So I have to do a 10min PP presentation for job interview. What font and size of is deemed as the preferred standard.

Best to keep the background white?

I have to do these all the time, they’re actually quite a challenge – when was the last time you enjoyed a PP presentation?

Hint hint…..

http://www.pechakucha.org/
http://www.ted.com/talks

Watch a few, get some ideas. The ultimate in boring is slides with loads of text on "That. You. Read. Out. What. Is. The. Point. Of. Reading. What. Your. Slides. Have. On. Them. While. Your. Audiance. Reads. The. Same. Thing. At. A. Different. Rate?"

And will you remember 2000 words on PP slides when the person is expressing themselves in a different way at the front?

Nah.

Images on slides, maybe a heading or two if you must. Talk with enthusiasm and keep it punchy.

I’d also suggest sourcing high res images [1900 wide and scale down] and skip those fancy transitions.

That’s my input, anyway.

I agree with gofaster. Images and charts only on the presentation itself. Otherwise it’s too busy.

That and if you can get your point across and demonstrate an in depth knowledge, then the viewer will be impressed.

This?

Far better than Powerpoint and more interesting

http://prezi.com/

I’ll rethink it and add some images and header text, its a dull subject as it is without slides of text.

Has to be on PP stipulation of interview process.

I was taught:

A picture paints a thousand words so less words and more graphics.

Don’t rattle through slides, I’d suggest no more than 10 slides for a 10min presentation, less if you can manage it.

If you are projecting (rather than printing), a darker background such as blue with white and/or yellow fonts is often easier on the eyes. Black on white is simple and inoffensive but it can be a bit of a strain on the eyes (but prints easily).

Keep fancy animations to a minimum – building slides bit by bit is good for focussing the audience but it doesn’t mean each line needs to fly in one-by-one; your incessant clicking will get annoying and words flying around the page can cause nausea.

You don’t have to have everything on the screen – you should supplement salient points on the screen with your voice – if you don’t achieve this then it questions your ability to add value to what’s on the screen – it important to remind the audience that they need to listen to you as well as stare at the screen.

Unless you know your audience be very careful with the use of humour!

Like I say, this is what I’ve been taught over the last 10 years but it doesn’t mean it’s the only/best answer!

For a 10 min presentation I’d say no more that about 3 or 4 slides. You can’t get through a slide a minute, the audience can’t digest the slide content as well as your pitch. Also the more you put on a slide the more focus is drawn away from you and your pitch. The slides should compliment and back up what you’re saying, not the other way round. I’m doing a 45 minute presentation at a conference in 2weeks and I’m doing 7 maybe 9 slides max, with a handful of backup slides for the Q&A based on the anticipated questions.

I guess it all depends on the context of what you’re presenting and to whom. If you’re an advertising executive then your pitch should be more dynamic, colourful and creative. If it’s to a room of stuffy pen pushers then a simpler more conservative style.

But work on your verbal delivery the most. Nothing worse than a constant monotone delivery no matter how snazzy your slides. Also eye contact with the audience without focussing on one person. You’re selling yourself and what you are saying more than your presentation slides, they are of secondary importance.

It’s a tricky thing and something you can only improve through practice. No magic formulas I’m afraid (a bit like biking in that respect). Good luck.

Echoing some of the above but…

Remember you are not doing a ‘PowerPoint’ presentation. You are delivering a talk. PowerPoint, Keynote or Prezzi are simply vehicles to deliver supporting content, charts, diagrams and images etc… Do not read out bullets from a slide and better still don’t use bullets. Engage with your audience – look at them, use rhetorical questions. Speak to them directly rather than speaking into the void, because remember this is a one-sided conversation.

Hope this helps.

For an effective presentation you need a black turtle neck. Seriously, much as he may have been an arsehole, Steve Jobs had a lot to teach about giving a presentation!!

Bruneep, are you not Fire Brigade? If its for an internal job use their powerpoint template. It’s what I did when going for the role of a swiftwater rescue instructor. If they have one that is.

Otherwise white background and simple font, arial etc.

Cheers guys.

There maybe possibly a turtles head rather than neck in use.

I remember doing a PP presentation as part of my HND – unfortunately I was away skiing in the two weeks we had to prepare it, but fortunately we worked in teams, so the other two prepared it. This meant I hadn’t even seen any of it, and I really hadn’t got my head around the subject either. Afterwards, the tutor said my bit was one of the best – why? – cos I put the notes down and looked at my audience whilst talking. I still have no idea wtf I waffled on about!

I sit through endless presentations – it sort of goes with the job of running conferences. Without any doubt all the very best presentations have one thing in common. The speaker has a title / name slide to start and not a single slide to follow. Why exactly do you need slides, what will you be putting on them. It’s likely that the only reason they want you to do this is because they don’t actually want to have to engage with you – the PowerPoint gives them something to look at so they won’t have to make eye contact with you. If you can say something to your audience then you don’t need the same words on the screen behind you – so many presenters do this and basically read out their slides – trust me I’ve seen thousands of these and none of them were less than tedious. Do not look at the screen and if you have a laser pointer shove it up your arse so there’s no temptation to use it.

Yep – What they all said. I operate loads of NHS and public and private sector presentations. The record so far is 67 slides!!!

These pros are all terrible presenters. Even kids are doing it badly and they can only be advised by educators so they must be terrible at it as well.

The technical skills are poor as well. They leave video content at home, don’t bring bespoke laptop VGA adapters, expect flawless wifi where ever they go (not entirely unreasonable for a venue tho) and tap the goddam microphone! It’s on!!! we do natural reinforcement, not rock concert!!

Good ideas above. Also, plan on the PC failing, so work out how you’ll do it without Powerpoint.
Know your subject, don’t just read out what’s on the side.