Interview preparation, Interview process, Giving Presentations

1. Communication skills
UNIT - IV
Mr. Vinayak R. Bodhankar
Asst. Professor, Ph. D. Scholar
Srinath College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad

2. Contents
Interview:
 Objective of an interview
 Purpose of an interview,
 Facts of an interview
 Interview preparation
 Interview process
 STAR Technique
 Do’s and Don’ts of an interview
Giving Presentations:
 Dealing with Fears,
 Planning Presentation,
 Structuring Presentation,
 Delivering Presentation,
 Techniques of Delivery

3. What is Interview..?
The word interview comes from French word “entrevue” meaning
to “see between” or “see each other”. Generally, an interview means
a private meeting between people when questions are asked and
answered.
 Interview = A meeting with an objective
 Employer’s objective is to find the best person for the job
 Employer: reviews candidate’s experience and abilities
Can you do the job? (skills, abilities, qualifications)
Will you do the job? (interest, attitude & motivation)
How will you fit into the organisation? (personality)

4. In the selection process, interview serves the following
1. Verifies the information obtained through application form and tests.
2. Helps to obtain additional information from the applicant otherwise not
available.
3. Gives the candidate necessary facts and information about the job and the
organisation.
4. Helps to establish mutual understanding between the company and the
candidate and build the company’s image.

5. Purpose of an Interview
 The interview is a conversation in which you and an employer exchange information.
Your objective is to get an offer of a job, and the employer's objective is to find out
the following:
 What you have to offer (your skills, abilities, basic knowledge).
 Who you are (your personality, character, interests).
 Why you should be hired (you have what they are seeking).
 The interviewer will try to determine whether you will be an asset to the organization.
 Your goal is to present yourself as the best candidate for the position and also to learn
more about the position and the interviewer's organization to determine whether both
are well suited for you and your career goals.
 Thus, the interview is a two-way discussion rather than an interrogation, as it is often
perceived to be.

6. Facts of an Interviewing
 Interviews are the most widely used process for screening job applicants.
 They provide the most direct information about a candidate’s background,
personality, and skills.
 The purpose of an interview is to receive the job offer.

7. Interview Preparation
Situational Knowledge
Where/when the interview takes place
Arrive 10 minutes early!
Physical Preparation
Get plenty of rest
Dress for success
Mental Preparation
Knowledge of company
Practice a mock interview
Written Preparation
Take extra resumes, references, etc.
Make notes
Ask questions

8. 1. Icebreaker
Greetings
First Impressions
Small talk
2. Personal Qualifications and Interest in Position
Abilities, Skills, and Work Experience
Accomplishments and Activities
Goals
3. Organization and Position
- Employer may test your knowledge of the company.
“Why do you want to work for this company?”
“What do you know about this department?
- Other general questions regarding the company or the job.
“What is your geographic preference?”
“Are you willing to relocate?”
Interview Process

9. 4. Candidate Questions
Your chance to ask questions about job
“What type of the job training do you provide?”
“What makes your company different from its competitors?”
5. Close and Follow-Up
Thank the interviewers for their time
Evaluate your performance
Send a thank you note within 24 hours
Confirmation letter

10. STAR Technique
Situation – describe the situation, problem, or issue
that you encountered.
Task – describe the tasks/responsibilities you took
on to solve the problem.
Action – discuss the steps you actually took to effect
a solution.
Result – describe the positive results of your
actions.

11. Do’s & Don’ts of an Interview
Do’s
 Do make sure that your hands are attractive. This means spotlessly cleaning with
trimmed nails.
 Do make sure your hair is in place and conservative
 Do pay attention to your scent. Women with powerful perfumes and men with intense
colognes can destroy interviews. Moderation is recommended.
 Do get a good night’s sleep before each day that you search for employment.
 Do look the interviewer in the eye. Recruiters place a lot of emphasis on eye contact.
 Do try to sparkle! Use gestures in your conversation. Make sure they are smooth and
emphatic.
 Do smile.

12.  Do have some money with you. You never want to be in the embarrassing position of
having to say, “I don’t have any money with me.”
 Ask for clarification if you don't understand a question.
 Dress appropriately for the industry. Your personal grooming and cleanliness should be
impeccable.
 Know the exact time and location of your interview; know how long it takes to get there,
park, find a rest room to freshen up, etc.
 Do let the interviewer decide when the interview is over.
 After the interview, make notes right away so you don't forget critical details.
 Write a thank you letter to your interviewer promptly.

