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PRESENTATION SKILLS

 
 You may be asked to carry out presentations at various stages of your university life and career. This may be done as part of your degree for an assessed exam or coursework or as part of the selection process for an interview. You may be given a topic in advance or be given a short amount of time to prepare on the day of the presentation. Below are some guidelines.
  • Who is the audience?
Thinking about who your audience is and what they already know about the subject you are presenting can help shape your content.
  • The subject you will be talking on
If you have a free Choice, select something you know about and can talk about confidently. If you are given a fixed topic, prepare and research as much as you can. It is better to have too much information to work with and have to cut down accordingly, than not enough.
  • What points do I want to get across?
Once you have your information, think about the key aspects you want to get across. Too much information may loss the attention of your audience. You might want to break it into a set of memorable points that your audience can take away with them.
  • How much time do I have?
Timing is a crucial aspect of presenting. Your content for a 5 minutes, 10 minute or 15 minute presentation will differ according to length. Make sure you are able to say your most valuable content in the time you have.
  • What visual aids are available? 
Supporting materials will help to enforce your message and keep the audience's attention, such as handouts, overhead projections, music, film . . . . . There are many options at your disposal, but remember that too many elements can detract attention.
STRUCTURING YOUR PRESENTATION
Presentations need to be straight forward and logical, helping your audience understand your ideas and follow the information you are delivering. It is important that you avoid complex structures and focus on explaining and discussing your work clearly. Like an essay, your presentation should have a clear beginning, middle and end.
The introduction should introduce you and the topic you are going to talk about, how long you will talk, and also outline your main themes.
The body of your presentation should have a natural flow of thought. If you are presenting an argument, first give points in favour and secondly, against. If it is possible and appropriate, use stories, anecdotes, charts and graphs to explain your points.
In the conclusion, inform the audience that you are near the end and sum up with 'To sum up . . .' or 'To conclude, . . . .' Thank the audience for listening to you.
Depending on the kind of session it is, you can open up for questions and answers at the end of it. 
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