18 September 2009

A Question for you

I had a phone call, yesterday, asking me if I would like to attend an interview for a job in Cornwall which I had applied for in early August... Seems like the current trend is to contact people well after the closing date and hope they haven't yet got something else in the meantime..

I digress, the form of the interview will be to have a 45 mins interview with a panel and then do a 5 minute presentation- the details of which will be sent to me in the post but involves Convergence in Cornwall (Education I think but as yet I haven' t yet received the details).

Now my question to you is How do you know where to pitch the presentation? tell them what they know? tell them what you know? tell them where you think they are going? tell them what resources you can bring to the college?

Any and all assistance gratefully received.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thats quite a difficult one, and it really does depend on what topic they give you. If I was doing it (as I very recently was!) I would start with:
a) what I do know
b) what I don't know yet but would like to know about
c) what I could bring to the role/topic, bringing (a) and (b) togther - mentioning skills you have which would help you learn (b).

5 minutes is a fair amount of time to be able to talk, and you need to give them enough to show them you're not a complete novice, but unless you're already an expert that you're willing and able to learn too.

I'm no expert in these things though, so not sure whether my advice is the best to follow!

Good luck with the interview :-)

Anonymous said...

You have some good advice there from Chapati. I'd never heard of Convergence in Cornwall but I've looked it up and it appears to be something to do with the European Social Fund. I would do as much research as you have time for so that your interest shows, and when you have your presentation prepared, practice, practice, practice, until it's almost word perfect and you barely need notes. Often they are not so much looking for knowledge, as for a spark, a difference between you and other candidates.

A.