13. Don’ts
 Don’t be late. In fact, plan to be early for any scheduled interview. If you are late or arrive
just in the nick of time, the interviewer will start to wonder how prompt you might be
after you start to work.
 Don’t sit down until you are asked. Don’t worry about this, the recruiter won’t make you
stand-but if you move quickly to your chair and sit down, you will appear forward.
 Don’t have anything in your mouth except your teeth-no gum, no candies, no breath mints
and no cigarettes (obviously!)
 Don’t lean on or put your elbows on the interviewer’s desk. Sit back in your chair, so the
interviewer can see more of you.
 Don’t park eye glasses on top of your head. Take them off and put them in your purse or
pocket.

14.  Don’t carry an oversized handbag even if it is fashionable. Carry a bag that is smaller
and more manageable. Put it on the floor during the interview. Never place it on the
interviewer’s desk.
 Don’t have unusually long fingernails. This applied to men as well as women.
 Don’t keep adjusting your clothes.
 Don’t fiddle with your hair.
 Don’t pick up anything from the recruiter’s desk unless you are invited to do so.
 Don’t listen to any phone calls the recruiter may receive while you are with him or her.
It’s hard not to listen, but do you best to tune it out. After such a phone call, don’t
comment on something he or she said or ask a question about the conversation.
 Don’t inspect or read documents on the recruiter’s desk.

15.  Don’t be a comedian. Be pleasant, but remember that the interviewing process is formal
and serious.
 Don’t give one or two word answers. The recruiter is trying to get to know you.
 Don’t dominate the conversation
 Don’t use a lot of slang
 Don’t say “you know” all the times. It’s, you know, annoying.
 Don’t mumble.
 Don’t chatter while the interviewer is reviewing your resume. Let him or her read it in
peace.
 Don’t interpret items on your resume until you are asked. Your resume should be self-
explanatory. If additional details are needed, the interview will ask for them.
 Don’t lie about anything. Sometimes candidates lie about their salary. Recruiters often
ask for proof.

16.  Don’t criticize your present or past employer too much.
 Don’t get angry or even irritated during the interview if the questioning becomes
improper or begins to slip into irrelevant areas.
 Don’t look at your watch during the interview. This tends to hurry things along.
 Don’t ask, “Will I get the job?” or “Can I have the job?” Those questions tend to push
the recruiter and he or she will not like that.
 Don’t talk about the salary until later in the hiring process or until the recruiter brings it
up.

17.  PRESENTATION
 A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking
situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team.
 A presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience.
 Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to
inform, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
 Presentations usually require preparation, organization, event planning, writing, use of
visual aids, dealing with stress, and answering questions.
 The key elements of a presentation consists of following:
 Presenter
 Audience
 Message
 Reaction and
 Method to deliver speech

18.  Fear of Presentation
 To effectively communicate your ideas in front of people, you need to present yourself
very calm, quite, energetic and in fresh mood, and to deliver your message very
interestingly.
 The main fear of presentation is the thought of speaking in front of audience.
 It is common for almost everybody, nervousness leads to Stage Fright which in turns
may affect the presentation.
 The symptoms of stage frights are:
 Racing heart
 Sweating
 Dry mouth
 Shaking hands and legs
 Paining back
 Stomach ache
 Loss of memory

19. Dealing with Fears
 Prepare, plan and practice the topic of presentation.
 Develop an interest in the topic of your presentation.
 Practice your opening statement several times.
 Prepare for the question and answer regarding topic of presentation.
 Before the presentation
 Arrive at the hall early, check arrangement, equipment and your PowerPoint slides.
 Look towards participants, talk to them, so as to ensure you are not nervous while
speaking, and your voice is flowing freely.
 Take a little water, if you have time walk around.
 Concentrate on your ideas.
 Relax Yourself by taking Deep and slow breath

20. When presentation begins
 Feel good about your presentation, walk up to the Dias, taking a deep breath.
 Do not begin in hurry, first look at friendliest faces among audience and smile.
 If uncomfortable lean on table or dias & hold it.
 Remember audience may not realize your fear or nervousness as much as you feel it.
Know what you are thinking about and talk.
 Visualize that you prepared very well and now you standing in front of audience and
delivering. Visualize their smile, clapping in your mental image that many among them
are appreciating and shaking your hands after presentation is over.
 This is the concept of positive thinking.

