Interview Presentation: How to Plan, Structure and Deliver One

Asked to give a presentation at interview? Here are the briefs UK employers set, a simple three-part structure, how to time it, whether to use slides, how to practise and handle questions, and an example outline for a first 90 days brief.

By Tony Musso on Wed Oct 21 2026

Being asked to give a presentation at interview tells you two things. The employer is taking you seriously, because presentations usually come at second or final stage, and they want to see how you think, organise information and speak to a room, not just how you answer questions. The good news is that the presentation is the one part of an interview you can prepare almost completely in advance.

This guide covers the briefs UK employers commonly set, a structure that works for nearly all of them, how to manage your time, whether to use slides, how to practise and how to handle the questions afterwards. There is an example outline near the end that you can adapt.

Why employers ask for a presentation

A presentation lets a panel see skills that are hard to judge from answers alone:

• How you structure information. Can you take a messy topic and make it clear?
• Judgement. What you choose to include, and what you leave out.
• Communication. How you speak to a group, pace yourself and use visual aids.
• Preparation. Whether you have understood the organisation, its priorities and the role.
• How you handle challenge. The questions afterwards often matter as much as the talk.

You are most likely to be asked for one for management, sales, training, consultancy, marketing and senior public sector roles, including in the Civil Service, the NHS and local councils. Teaching interviews more often involve a sample lesson, which is a related but different task; our teacher interview questions guide covers it.

Common interview presentation briefs

Most briefs fall into one of four types.

1. Your first 90 days. "Tell us what you would do in your first three months in the role." This is the most common brief for management and senior roles. Use the learn, contribute, lead structure from our 30 60 90 day plan guide, and keep it realistic: the panel knows you cannot fix everything before you have met the team.

2. A case or problem. "Customer complaints have risen this year. How would you approach it?" Sometimes you get data or a short case study a few days in advance; sometimes you get it on the day with a short time to prepare. The panel wants to see your reasoning, not a perfect answer.

3. A topic linked to the role. "What are the biggest challenges facing our sector over the next two years?" or "How would you grow our social media following?" Research matters here, but so does having a clear point of view.

4. Something about you. "Tell us about a project you are proud of" or "Teach us something in ten minutes." These test communication more than content. For a project, structure it like an extended STAR answer: situation, task, action, result. Our STAR method guide explains how.

If the brief is unclear, for example it does not say how long you have, whether slides are expected or who will be on the panel, it is fine to email and ask. It shows care, not weakness.

Check the practical details first

Before you write a word, confirm:

• How long you have, and whether that includes questions. Many briefs ask for 10 or 15 minutes, but always go by what you have been told.
• Who is on the panel and what they do. A finance director and an HR manager will listen for different things.
• What equipment there is. A screen and laptop, a clicker, or nothing at all. For a video interview, check you can share your screen on the platform they use.
• Whether to send slides in advance. Some employers ask for them the day before. If so, send them on time and still bring a backup.
• Whether you will get preparation time on the day, as in many case exercises.

A structure that works for almost any brief

Panels often sit through several presentations in a row. A clear, predictable structure makes yours easy to follow and easy to score.

1. Opening, about 10% of your time. Thank them, restate the brief in one sentence and tell them the shape of what is coming: "I'll cover three things: what I'd focus on first, how I'd measure progress, and the risks I'd watch."
2. Main points, about 75%. Three points is the sweet spot. Give each a headline, a short explanation and one piece of evidence: a fact about the organisation, an example from your own work or a figure from their published reports.
3. Close, about 15%. Summarise your three points, give a clear recommendation or next step, and invite questions.

Keep the brief in front of you as you write. Every slide or section should answer it. A common mistake is to give a general presentation about yourself when the brief asked about the organisation's problem.

Timing: plan for less than you are given

Nerves make most people speak faster, but panels also interrupt, technology lags and stories run long. Plan content for about 80 to 90% of your time limit. If you have ten minutes, write for eight or nine.

