By Melissa Llarena – theLadders

Nail your next job interview presentation with these tips.

Mark made an excellent first impression at his initial interview with a Hong Kong based direct sales consumer goods company. He was then notified that he would have to present a pitch deck at his next interview. The instructions were specific– he was to pitch a sale over $1M that he’d led over the past two years.

Mark panicked, as he did not have a great example, nor had he ever reached that revenue number in the past. He asked himself, “how can I position my presentation in a way that’s relevant and answers the question head on?”

Asking job candidates to make presentations as part of the interview process is becoming more common and more common. The presentation serves as a way to filter candidates and gauge if they are a good fit for the company. A person may make an excellent first impression and seem savvy and strategic, but interviewers can’t be sure on a candidate until they see them do the actual work.

Have an interview presentation soon and no idea how to prep? Here are six tips you’ll need to know to ace it.

Follow the directions

This may seem obvious, but follow the instructions for the presentation exactly as they are given. If the instructions state that you have only 30 minutes to present, do not go over or under. If they give you formatting restrictions (such as font size, spacing, etc.), adhere to their rules. Often they are just also looking to see if you can follow simple instructions.

Choose the best example

Take a look at the job description and make sure the example you chose highlights the skills they are seeking. For example, if the job is for an analytical role, include a financial model. If the position description includes “a curious person,” be sure to ask questions. This can also help you showcase certain skills that are not obvious from your prior jobs. For example, I was working with an aspiring sourcing and procurement professional who needed to show that he understood S&P, so he included an ecosystem within the appendix.

Omit any proprietary data

It’s in your best interest not to offer any proprietary data in your presentation. Instead, indicate that the numbers you are using are estimates. You can also use percentages to demonstrate the magnitude of your impact.

Know your points

When presenting, pick one core message, present your three supporting points, and then conclude with your core message. Sticking to this model will help you develop your presentation concisely and help it flow more smoothly.