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Interview Preparation

Podcast: Interview Presentation Preparation: How to Succeed with Just One Hour’s Notice

Reviewed and Modified by Tessa Davis

Being asked to prepare an NHS interview presentation with only an hour’s notice can feel daunting. This scenario is designed to test not just your knowledge, but your ability to think clearly under pressure, prioritise what matters, and communicate effectively in a short space of time. In this discussion, Becky and Tessa break down how to approach last-minute interview presentations, how to structure your response, and what interview panels are really looking for in a five-minute presentation.

Check Out the Full Episode:

The Breakdown

Becky:
So this is a student who’s asked us about their interview presentation. They’ve been told that they’re going to be called at 8am and given the title of a five-minute presentation that they need to prepare, and their interview is at 9am, so they’ve got one hour to prepare a presentation. Right, Tessa, how would you approach this?

Tessa:
I think that’s pretty stressful. I think the first thing is to acknowledge that it is a bit stressful. Presentations happen in about half of consultant interviews, so not everyone will get a presentation, and the vast majority – I’m going to say 90% or more – get their question a week or two before.

The question is normally related to the future vision of the department or service. But getting it an hour before is stressful. I think you need to acknowledge that everyone’s in the same boat. Every candidate will also be getting it at 8am, so you all have a short time to prep and you need to be focused in that time.

You know before it’s going to happen. From the sounds of it, this is an online presentation. You’ll be in your own environment, you know you’ve got an hour, so clear all notifications and clutter. You need to focus in that hour and use it wisely.

They’ll give you the question, and it’s very likely to be about future goals and vision. Think about the things you’ve learned in your pre-interview meetings. We talked about this last week – the gold they’ve given you in those meetings is exactly what you should be putting into this.

One important thing with presentations is that it’s not just what you think the future vision should be, or what you want to tell them. It’s thinking about what they want to hear. If it were me and I had an hour, I’d spend the first ten minutes thinking: if I were on the panel and I asked this question, what would I be wanting to hear from the candidate? That shift in perspective really helps.

Becky:
Yeah, I agree. If you’ve heard things in the pre-interview meeting, absolutely slot that in. If there are people on the panel with certain priorities or areas of interest, you need to give them some nuggets in that answer. There needs to be something in there for everyone.

Tessa:
Exactly. And it’s also about not suggesting something that isn’t in keeping with what they want. There’s no point saying you want to develop a new service when actually they’ve already had it and scrapped it, or decided not to pursue it, or they already have it.

If you pick things that show you haven’t really done your due diligence, it can start you off on the wrong footing. The content you share needs to be relevant and show that you’ve taken the time to understand who they are and what matters to them.

And it’s not just about vision – you’re applying for a job there. So part of this is explaining why you are going to help them achieve that vision. That’s where you bring in your unique selling points and your experience.

The golden triangle is answering their question, tailoring it to them, and showing what you can bring. You won’t always hit all three perfectly for every point, but if you can, that’s gold.

That said, five minutes is short. What do you think timing-wise, Becky?

Becky:
I think of these five-minute presentations as an interview question you already knew the answer to. I’d structure it exactly like any other interview answer: a brief introduction, three clear points, signpost those points clearly, and then finish with a short summary. Don’t make it more complicated than that. Stick to a structure you already know.

Tessa:
Yeah, because you can’t get much done in five minutes. It’s basically a slightly longer interview answer. If you try to do too much, you risk getting cut off.

Timing-wise, they’ll probably give some leeway because you only had an hour’s notice – you can’t time it perfectly. But you can’t go over five minutes. That means roughly a minute per point. You need to choose what you include very carefully, cut out the fluff, and focus on clarity and relevance.

What about slides?

Becky:
There was no guidance on slides. Personally, I’d go slide-free. It’s five minutes – you don’t want to waste time screen-sharing or worrying about whether slides will work. It’s also probably the first thing you’ll be asked, and you want to build a connection with the panel. They need to see you clearly.

Don’t spend that hour designing slides. Spend it thinking about what you’re going to say. That’s what matters.

Tessa:
Exactly. You could spend 30 minutes fiddling with a slide and it probably won’t make any difference.

You could ask whether slides are expected. They might say it’s up to you, or they might say one slide or none at all. That removes some uncertainty. But expecting a full slide deck in an hour is a lot, so I’d guess they don’t expect that.

Ultimately, don’t waste your time on slides. The biggest wins will come from delivering strong, relevant content – not from a nicely designed slide.

Key Takeaways

  • Being given an hour to prepare a presentation is stressful, but every candidate is in the same position
  • Focus your preparation time by removing distractions and working in a clear, structured way
  • Use insights from pre-interview meetings to tailor your presentation to the department and panel
  • Think about what the panel wants to hear, not just what you want to say
  • Structure the presentation like an interview answer: introduction, three points, and a brief summary
  • Five minutes means depth over breadth – avoid trying to cover too much
  • Slide-free presentations are often best for short, last-minute scenarios
  • Strong content and clear delivery matter far more than visual polish