As a rough guide, allow one slide or section for every one to two minutes. A ten-minute presentation rarely needs more than six to eight slides, including the title and summary.

Panels often stop people who overrun, and the most important part, your recommendation, usually comes at the end. Finishing on time is itself evidence that you can plan.

Slides or no slides?

Use slides if the brief asks for them, or if they genuinely help, for example to show a chart, a timeline or a process. Leave them out if you are told to, or if they would only repeat what you are saying.

If you use slides:

• One idea per slide, with a headline that states the point ("Repeat calls doubled last year"), not a label ("Data").
• Few words. A handful of short bullet points at most. If the panel is reading, they are not listening.
• Large, plain fonts with strong contrast. Skip animations and transitions.
• Bring backups. Email the file to yourself, put it on a USB stick and bring printed copies, one for each panel member and one for you.
• Get their name and facts right. A typo in the organisation's name is the slide everyone remembers.

If you are not using slides, consider a one-page handout with your three points and your recommendation. It gives the panel something to write on and refer back to when they score you.

How to practise

1. Write notes, not a script. Short prompts on cards or in presenter view keep you natural. A memorised script falls apart if you lose your place.
2. Say it out loud at least three times, timing yourself each time. Reading silently tells you nothing about length.
3. Practise in the format you will use: standing up for a room, or seated with your camera on for a video interview.
4. Rehearse in front of someone and ask them for the three questions they would ask. Those are often the ones the panel asks.
5. Learn your first two sentences by heart. A confident opening steadies your nerves for the rest.
6. Decide what to cut. Know in advance which point you would drop if you are running out of time.

Handling the questions

Questions are where panels test whether you really understand what you presented. Treat them as part of the presentation, not an afterthought.

• Pause before answering. A couple of seconds of thought looks considered, not slow.
• Answer the question, then stop. If they want more, they will ask.
• Use evidence. A short, real example from your own work is stronger than theory.
• If you don't know, say so, then say how you would find out. "I don't know your current budget split, so I'd want to see that before committing, but my starting point would be..."
• Stay open when challenged. A panel pushing back on your idea is often testing how you take feedback. Acknowledge the point, explain your reasoning and show you are willing to adjust.

The presentation is usually followed by interview questions as well. Our guides to second interview questions and competency-based interview questions cover what often comes next.

Example outline: "Your first 90 days as team leader" (10 minutes)

Slide 1: Title (30 seconds). Your name, the role and the brief in one line.

Slide 2: What I understand about the team (1 minute). Two or three things you have learned from the job description, the website and anything the organisation publishes. Show you have done the reading, and be honest about what you can't know yet.

Slide 3: Days 1 to 30, listen and learn (2 minutes). One-to-ones with each team member, understanding how the team is measured, learning the systems and spotting one early, low-risk improvement.

Slide 4: Days 31 to 60, start contributing (2 minutes). Taking full ownership of the role, delivering that first improvement and agreeing priorities with your manager.

Slide 5: Days 61 to 90, lead and improve (2 minutes). A first larger change, a plan for developing the team and how you would report progress.

Slide 6: How I'll measure success (1 minute). Three measures, linked to what the team is already judged on.

Slide 7: Summary and questions (1 minute). Your three phases in one line each, and one clear commitment.

That adds up to nine and a half minutes, which leaves a little time in hand for an interruption or a slow start.

On the day

• Arrive early and, if you can, ask to check the screen and your file before you begin.
• Have water to hand.
• Make eye contact with everyone on the panel, not only the person who asked the question.
• If the technology fails, carry on from your printouts. Panels remember how calmly you coped, not the glitch.

For the rest of the day, from research to travel, see our full guide on how to prepare for an interview, and finish well with good questions to ask at the end of an interview.

Build your presentation around what you do best. Career Strengths identifies your natural strengths and gives you the words to talk about them at interview.

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