Doing a presentation in an interview - advice please

[Sysman]

I say go for it. At least it'll get you out of the house and give you an opportunity to keep your hand in.

Grab as many contact names as you can. How about giving the audience a questionnaire with boxes for contact details? Or ask them to fill out a questionnaire on your web site? You can probably think of better ways.

If agents can collect "references", so can you

[alreadypacked]

I say go for it. At least it'll get you out of the house and give you an opportunity to keep your hand in.

Grab as many contact names as you can. How about giving the audience a questionnaire with boxes for contact details? Or ask them to fill out a questionnaire on your web site? You can probably think of better ways.

If agents can collect "references", so can you

And if you don't get the gig, give them as references the next time an agent asks

[Hawkeye]

It is worth a shot. If it turns into a gig then you will be glad you did it. No point in looking back and regretting turning it down.

[Sysman]

And if you don't get the gig, give them as references the next time an agent asks

On a serious note it's something to put on the CV under "Gave presentation on <abc> to <xyz>".

[Zippy]

On a serious note it's something to put on the CV under "Gave presentation on <abc> to <xyz>".

That's a good point. Consultancy work for major government organisation. Leave out the bit about not getting paid.

[Platypus]

Leave out the bit about not getting paid.

[suityou01]

A few weeks ago I was shafted when I did a 3 hour interview for a role. I was presented, verbally, with a project mandate and the likely risks and asked how I would deal with it. I then gave lots of free valuable consultancy on how to run the project. The programme manager had no authority to recruit but was very glad of my advice and experience.

I don't think this was done on purpose. I would think that the bell-end organising the interview had the rug pulled from underneath him and was embarrased. That said, he is still a bell-end.

Having been bitten once, I am now paranoid and don't trust my own judgement.

I would say your judgement is sound enough. Have confidence.

I have been invited to attend a 2 hour interview for a central government agency. This is to include a 30 minute presentation.

Great! Some interview practice! All good. Go for it. It's good to hear the phone is ringing again. I have noticed the market picking up, so it's reassuring it's picking up for you too, shirley?

• There has never been a job spec, just a few vague bullet points.
• There is no person spec., not even "PRINCE2".
• The role has only been advertised by just one agency. Yet this is a government gig.
• They cannot tell me what the project is except in very vague terms - I cannot even tell if it is technical or business change. Even for MOD secret projects they can tell you more than that.
• There is no idea of budget, timescale or the nature of the deliverable(s) other than "3 months to 2 years".
• I have been asked to provide a list of dates & times when I can attend, rather than the other way around (that's unusual in itself).
• It is the same agency as when I was shafted a few weeks ago.

They sound very disorganised. Perhaps they recognise they need a project manager.

One part of my head says "It's a gig and somebody is going to get it so go for it". Another part says "Here we go again: free consultancy, tell them to get stuffed".

I don't think people would go to this length just to get some free consultancy, really I don't. This may come to nothing, in fact, expecting it too may liberate you in interview mode to just be yourself. Relax, do the interview so you feel proud of what you did, then go home and have a beer and put it out of your mind.

Knock em dead.

[HairyArsedBloke]

....
I have been invited to attend a 2 hour interview for a central government agency. This is to include a 30 minute presentation.
...
What should I do?

You should be ashamed of yourself. It people like you who have gotten us into this dismal economic crisis.

DON'T ENCOURAGE THE BASTARDS!

Tell 'em to stop wasting taxpayers money (not that I'm one of them) and sack the whole department.

[NickFitz]

Go for it - at least it'll get you out of the house

...ask them to fill out a questionnaire on your web site?

Not so sure about that

[cojak]

A few weeks ago I was shafted when I did a 3 hour interview for a role. I was presented, verbally, with a project mandate and the likely risks and asked how I would deal with it. I then gave lots of free valuable consultancy on how to run the project. The programme manager had no authority to recruit but was very glad of my advice and experience.

Having been bitten once, I am now paranoid and don't trust my own judgement. I need some advice.

I have been invited to attend a 2 hour interview for a central government agency. This is to include a 30 minute presentation.

• There has never been a job spec, just a few vague bullet points.
• There is no person spec., not even "PRINCE2".
• The role has only been advertised by just one agency. Yet this is a government gig.
• They cannot tell me what the project is except in very vague terms - I cannot even tell if it is technical or business change. Even for MOD secret projects they can tell you more than that.
• There is no idea of budget, timescale or the nature of the deliverable(s) other than "3 months to 2 years".
• I have been asked to provide a list of dates & times when I can attend, rather than the other way around (that's unusual in itself).
• It is the same agency as when I was shafted a few weeks ago.

One part of my head says "It's a gig and somebody is going to get it so go for it". Another part says "Here we go again: free consultancy, tell them to get stuffed".

What should I do?

Simples, Darlin!

See how Amazon.com provide tasters for their books.

They show the front cover (the main idea of the presentation - 1st slide),...

then they'll show the table of contents (2nd slide 5 - 7 bullet points of what you would do/they should do etc),...

then they'll give a little in-depth info of 1 of the bullet points (3rd slide, maybe 4th slide if your feeling generous...)

then they give you the back cover (on the 5th slide you'd tell them what you would do if you got the gig)...

Just enough info to get them interested, not enough to give it to them for free.