I've been invited to a third (and final) interview with a tech company next week (presales, consultant role). They've asked me to prepare a 15 minute presentation on any subject of my choice outside the tech industry.
I've always had to do presentations in interviews but it's always been on a topic that's relevant to the role.
I was contemplating choosing cycling as my topic - how I got into it, why I love it as a sport, why it's great. Will also talk about use cases (the company love use cases), and will talk a bit about the state of the industry in 2025/26 to try to show some commercial awareness.
Can't decide if it's too much of a mickey mouse subject but can't think what else to base it on.
Anyone got any advice? Anyone know of a good report into the state of the market (either global or UK only) that I can cite?
I think you'll struggle to find the same degree of industry comment for cycling as (say) automotive.
Is there an industry or sector they sell into that's not tech but that would have an interesting element to it?
E.g. are the big customers in construction or healthcare etc.
I think I'd struggle with something too personal as the temptation might be to under prepare as the content is too familiar / comfortable.
Caveat I'm not in sales or recruitment. 🙂
I've had to do this in interviews and have also been on interview panels where it's been a requirement. A long time ago mind, so my knowledge isn't current.
Within reason, I don't think it matters what the subject is. They want to see confidence, enthusiasm (without going OTT), a connection with the audience, a well structured presentation and slick presentation skills. It's also a way to get a bit more of an insight into your personality than from just answering questions.
Be prepared for the most likely questions at the end.
Good luck!
Seems entirely logical - if I asked someone to do that I’d want them to talk about something they are passionate about, understood, and could clearly communicate.
Edit wrong
I think you'll struggle to find the same degree of industry comment for cycling as (say) automotive.
Is there an industry or sector they sell into that's not tech but that would have an interesting element to it?
E.g. are the big customers in construction or healthcare etc.
They sell into pretty much every industry that I can think of 🙂
My mind immediately goes to doing something humorous where you can connect with the audience.
I always try and get laughs in interviews as it relaxes most people.
Stick with what you know, that way you'll be likely to already know the answers to any of the questions.
I think your topic of cycling would be good (if you can avoid getting too nerdy about it), taking inspiration from something like this.
Within reason, I don't think it matters what the subject is. They want to see confidence, enthusiasm (without going OTT), a connection with the audience, a well structured presentation and slick presentation skills. It's also a way to get a bit more of an insight into your personality than from just answering questions.
This...
My mind immediately goes to doing something humorous where you can connect with the audience.
... and this is exactly what I was thinking.
The skill being tested here is presumably "can you make an engaging presentation?" If it were me interviewing then I'd be looking for passion in the subject matter, and 15 minutes is a hellishly long time if you've just randomly picked a subject.
The subject itself doesn't matter if you can make the history of drying paint interesting. "Why I love it" is an open goal, go make them love it too.
IMHO.
Anyone got any advice?
ANYTHING you can talk passionately and with some knowledge on the matter (have answers to any questions you might be asked basically)... You only need to know more than the audience, but by the same token, have you made sure that there isn't anyone in the audience that might know more about it than you do?
Focus on your passion, how it has been a positive force for you, how you have seen it be a positive force for others etc...
Can't decide if it's too much of a mickey mouse subject but can't think what else to base it on.
You're applying to a tech company...? Well DJI, one the biggest manufacturers in the Tech industry, absolutely don't think that Cycling is a mickey mouse subject... Nor Bosch!
Don't try to blag anything though... If you're not comfortable talking about tech in eBikes say, touch on it that DJI and Bosch are involved but don't elaborate too much further, only elaborate on things you're happy to talk tech about (whatever they are)...
Personally, unless you have the level of knowledge of those of us that have worked in the industry for decades, I'd steer clear of talking too much about the state of the market too much, beyond the obvious that COVID saturated the market and it's currently in quite a drought as a result of so many purchases being made or brought forward during 2020-23 that aren't being replicated now.
