How would you present yourself?

Hi guys,

Following on from my amazing thread about sandwiches, I now need some further insight into something a little bit more fun. How do you tackle the following question?

"Can you do me a favour, and make a 5 minute presentation on your experience in the company? It'll be in front of the entire company on Thursday." This was off the CTO.

I'm thinking a power point, so there's some visual, however I've no idea what to put into it. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks for the help as well.

 

How long have you been with the company? I would definitely prepare 5-8 slides that offer a timeline with highlights:

1. Major milestones (projects involved with; completed, etc.)
2. Departments/staff that you have engaged with; give shout-outs to people who have been especially helpful.
3. Companies/people outside the company that you have engaged with and markets/industries that you have worked in, if any.
4. What new experiences you have had, skills you have learned, etc.
5. A humorous story or two that shows affection for the company.
6. Optional: forecast for the future (new challenges you would like to take on, new skills you would like to learn, etc.)

Then make everyone a great sandwich!

 

Thanks jrbiz, that's really helpful. I think I'll make the sandwiches before. haha.

Seriously though, that's great help. It's only meant to be 5 minutes, so what you have just typed above will fill 5 minutes definitely. If anyone else has ideas, feel free to jump on in.

 

The rule of thumb is 1 slide for each minute of the presentation. But, if you are a little nervous or unaccustomed to public speaking or just habitually speak fast, it is better to have a few more in abeyance. Let us know how it goes.

 

Aye, good call on that, I have learned that the hard way and still nervous publicly speaking to this day. The few extra imagery to divert attention from that nervousness would definitely help.

You can also include photos from events and conferences you attended as well as other notable moments with your colleagues that were captured on film. Would correlate well with the fun part of your presentation. At the end of the day, if you like your company and your colleagues most of it would come naturally and the 5min will pass like 1

 

I would like to say that opening this thread is an awesome idea! and also for those who give awesome answers! well, for me, presentation of yourself is a really broad topic! however, there are so many thing that you could do to narrow it down. Of course, advertising yourself will have a huge impact, skill and miles stones etc. Maybe one thing I could add is, you cannot deliver those things well enough if you're not yourself! so, be yourself! and everything will work out!

 

Have you done the presentation? How did it turn out?

 

I guess the presentation should have been done by now. Hope it went well.

 

I think as far as the content the presentation should include goes, @jrbiz has indeed left nothing out. Rest of it depends on how strongly you present the stuff. Yeah, nervousness kills - even if your material is designed perfectly, it can severely ruin what can in fact be a potentially very effective presentation. Assuming the one in this case is yet to be delivered, I would suggest you to rehearse it in front of a mirror about 4-5 times before you actually deliver it. Try visualizing that the audience is actually there while rehearsing. This will boost your confidence. Don't think of it as a business or professional presentation, but as an occasion to interact and communicate casually, friendly and socially with your colleagues. Consider it an opportunity the company has given you to express your gratitude. Of course, don't let yourself get too carried away – a certain amount of professionalism HAS to be there.

I would suggest you to try the famous 'underwear' trick. And do let me know how it works.

Hope it helps. Good luck.

 

I don't seem to be aware about that one and the Google searches gave me some ambivalent results.
Don't wanna rush into it unprepared, right?

 

The trick has been overhyped and many claim it works for them. One variant of the advice even tells you to imagine people without any clothes on! :O I tried it some time back and frankly speaking, imagining some people in their underwears made me more nervous …. and more so when I tried seeing them au naturel.
So you're right. You've to go in the ring well-prepared. This can backlash.

OP, please DON'T try this for your presentation. Your job will be at stake. LOL

 

Haha, come ooon, so some genuinely claim that this trick works for them? Unless I am speaking in front of a swimsuit model convention I can only see this plan backfiring in catastrophic proportions

 

The shorter the better.

 

There are too many occasions in our daily life. So presentation is different. It's denpnds according to the situation.

 

It has been interesting for me to read the concerns, issues, etc., that have been posted above regarding public speaking. I started my first public speaking engagements when leading my band that was playing at weddings, parties, and other such celebrations at the age of 13 or 14. Of course, I was also performing in the band, but that is different from making announcements, introductions, telling jokes, etc. I even had engagements where we would be performing and I would be speaking in front of thousands (not a rock concert, but more of a big outdoor event like a town-wide picnic.) As an added bit of "pressure" some of these events would include family, neighbors, friends, classmates, teachers, etc. As I later transitioned into a sales and marketing career, I found myself regularly speaking in front of groups of all sizes, as well. Since I have been doing it for so long and from such an early age, I really just look at it as another aspect of my skillset and do not really get nervous or apprehensive beforehand or during the activity. I might even go so far as to say that I enjoy it.