21. EY elements of Presentation
Ask yourself the following questions to develop a full understanding of the context of the
presentation:
 When and where will you deliver your presentation?
There is a world of difference between a small room with natural light and an informal
setting, and a huge lecture room, lit with stage lights. The two require quite different
presentations, and different techniques.
 Will it be in a setting you are familiar with, or somewhere new?
If somewhere new, it would be worth trying to visit it in advance, or at least arriving early,
to familiarize yourself with the room.
Context

22.  Will the presentation be within a formal or less formal setting?
A work setting will, more or less by definition, be more formal, but there are also various
degrees of formality within that.
 Will the presentation be to a small group or a large crowd?
 Are you already familiar with the audience?
With a new audience, you will have to build rapport quickly and effectively, to get them on
your side.
 What equipment and technology will be available to you, and what will you be
expected to use?
In particular, you will need to ask about microphones and whether you will be expected to
stand in one place, or move around.
 What is the audience expecting to learn from you and your presentation?

23. Presenter
 The role of the presenter is to communicate with the
audience and control the presentation.
 Remember, though, that this may also include handing
over the control to your audience, especially if you want
some kind of interaction.
 The audience receives the presenter’s message(s).
 However, this reception will be filtered through and affected by
such things as the listener’s own experience, knowledge and
personal sense of values.
 Barriers in communication results in failure of communication.
Audience

24. Message
 The message or messages are delivered by the presenter to the audience.
 The message is delivered not just by the spoken word (verbal communication) but
can be augmented by techniques such as voice projection, body language,
gestures, eye contact (non-verbal communication), and visual aids.
 The message will also be affected by the audience’s expectations.
 For example, if you have been billed as speaking on one particular topic, and you
choose to speak on another, the audience is unlikely to take your message on
board even if you present very well.
 They will judge your presentation a failure, because you have not met their
expectations.

25. Reaction
 The audience’s reaction and therefore the success of the
presentation will largely depend upon whether you, as
presenter, effectively communicated your message, and
whether it met their expectations.
 As a presenter, you don’t control the audience’s expectations.
What you can do is find out what they have been told about
you by the conference organizers, and what they are expecting
to hear.
 Only if you know that can you be confident of delivering
something that will meet expectations.

26. Method
 How will the presentation be delivered?
 Presentations are usually delivered direct to an audience.
 However, there may be occasions where they are delivered from a distance over the
Internet using video conferencing systems, such as Skype.
 It is also important to remember that if your talk is recorded and posted on the internet,
then people may be able to access it for several years.
 This will mean that your contemporaneous references should be kept to a minimum.

27.  PLANNING PRESENTATION
 A effective presentation makes the best use of the relationship between the presenter
and the audience. It takes full consideration of the audience’s needs in order to capture
their interest, develop their understanding.
 Careful planning is essential.
 Seven stages in planning a presentation:
1. Preparation
2. Choosing your main points
3. Choosing your supporting information
4. Establishing linking statements
5. Developing an opening
6. Developing a conclusion
7. Reviewing your presentation

28. 1. PREPARATION
Many factors affect the design of your presentation. A powerful presenter will
acknowledge and address each of the following:
Objectives
Ask yourself following:
 what do you want your audience to have understood?
 what action do you want your audience to take following your presentation?
 how can you best design your presentation to meet your objectives?
Audience
Your audience will have a variety of different experiences, interests and levels of
knowledge. Ask yourself:
 how much will your audience already know about your topic?
 how can you link new material to things they might already understand?
 will you need to win them over to a particular point of view?

