Originally Posted by: Martin Brogan

Hi I am wondering if anyone has had to do this. I have an interview for a company as a health and safety advisor and have been asked to prepare a 15 minute presenation on any health and safety topic of my choice. Has anyone had to do this? and if yes any guidance on subject matter that would grab the interviewers attention? Thanks In advance Martin

Just about every interview I have gone for has included a presentation, although usually the topic has been set by the interviewer.

I found them a mine field as different interviewers have asked for different things and based on the feedback expected me to be able to read their minds.  Eg one person told me a topic but criticised

me for not giving any background information on general H&S. The next guy then criticised for giving too much background and not sticking to the brief.

The worst one did not tell me the topic until I arrived at the interview. They then gave me 45 minutes, a flip chart and some pens and told me to create a presentation then and there on the topic!

My guidance would be:

1. Introduce yourself at the start. Explain who you are and what makes you passionate about Health and Safety.
2. Don’t do too many slides. For a fifteen minute talk you don’t need twenty or thirty slides. Five or six might be enough. They want to see YOU not your slides. You should be doing the talking and explaining.
3. Don’t just repeat what you see on the slides. Show them you can hold an audience.
4. Don’t use loads of bullet points-“bullets kill people”.  Pictures and animations can break up a dry presentation.
5. But don’t be too tricky eg using weird slide transitions
6. Interact with the audience; give them handouts, ask them questions, show them examples etc.
7. Practice the presentation. It does not need to be word perfect but you must get the timing right. Don’t over run( 15 minutes can flyby)
8. Pitch it at the right level: not too basic but don’t go off into the realms of technical jargon either. Remember that probably only one member of the interview panel will be a Health and Safety professional.
9.  Smile: look like you are enjoying yourself.
10. Be ready to answer questions on the presentation.

Originally Posted by: Martin Brogan

Hi I am wondering if anyone has had to do this. I have an interview for a company as a health and safety advisor and have been asked to prepare a 15 minute presenation on any health and safety topic of my choice. Has anyone had to do this? and if yes any guidance on subject matter that would grab the interviewers attention? Thanks In advance Martin

I hope these won't be free of charge 15min of consulting to them...

Maria

I have had to do this for almost every job interview. I always ask applicants for a 5 min presentation when recruiting, but care less about the slides, if used, than the person's own style. Hate to see slides used badly tho.

AKs tips are on the button. (but I actually prefer the 'we'll tell you when you get here' flipchart challenge, as it brings out my own ad-hoc style. 20 mins preparation last time - easy).

15 mins is quite a long time. I would aim to finish in 12 and make it clear you are allowing for questions or discussion. I also like Stuies ideas, as it is your choice of subject, to 'sell' some safety concepts using everyday examples.

With your own choice you can avoid the 'free consultancy' types of interview presentations providing a topic  'how would you tackle this problem' so commonly encountered (sigh).

Thoroughly enjoy doing them, I find it the best way to get my point across and sell myself

On the flip side I am managing/ recruiting a team in my new position and need to recruit 3 x Safety Assurance Managers, I have specifially requested that they produce a presentation as part of the interview process

Originally Posted by: aud

I have had to do this for almost every job interview. I always ask applicants for a 5 min presentation when recruiting, but care less about the slides, if used, than the person's own style. Hate to see slides used badly tho.

AKs tips are on the button. (but I actually prefer the 'we'll tell you when you get here' flipchart challenge, as it brings out my own ad-hoc style. 20 mins preparation last time - easy).

15 mins is quite a long time. I would aim to finish in 12 and make it clear you are allowing for questions or discussion. I also like Stuies ideas, as it is your choice of subject, to 'sell' some safety concepts using everyday examples.

With your own choice you can avoid the 'free consultancy' types of interview presentations providing a topic  'how would you tackle this problem' so commonly encountered (sigh).

The problem witthe flipchart challenge is that I ended up with not enough time to time (as it were) the presentation and managed to over shoot.

Edited by user 12 May 2017 07:53:20(UTC)  | Reason: My bad spelling