15mins is NOTHING though... You can get very caught up in things that you have a personal interest in, actively keeping the presentation within the time frame will prove harder than you think, so you'll need to prioritise wha you talk about and leave out anything that isn't 100% relevant... People write university dissertations of 10k words or so on a single aspect of cycling (I very nearly did!), people write doctorates of 70k words or more on them too... I have been employed for years to talk all day, every day, about a single aspect of cycling and not got bored of it once, so don't underestimate your ability to ramble on too much about something for which you have a passion... Your audience needs to know you can convey your passion within 15mins, but also not bore the arse off them or leave stuff unsaid whilst you've rabbited on about something minor for your entire allotted window...
Feel free to drop me a PM with your email address and any questions you might have if you need any help... For clarification, worked in shops, run my own shop, worked for a manufacturer and distributor, all over a near 2 decade span... I'm also very used to both creating and delivering presentations professionally too... 👍
Good luck Kevin...I reckon a presentation on something you really care about is a great idea.
My mind immediately goes to doing something humorous where you can connect with the audience.
I always try and get laughs in interviews as it relaxes most people.
Stick with what you know, that way you'll be likely to already know the answers to any of the questions.
I think your topic of cycling would be good (if you can avoid getting too nerdy about it), taking inspiration from something like this.
This vid is actually really really good 🙂
I'd maybe go with the MTB side rather than road side incase one of the panel got held up by a commuter for a few seconds that morning and is still mad about it.
Anyone got any advice?
As above, something you enjoy and there's a humourous aspect to (or that you can add).
But don't be scared of using AI to generate slides and a structure. Then de-americanise it and put it in your own words. Run it through different models to see what they come up with.
You say you've done presentations before and I don't want to introduce the sucking of eggs, so keep it to 12 slides in 12 mins plus 3 for questions.
Just look confident and use lots of jargon.
deep dive on STW lore
frozen sausages, louise, swindon, tedious monty python memes, how everything is actually about gaza etc etc
But don't be scared of using AI to generate slides and a structure. Then de-americanise it and put it in your own words. Run it through different models to see what they come up with.
That sounds like it would take about the same time as writing the slides yourself...
My wife had an interview* for a tech company for a role that fits that description a few years back with a similar presentation **. She did 'how to make a pizza', starting with building a heavy oven, through dough and sauce before assembly and consumption. Lightweight slides mainly containing pictures of our 2 DIY oven builds and from times we had cooked with them. That went down well and was apparently one of the most obscure topics the interviewers had been presented with. I think cougar has it in that they want you to capture their interest and make an engaging presentation. If doing cycling I'd be more tempted to present on achievement of a particular cycling goal and the work that went into it than trying to link it wider knowledge of the cycling industry.
* and got the job.
** Don't think they do this part in interviews anymore.
Probably plenty of material on the building of CV, if you wanted a real focussed topic!
Do something you are interested in and knowledgable about. As for filling 15 minutes ...... how about “what tyres for.....”.
That sounds like it would take about the same time as writing the slides yourself...
Yes, it can. But the initial/overall structure is quite useful to have, then fill in the gaps with (your own) wisdom.
Writer's block is often at the start of something, not the end.
I use AI to do this when writing slides for 6 hour training sessions. It's a tool, but sometimes gives good ideas.
That sounds like it would take about the same time as writing the slides yourself...
Yes, it can. But the initial/overall structure is quite useful to have, then fill in the gaps with (your own) wisdom.
Writer's block is often at the start of something, not the end.
I use AI to do this when writing slides for 6 hour training sessions. It's a tool, but sometimes gives good ideas.
Fair enough, I can see it would be useful for this. I'm being facetious.
Fortuntaley I don't have to write presentations very often.
The question is not "can this person deliver a funny presentation and demonstrate their passion?". The question is "can this person think clearly and quickly enough that if we need them to get on top of a new topic they can identify the core issues and work out what to do about them?".