29. Venue
Where will you be making your presentation? What will the room be like? What atmosphere
will the physical conditions create? A large lecture theatre might create a formal atmosphere.
Similarly, a seminar room might create a less formal tone. Ask yourself:
 what kind of atmosphere do you wish to create?
 how might the room arrangement affect your relationship with the audience?
 can you do anything to change the arrangement of the room to suit your objectives?
 what audio-visual aids can you use?
Remit
You may well have been given a remit for your presentation; you will need to stick to this.
For example, you may have been asked to present a paper at a conference in a certain style.
Ask yourself:
 how much time have you been allocated?
 are you required to stick to a common format or style?
 have any guidelines been set regarding the content of your presentation

30. 2. CHOOSING YOUR MAIN POINTS
 Once you have thought about the design of your presentation, you can define your main
points.
 Try presenting no more than three main points in a ten minute presentation.
 Always allow time for an adequate introduction and conclusion.
 It is difficult for an audience to follow a more complex argument without significant
help from the presenter.
 A powerful presentation delivers information in a logical, structured manner, building
on the previous point and avoiding large jumps in sequence. Ask yourself:
 what are the main points you wish to make?
 are these points structured in a logical way?

31. 3. CHOOSING YOUR SUPPORTING INFORMATION
 The supporting information helps your audience to understand, believe in and agree with
your main points.
 It might be presented in imaginative ways using diagrams, pictures or video segments.
Think about:
 what will add clarity to your argument (explaining complex terms, reminding your
audience of any supporting theories)?
 what will add authority to your argument (making connections with other people's work,
quoting experts, offering evidence from your own research)?
 what will add colour to your argument (showing a video clip or a slide, using a practical
example)?

32. 4. ESTABLISHING LINKING STATEMENTS
 The next stage is to develop the linear flow of your presentation. This can be achieved
by using linking statements to show clearly how your main points fit together. Common
linking statements include:
“The next stage in our project was to …”;
“Another important issue of consideration was …”;
“By following this argument we can now see that …”.
 Linking statements send signals to your audience, highlighting the next point in your
argument, linking to earlier ideas or clarifying the stage you have reached in your
argument overall.
 This may be of particular importance in a lengthy presentation where even the most
effective presenter has to work hard to keep an audience involved.

33. 5. DEVELOPING AN OPENING
 The introduction to your presentation is crucial. It is your first point of contact with your
audience; you can either capture or lose your audience’s interest in a matter of seconds.
Use your introduction to clear foundation for the presentation to follow.
 Try using the following structure:
 Introduce yourself;
 State what you will be talking about (a title or subject area);
 State how you will be talking about it (e.g. by comparing test results or reviewing the
supporting literature);
 State what you expect your audience to do (listen, take notes, ask questions
before/during/after).
 Always give your audience a moment to absorb this information before moving into
your first main point.

34. 6. DEVELOPING A CONCLUSION
 Your conclusion is another important stage in your presentation.
 You can use it to remind your audience of your main points, draw these points to a
stimulating conclusion and leave your audience with a lasting impression of the quality
of your presentation.
The following structure provides a powerful conclusion:
 A review of your title or subject area “In this presentation I wanted to explore the
relationship between X and Y.”;
 A summary of your main points “We have discussed the following points…”;
 A conclusion clearly drawn from your main points (this must be supported by the detail
of your presentation)“It is clear that there can be no substantive relationship between X
and Y”

35. 7. REVIEWING YOUR PRESENTATION
Once you have written your presentation make sure that you review its content. Ask
yourself:
 does the presentation meet your objectives?
 is it logically structured?
 have you targeted the material at the right level for your audience?
 is the presentation too long or too short?

36.  STRUCTURING PRESENTATION
Just like other forms of academic writing, a presentation can be divided into three parts:
1. An introduction detailing the purpose and structure of the talk
2. A body covering the main points; and
3. A conclusion summarizing and highlighting the significance of your talk
 You may wish to capture the audience's interest and attention with a story or
commentary on a current development that raises an important question / problem.
 In either case, the next step in your introduction is to clearly state the purpose or key
message of the talk, for example using the following prompts.
 'Today I would like to talk about a highly contested issue...'
 'This question is central to understanding...'
 'I will make the case that...'
Introduction

37. Body
 This part of the talk provides the support for your main message.
 You should discuss each of your main points in a clear and logical order.
 As you do, be sure to explain how these points relate to each other and your key
message:
 'Turning to the next point...'
 'Another important consideration is that...'
 'Having examined...I'd now like to talk about...'
 All necessary concepts and terms need to be defined and explained before being used.
Examples can be used to effectively illustrate your points.

