Presentation Makeover: Movie Edition
For a recent interview, I decided to take a page from the book of a student affairs friend & former coworker. She’s been a great inspiration as I job search since she’s had similar experiences and has been able to provide the insight of someone who’s been on the other side of the hiring process as well. She’s also an avid runner who likened the sport to academic advising.
My interview included a presentation focused on one area of responsibility for the position. Typically, I don’t mind presenting, but I will admit that it takes some time for me to get comfortable with the material and the crowd—neither of which were really possible given the circumstances. To help make things a bit easier for myself, I stayed close to home with the subject matter by comparing prospective students visiting a college campus to the experience of going to the movies.
Here are some of my comparisons:
- The Audience & Atmosphere -> Students on campus creating the daily excitement that a school should showcase
- The Previews -> Understanding what visiting students are looking for to provide them a personalized, unique experience
- Genre Films (Romantic Comedies, Horror, Action) -> Specialized presentations or tours given to certain groups of students who may need a different experience (Transfers, Adult Students, Athletes)
- Family Films (seen differently with age) -> Families that now play a very active role in college selection and are often focused on something different from their student
- The Credits & DVD Release -> Maintaining contact in the following months to increase excitement for new students or those still making their decisions
I ended the presentation with a quote from Roger Ebert that said, “Every great film should seem new every time you see it.” As it relates to campus visits, I discussed that each visit should follow the same format but be unique enough so a person feels as if it’s meant to truly welcome them to campus on any given day.
I think the day went well and I’m pretty pleased with the presentation itself.