It may be better to do a subject about which you know nothing (and tell them that at the start).
I'd maybe go with the MTB side rather than road side incase one of the panel got held up by a commuter for a few seconds that morning and is still mad about it.
I wondered that - but bear in mind you are interviewing them too and would you want to work somewhere that anyone with a hatred for cyclists was allowed to bring that bias to important decisions?
That said cycling is a very broad topic - so I’d either want to make that my “message”: there’s something for everyone, or focus on an aspect of it that will be easiest to talk about and be memorable.
Don’t forget the most important fact! 27.5” wheels will make your trails come alive !!
"Stick to what you know" is good advice in many instances and it's what I would do here
Just don't mention the injuries! Unless you want to focus on the why mountain biking doesn't need to be dangerous.
Leave time for questions at the end as dealing with objections is a key part of the job and they may role play that skill in the interview. Working out an insincere versus sincere objection is a hard skill to learn but if someone has a sincere objection make sure you follow up your answer with “did that answer your question”
Go meta, and write a presentation on how to write a presentation
"Stick to what you know" is good advice in many instances and it's what I would do here
Remember too that if you include "Ringfence the unicorn" you will achieve maximum respect here!
You say you've done presentations before and I don't want to introduce the sucking of eggs, so keep it to 12 slides in 12 mins plus 3 for questions.
As a very rough rule of thumb I'd say that's fine BUT the standout presentations I've seen break this rule in either direction, because 1 min per slide leads to the temptation to stick 60 seconds worth of text on a slide and read it! Either go "big" with loads of pictures (MTB could lend itself to this) and virtually no text but don't need to spend 1 min on each one or go "minimal slides" where you talk about the concept and genuinely just use the slides to illustrate very specific points - e.g. with a diagram or graph. Don't be scared to have "black" slide (or press B in powerpoint) and talk with no slide - the impact of someone talking coherently and confidently without handholding bullet points in huge. The distraction of something in the background which is no longer relevant to your point is high. Finally, someone said 15 minutes is not long - having sat through more job interview presentations on a topic I was really not interested in I'd say 15 minutes could be far too long if the audience member switches off / gets lost. Since the job is "consultancy" some way of drawing audience interaction would be nicer than "listen to me for 12 minutes and pretend you care enough to ask a question".
I was contemplating choosing cycling as my topic - how I got into it, why I love it as a sport, why it's great. Will also talk about use cases (the company love use cases), and will talk a bit about the state of the industry in 2025/26 to try to show some commercial awareness.
I love the idea; my advice would be to ask yourself what the "so what" point is for the audience. A great presentation invariably has a "and this is why this matters to you" conclusion, or "why you're listening to this". So my question is: if you present on cycling, can you build that point? It could be "here's a couple of things in cycling that matter to your company" (bit dry, but reasonable), "here's some things worth remembering next time you go cycling", "here's what it tell us about people", "here's why it's in any way relevant to you" etc. Doesn't have to be huge, but gives it an overarching direction and a sense of completion at the end.
Go meta, and write a presentation on how to write a presentation…
… based on advice received on a web forum
Finally, someone said 15 minutes is not long - having sat through more job interview presentations on a topic I was really not interested in I'd say 15 minutes could be far too long if the audience member switches off / gets lost.
I had an interview like this too - the 15 minute presentation was essentially just the candidate ranting and not in a funny or amusing manner. It was a *looooong* 15 minutes....
I might be tempted to present it in a "which door do you want to choose?" to the panel. You can do it blind (A/B/C) or select by topic where they'll at least have an inkling of each subject matter. That gets them engaged from the start, they're choosing what they want to hear and you're consulting them right from the start.
The actual trick here, if you can carry it off, is that they think you're giving them three "options" but they all lead to the same presentation! They obviously don't need to know that though. 😉
15 minutes on the history and quirks of STW forum?
Presentation about how "you" had to remove Sudocrem from a cat?