38. Conclusion
 Signpost that you have reached the end of the talk:
 'In conclusion...'
 'I'd like to finish by...'
 Summarize the key points covered.
 In the process, remind the audience of the significance of the topic, the aims of your talk
and demonstrate how you have met the aims.
 Thank the audience for their attention and invite them to comment or ask questions.
Acknowledgement
 As with all academic work, if you use other people's ideas, images, data etc. then you
must appropriately acknowledge it in your presentation.
 You do this through your spoken words or supply references on your visual aids. In text
references can be kept brief to enable the audience to read.
 You should also include a reference list slide at the end of your presentation.

39. Delivering Presentation
Once you have rehearsed the presentation well, here are some simple suggestions to consider
in delivering the presentation effectively:
 Dress appropriately
Dress appropriately for the presentation, based on the con formality of the occasion and the
type of audience (faculty, students, clients, etc.). Do not wear inappropriate clothing, jewelry,
hats or footwear that distract.
 Arrive early
Arrive early for the presentation, and do not arrive just in time or late.
 Meet the moderator
If there is a presentation moderator who will introduce you, meet that person well in advance
of the presentation so he or she knows you are in the room on time and that you will be ready.
 Decide how to handle audience questions
Decide how you will handle questions during the presentation, and either request the audience
to wait until you are finished with your presentation or make sure you will have time to
answer the question in the middle of your presentation.

40.  Have a plan if the technology fails
Similarly, decide how you will continue your presentation if the presentation technology fails
or freezes in the middle of your presentation.
 Greet the audience
If you have some free time before the presentation starts, walk up to some members of the
audience, introduce yourself, and thank them for being there. This may put you at ease during
the presentation.
 Load your visuals before your allotted presentation time
If you plan to use presentation tools, load your presentation or connect your presentation
device to the projector before you are asked to present so you do not use up your presentation
time to load your files and make the audience wait.
 Smile
Be pleasant and smile when you stand in front of an audience so it makes the audience feel
comfortable listening to you.
 Don't eat or chew gum
Do not chew gum or eat during your presentation. You may drink water or other allowed
beverages during the presentation.
 Take a deep breath
Before you begin to speak, take a few deep breaths and calm yourself.

41.  Speak clearly
Speak slowly and clearly, and do not rush through sentences, as some do when they get
nervous.
 Speak at an even pace
Pay attention to the pace in which you speak, to avoid your pace of delivery being either too
fast or too slow for the audience to follow.
 Use appropriate gestures
Use appropriate gestures to emphasize appropriate points, and do not make wild gestures or
pace back and forth in front of the screen in a distracting manner.
 Make proper eye contact
 Do not talk to the screen or board
Do not talk to the screen or the presentation device; look at the audience and talk.

42.  Do not read line-by-line
 If you get stuck, look at your notes
If you get stuck on a point and do not know what to say, feel free to look at your notes to
continue.
 Use the microphone effectively
If you are presenting in a large room where a handheld microphone is needed, hold the
microphone near your mouth and speak directly into it.
 Do not curse or use inappropriate language
Do not curse or use inappropriate language if you forget a point during the presentation or if
the presentation technology fails.
 Be considerate of your team
If you are part of a team and giving a group presentation, be considerate to other team
members by not using up their time or dominating the presentation. Smoothly transition from
one presenter to another.

43.  TECHNIQUES OF DELIVERY
 Be aware of your non-verbal communication. Use body language that shows
CONFIDENCE!
 Have good posture
 Smile and act relaxed. It will make you look and feel more confident.
 Make eye contact with your audience instead of reading off your notes the entire time.
 Avoid distracting behaviors, like chewing gum.
 Make sure to dress appropriately for your profession.

44.  Take time to think during your presentation! People have a tendency to speak more
quickly under pressure. Make an effort to slow your pace and include pauses. Speaking
slower will also help you avoid excessive verbal fillers like “ummm”
 Pay attention to your volume. Think about projecting your voice to the back of the
classroom so that everyone can hear what you have to say.
 Try to speak clearly so that your audience can easily understand your words.
 Avoid the ‘lecture’. By incorporation more than a speech into your presentation, you’ll
be better able to hold your audience’s attention. Try using visuals, asking questions, or
doing activities.