မြန်မာကျောင်းသူ
This phrase is popularly used to reinforce the importance of good communication and public image building to build successful businesses.
Positioning an organization properly and presenting its benefits and differentials effectively is essential for that organization and its products or services to be well perceived by interested people – and the same concept can be applied when we talk about our own personal brands.
The rationale is the same when we talk about building a personal brand: those who know how to position themselves well and highlight their strengths end up attracting more attention from potential clients, employers, or even business partners.
Because it is such an important factor for the professional environment, in this article we separate the main points you need to understand to start improving your own brand through a well-done personal presentation.
What is the personal presentation?
The personal presentation is nothing more than what the name itself makes clear: a presentation of oneself.
This presentation is often requested in selection processes and job interviews, but the truth is that it may be necessary in many other different contexts, such as business meetings, the beginning of a course, or even job presentations.
Generally speaking, personal introductions should communicate an individual's key characteristics and skills, as well as any other information important to the context of the moment.
Below you can see some particularities that personal presentations can have according to the most common contexts: for a job interview, for a work meeting, and for students.
Personal presentation for job interviews
Perhaps the context that most causes anxiety for people, personal introductions for job interviews can be decisive for anyone looking for a new job or even relocation.
In this context, the keyword is preparation. Study the company and the vacancy you are interested in and structure a personal presentation that highlights your main characteristics related to the needs of that business.
Remember that the person interviewing you knows very little or nothing about you, so it is important to clearly present the main information about you and make a good impression from the beginning.
Personal presentation for meetings at work
For those who need to build a personal presentation for a meeting or work activity, the task can be a little less stressful – but just as important as in the previous scenario.
Here, you already have much more information about the organization and the work itself, as well as probably knowing one or more people who will be the audience for your presentation, so focus on the essentials to successfully conclude the meeting.
If the idea is to have a meeting to solve a problem or present a result, make sure that your personal presentation brings the necessary information to position you as an authority figure on the subject in question.
Personal presentation of a student
The last context is perhaps the least sensitive of the three listed here, and is when we need to make a personal introduction at the start of some course or similar activity.
This situation can happen from undergraduate studies to those who decide to start a technical course, postgraduate or other academic lines, and it is especially important for your study colleagues and even professors to know more about you.
This more informal environment allows you to have peace of mind for your presentation, but remember that this is still an opportunity to build your personal image and create a first impression on these people, so make sure you make a good personal presentation.
What are the types of personal presentations?
In addition to the differences according to the context, another important factor in building a personal presentation is to understand what its format will be: live, video, text or with slides.
See more details about each of these types below.
Live personal presentation
The live personal presentation is the most common and perhaps the most feared by professionals.
This type of presentation is one in which the person simply tells their story and introduces themselves to a face-to-face audience, a very common situation in job interviews.
Here, it is important not only to plan what will be presented but also to pay attention to your own speech and body language, in addition to controlling the nervousness that is very common in this type of presentation.
Personal presentation in video and audio
Similar to the previous type, the main difference of this personal presentation is that the professional can make several attempts until he arrives at a video that he considers ideal to share.
This is a type of presentation that has been increasingly used in selection processes, mainly because it does away with the need for both interviewees and interviewers to travel.
In these presentations, some of the new points of attention are the very quality of the video and audio of the final material, which must be clear and well-finished to produce a good result.
Personal presentation in text
This type of personal introduction is the oldest of those discussed here and is basically the writing of a cover letter or essay.
Also, quite common in selection processes, both professional and academic, personal presentation texts usually accompany resumes or even letters of recommendation.
Many people are already used to having a short version of this personal introduction in their personal profiles on platforms such as LinkedIn.
Personal presentation with slides
Finally, the personal presentation with slides can be described as an evolution of the live presentation, as it also involves the preparation of the oral speech but with the addition of visual support with slides.
In this type of presentation, in addition to the care described in the live presentation, it is also important to ensure that the content of the slides is adequate to convey the desired message.
This means preparing clear and direct slides that are able to impress the audience without taking the focus off the most important thing: you.
How to prepare a personal and professional presentation?
Understanding the different types of presentations was just the beginning. Let's now talk about the necessary steps to make a personal presentation.
1. Know your audience well
Each audience requires a different approach, as mentioned in the section on different contexts for a personal presentation.
Therefore, understand who you are going to present to and prepare yourself according to the profile of this audience, adjusting the tone, content, and speech itself according to the need.
Despite being a cliché, it is worth reinforcing: always demonstrate honesty and naturalness.
2. Be careful with time and with the amount of information
Just as resumes should be direct and objective, personal introductions follow the same line.
Many people end up falling into the trap of talking too much, presenting every detail about themselves and leaving the presentation long, boring, and not very effective.
Make sure you only present the essential and most important points for each situation, this way it is easier for people to really absorb the information that matters about you.
3. Escape the decor
Although it is important to define a script for your presentation, following a text word by word can end up becoming unnatural and causing strangeness in the audience.
Avoid speaking a perfectly decorated text and demonstrate naturalness throughout the presentation, both with slight adaptations in the speech and in the way you are presenting – with pauses and gestures when convenient.
4. Practice your presentation
Reciting a memorized text is not the best option, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't practice and train your presentation a lot before anything else.
This practice is essential especially for you to have more and more confidence in the presentation and to be able to act naturally when you are actually presenting.
Take advantage of this practice to make adjustments and make your presentation as perfect as possible – it's even worth recording some videos to review later!
5. Develop your self-esteem
As mentioned in the previous topic, it is important to have the confidence to be able to make a remarkable presentation – and having good self-esteem helps a lot in this regard.
Don't be afraid to recognize your own strengths and qualities, as these are exactly what should stand out during your personal presentation.
Be confident and self-assured when you introduce yourself, this will also help to make a good impression.