Still keeps me happy for 15 minutes
12 slides inn12 minutes is too much. 1, possibly 2, slides with three bullet points on each ought to be enough.
Go meta, and write a presentation on how to write a presentation
I like it.
Seems entirely logical - if I asked someone to do that I’d want them to talk about something they are passionate about, understood, and could clearly communicate.
"Stick to what you know" is good advice in many instances and it's what I would do here
Conversely, when I worked in an agency, we did a course which included having to present on a subject we were knowledgeable about (and we were allowed three props to support us). It was our choice if it was true or made up, but we had to be prepared for a Q&A session at the end. I chose to talk about my love for naturism. My props were my clothes, which I took off, bit by bit, during the presentation (tbf, I only went down to my boxers). Obviously I researched the subject properly so I understood why people do it, where they go in the UK and abroad, are "we" all just perverts etc.
By the end, the board I was presenting to all fully believed I was a naturist, and it just proved that sometimes you have to be able to bullshit (and be convincing) in the workplace.
Not sure if that's a help to the OP though LOL!
3 slides. Tell them about what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell em what you told em.
Hi
Do something you know. They don't care about the subject topic (unless you present something where they think you would be a bad fit). Just how engaging you are and how you use various techniques (story telling, conclude at the start, conclude at the end with supporting material etc etc) while getting the message across. You want to come across as engaging and knowledgeable.
I had to do some presenting yesterday. Thinking about the audience and their expectations was crucial.
Various podcasts can be useful. Give yourself an hour to practice running through it and speak it out loud, preferably to someone before. Try to stay on script. demonstrate some listening for questions at the end or encourage some engagement through out.
There is a risk that one or more of the panel may be anti-cyclist but if you are willing to go with that I think it would be best to focus on a particular aspect of cycling that you enjoy as it is a very broad topic. If it was me I would probably talk about audax, the progression I have made within it and the characters that I have met plus a bit about the history, Paris Brest Paris. I would stress the personal challenges and the strong sense of community.
Another top tip – at the end of your presentation, don't say "does anyone have any questions", say "who has the first question".
Cycling would work. The trick would be to make it relevant and interesting to the audience. It has to be something that you care about and are knowledgeable about so don't go down a route that you don't know.
I'd be thinking about the message you are giving - you don't need to be explicit in saying the reasons why you are great but I'd be thinking things like
It shows dedication to a long term goal (winter miles, summer smiles).
Perseverance and resilience (My bike broke and I had to walk home)
Risk management (go big or go home)
Networking (Joining clubs/events/dodgy internet forums)
Conflict resolution (why don't you have a bell?)
There's loads of other ideas - you'll have the job description, knowledge of the role and the company so think about what they are hoping to learn about you from this exercise.
Then there's the more general point of the presentation - what question are you answering or what message are you giving - Having sat through many a technical presentation I get presented with lots of fact (who, what, when, where, how?). The presentations that are most interesting are those that become relevant. The presenter answers the most important question - "so what?".
The easiest questions will be the typical "anti cyclist questions". Think about how you will answer them.
It's kind of odd as presentations go. I've normally been asked on something technical - either "teach us something that you know types", a cliche "90 day plan" or a topic that I need to research "How would you reduce devitrification at the die" being the last example.
Early on in my career applying for a role in a fruit juice company. Part of my presentation ended up on why apple juice was worse than Coca Cola. I got the job - in part because it was a little controversial which made it interesting. The relevance being that a lot of consumer choice is fickle and down to marketing/ what is currently in the news.
I can't beleive im going to offer advice on this, but i would echo the point above about know your audience. Which you clearly don't.
Tell them that you would present in different ways to different audiences, stress that you don't know if they say, people looking for a fun way to stay fit, companionship, reducing commuting costs, trying to encourage a family member to just get out the house, already an enthusiast. But for the purpose of the presentation you will assume...
At the end tell them that if they had been X, you would have slanted it towards ABC, if Y then DEF.