JT & Dale Talk Jobs: Preparing an "opening statement" for a panel interview

DALE: I know that J.T. has a comprehensive plan for this, but let me start by saying, this is great. They are giving you an opportunity to make a convincing first impression and then time to make a second impression, too. So don’t go into your prep work grumbling; go in smiling.

J.T.: Yes, how I love this. My advice is to have five slides, a minute each. The slides should be visual — that is, not a lot of text. The goal is to keep them focused on you and what you are saying, not what’s written on the slides. Here’s the outline:

Slide 1: Picture of you and quick bulleted timeline of education/career.

Slide 2: Play “Two lies and the truth.” Put three pics up and say one of these things is true about me. Let everyone guess which one is true. It’s a fun way to engage the audience.

Slide 3: Have a single photo that depicts/represents in some way the biggest learning moment you’ve had on the job related to the work you’ll be doing for them — share the story.

Slide 4: Choose another picture to showcase the time you felt most proud of your work and how it relates to this role.

Slide 5: Top three to five bullet points of why you respect/admire what the company does and explain that’s why you want to work for them.

This will ensure your presentation is engaging and relevant.

DALE: Slide 5 is my favorite: You prove you’re a team player by showing respect for them and by not making the entire presentation about you. But, as for your prep, rehearse and rehearse again. Then rehearse in front of friends who’ll be honest.