Episode 6

Before you watch

We suggest you do the vocabulary activities below before you watch. Then watch the video and do the task to check your understanding. You can read the transcript at any stage if you want. Finally, have a look at Task 2, which contains some business notes and a further vocabulary activity on adjectives which are commonly used to describe jobs.

Exercise

Comprehension task

Read the statements and decide if they are true or false.

Exercise

Read transcript

Business notes

When asked to give a presentation as part of a job interview it’s a good opportunity to showcase your skills especially if giving presentations is actually part of the job. It’s also an area where you could make mistakes if you are not well prepared.

Basic Guidelines For Designing Your Presentation

List and prioritize the main goals that you want to accomplish with your presentation. For Sarah and Daniel these would be to show an interest and understanding in the work that WebWare does and in the position that is being offered i.e. sales director.

They also need to demonstrate that they have the particular skills needed for the job. In the video, Daniel has obviously set the wrong goals for his presentation where he talks mostly about himself and his achievements in a rather egotistical way. In contrast, Sarah shows that she has given some thought to WebWare’s business and how she feels she can improve it in the future.

It’s important to set the right tone for the presentation. Daniel’s presentation was more of a performance as he strode around confidently, gesticulating and even attempting to play a song on his harmonica. He was far too casual and the tone he set was not one of professionalism.

In contrast, Sarah appeared relaxed, well-prepared, serious and business-like.
Allow time for questions and answers at the end. Sarah asked the interviewers if they had any questions, whilst Daniel merely asked if he had got the job!
If you're speaking to a small group then try to accomplish eye contact with each person for a few seconds throughout your delivery. Don’t look at your materials or notes all the time.

Speak a little bit louder and a little bit slower than you normally would do with a friend. A good way to practice these guidelines is to speak along with a news anchor when you're watching television. Also try to vary the volume and rate of your speech. A monotone voice will send your audience to sleep!