and verbal skills. For the sake of the following best practices, I will assume that you are not only creating the presentation, but are also presenting to a team of decision makers.

Preparation

Step 1: Find out what the team is assessing.

Just like before, make sure you know what the team is looking for before putting pen to paper. Even if you create and present one of the most phenomenal presentations, if it is off track you will be disqualified. It is safe to assume you be assessed on your written and verbal communication skills, but pay attention to the content and the message you are trying to get across. The stronger and more powerful the message, the better your chances of receiving an offer.

Step 2: Read the instructions carefully.

Sometimes the topic of the presentation is determined by the interviewers while sometimes the candidate is able to present on a topic of his or her choice. Either way, follow the instructions word for word. If the team asks to create a 10-15 minute presentation, make sure you are between the limits. If you are picking a topic of your choice, be strategic in your decision making. Use this as an advantage, utilizing your subject matter expertise and career strengths. If the team provides specific instructions on a set topic, make sure you stay on track, giving the team exactly what they want. The ability to research and present on a topic is another skill set that is unanimously in demand.

Step 3: Brainstorm!

I always ask my candidates to read the instructions the night before they plan to start working on the presentation. Let ideas percolate for a while. There is nothing more frustrating than scrapping a presentation after hours of preparation because you either a) have a better idea that will produce better results, or b) rushed to start working on the presentation without setting a path of execution, only to find themselves lost in the process. By spending an evening gathering your thoughts your path will be much clearer.

Step 4: Create a skeleton of your presentation.

Creating a skeleton is simply mapping out the key points and topics that you want to cover in the presentation. In other words, take your brainstorming session and start writing ideas down on paper. The goal of the skeleton is to arrange a bulleted list of topics and ideas that can be moved around to create a coherent story with defined starting and ending points along with supporting examples and talking points in the middle. In other words, aim to create a table of contents for your presentation that will help serve as a guideline for the first draft.

Step 5: Rough Draft.

Once you have your skeleton set up it is time to start the first draft. It is okay to bounce around as you create the content, but in the end you should have a well thought out, meaningful presentation full of talking points that support your overall message (and follows the guidelines).

Step 6: Conduct three layers of review.

Review the rough draft and get it to a point where you feel like it is presentable. Then, have a third party review the presentation and suggest edits, updates, and/or changes. A separate pair of eyes that are removed from the process will be better able to provide insight on areas that are unclear or underwhelming, giving you an opportunity to fine tune the presentation.

Once you’ve made any necessary changes based on their recommendations, review the presentation one additional time to make sure your edits make sense. You would be surprised how many errors are made when making small revisions.

Best Practices: If you are going to be presenting a PowerPoint presentation in front of an audience (compared to creating a written presentation for the sole purpose of the team reviewing your written communication skills), do not overcrowd each slide. During the review stages, make sure to pare down the content. You want to summarize your topics of discussion and have meaningful supporting examples. You may also want to create a separate script for your eyes only. The most successful presentations keep the audience engaged by discussing topics that are only briefly summarized on screen, leaving the presenter to fill in the majority of the content through their discussion. Don’t turn your presentation into a read along.

Step 7: Practice your presentation.

I suggest practicing your presentation by yourself first. The more you read your own writing, the more comfortable you will feel with each slide and the message you are trying to get across. Your words are processed differently when read aloud compared to reading them in your head. Practicing the presentation will also allow you to correct any errors that you find along the way, adding another round of review.

Once you feel confident that the presentation not only looks good, but sounds good as well, practice with someone else. If you are presenting in a face to face meeting, practice in front of someone. If you are presenting via a web-based video solution, practice via Skype or other video software. Try to replicate the environment that you will be presenting in. Immersing yourself with as many factors as possible will help make you feel more comfortable in your surroundings and will lead to a better delivery on game day.

Step 8: Review one last time.

After you’ve gone through the presentation with a third party, note where things shined along with any areas that need more practice. Make any necessary changes to strengthen your arguments whether that means adding, deleting, or editing content one last time. Remember, there shouldn’t be one spelling or grammar error nor typo to be found.

Execution

By now, your presentation should be well rehearsed and looking the best it’s ever been. Make sure the interviewers have a copy prior to the interview and bring either a printed copy of the presentation or a summary to the interview to provide to each person you are presenting to. This is a nice extra touch that is sure to impress.

Dress for the occasion and if you are presenting via a video interview, make sure you are in a professional setting and that you will not be disturbed.

Funny side story: I worked with a woman who was presenting via a video interview. She worked from home so she had set up her laptop in a spot that had ideal lighting and a professional background. Her husband was out running errands so she wrote a message and stuck it on the door to the room, “Presenting on an interview. Keep out.” Sure enough, midway through the presentation her husband comes barreling in, walking behind her in plain view of the webcam. Her face turned white and the interviewer cracked a smile. After the initial embarrassment, she explained to the interviewer that she even had a note on the door asking him to keep out. They both chuckled, the rest of the presentation went well, and she wound up getting hired. Lesson learned: even when you are well prepared things will happen that our outside of your control. It is what you do in those situations that separate failure from success.

Address each interviewer and keep each one engaged during your 10 minutes (or however long the interview lasts). Don’t stare at the presentation and read each slide verbatim. Instead, try to maintain eye contact with your audience as much as possible. It is completely fine to use notecards or a printed script. Some of the best speakers use cue cards, but don’t bury your head in the notes. Keep your audience engaged while using the slides a summary for your audience to follow.

Speak clearly and pay attention to your body language. Try to keep a smile or at least a sense of pleasantness. Maintain genuine interest in your topic. If you aren’t excited about your presentation, it will be even harder for the interviewers. Last, but definitely not least, let your personality shine and, most of all, be yourself.  

At the end of the day all you can do is give it your best effort. Presentation skills are developed over time and get better each time you are in front of an audience. Not everyone is going to be impressed, agree with your opinions, or laugh at your jokes. This is to be expected. The only thing that matters is that you put your best foot forward. Whether or not you get the job is going to be out of your hands.

If not, and you did your best, the position was not meant to be. Maybe not forever, but at least for now. Every failure, or perceived failure is an opportunity to learn what skills you need to work on if you want to compete once again. If you failed because you didn’t put in enough effort or didn’t follow the instructions, then the presentation did exactly what it was supposed to do. It’s your goal to sell your work ethic, knowledge, writing skills, creativity, and communication skills. In the end, you’re really presenting yourself.

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For any suggestions on future topics either connect with me on LinkedIn (www.dhirubhai.net/in/alexbenjamin) or email: [email protected]

Next Week’s Topic: The New “S” Word: Salary

Tags: Candidates, Best Practices, General