Presentations 3 AVAs

Audio Visual Aids (AVAs)

You should be told in advance which AVAs will be available. If not, ring up and ask.  Otherwise you could spend hours preparing transparencies only to find there is no overhead projector in the interview room.

If you are using transparencies (OHTs) you should always type and print rather than handwrite them. This looks much more professional. I once interviewed someone who had scribbled almost illegible notes on his and commented that his flatmate had borrowed the coloured pens. He didn’t get the job. OHTs are expensive and so if you are thinking of “borrowing” a few, make sure you get the right ones! The transparencies designed for laser printers aren’t suitable for inkjets and may be difficult to read if used on the latter.

Remember to use at least 24pt font size and don’t put too much information on each page. About six lines is recommended and about 6-8 words per line. It’s better to spread information over several OHTs than to cram it all into one.  You can use bullets, a little colour and some images, but don’t go overboard. Images on every OHT would be overkill, unless the subject matter is best explained by the use of graphics.

OHTs should be clear, to the point and help get the message across. They can also act as prompts to keep you on track.

If you want to provide the interviewers with more detailed information, you can put it in a handout. More on those later.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions:

waller@coolercareers.comFor CV resources: www.woljam.com/marketing/index.html

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