Self-Presentation Templates for PowerPoint

Use PowerPoint for high-quality personal presentations.

The PowerPoint presentations in this category provide the ideal charts for every section of a curriculum vitae. You can use a table to present your strengths and weaknesses. Use a timeline or roadmap to track your career, milestone by milestone. Charts and diagrams can be used to illustrate your goals and qualifications. Our introductory tutorial summarizes the main features of a successful self-presentation and gives you tips to make your personal presentation a success.

In the following sections, you'll learn everything you need to know about presenting yourself and how to do it in PowerPoint. Keep reading to find out:

• • ...The benefits of a successful self-presentation and what goes into one.
• • ...what content and design features your personal PowerPoint presentation should include.
• • ...what is essential for your presentation and what to focus on.

PowerPoint self-presentation: What is it and who needs one?

A PowerPoint self-presentation is actually nothing more than the name implies: using PowerPoint to present yourself. You can present who you are, what qualifies you for a position and what motivates you in a short presentation. This kind of PowerPoint presentation has become a popular tool for job applications and assessment centers. It’s not just a tool just for newcomers to a professional career, but also great for internal application processes. As an entrepreneur, you can also use a self-presentation to introduce yourself and your company to potential business partners and interested parties.

The benefits of presenting yourself with PowerPoint – why self-presentations work so well.

The trend towards PowerPoint self-presentations may not excite everyone. The good old application portfolio and traditional interview have worked so far. So, why fix something that isn't broken? The answer is: a self-presentation offers clear added value for both sides. It allows your counterpart to see you as an individual and (potential) employee in action. The presentation allows you to show how well you’ve prepared yourself and how you act while presenting. This gives a much more comprehensive impression of you and how you conduct yourself – more than a standard CV could ever do.

Why you, as a job candidate, can benefit from an effective self-presentation.

Doesn’t a self-presentation just mean more stress and nervousness? Not necessarily. In fact, it may even make things easier for you. Why? Because it facilitates something that documents and a question-and-answer situation simply cannot: the opportunity to really show your personality. And a convincing and confident personality will impress a recruiter more than diplomas and references. Presenting yourself also puts you in the driver’s seat: you decide how you want to market yourself, and you can prepare yourself accordingly.

What do employers and HR managers look for in self-presentations?

A quick glance at your CV is enough to find out some details about your career. The self-presentation goes beyond that. It's not just about describing yourself; it’s about selling yourself. How organized and prepared are you? How strong are your communication and social skills? How do you deal with stressful situations? More than anything, that’s what employers and recruiters want to see in your self-presentation.

With a well-prepared self-presentation, you can show:

• • ...your organized, independent way of working.
• • ...your ability to explain your opinions.
• • ...your talent to communicate clearly and convincingly.
• • ...your drive and self-confidence.

What should go into a self-presentation during a job interview?

As a rule, you’ll only have a few minutes to present yourself as part of a job application. What information you give about yourself hast to be boiled down to the essentials. The key word is "relevant". After all, the point is to show why you are the right choice for this particular position. What’s important for your counterpart and what the position demands influence what you present.

This type of self-presentation should answer the following questions:

• • ...Who are you and where do you come from?: Name, age, where you live/come from.
• • ...What’s your background?Milestones in education, studies, work experience.
• • ...hy did you choose this career path?Motivation, goals, ideals.
• • ...Do you have any other relevant experience or knowledge?: Foreign languages, stays abroad, internships, projects, voluntary work, relevant hobbies/interests.
  
• • ...What soft skills do you bring to the table?Strengths, personal characteristics.
• • ...Why are you here?Qualifications for the position, motivation for applying.

What doesn’t belong in a self-presentation?  

Lengthy explanations and tangents need to be avoided. The point is not to tell a lot about yourself, but to share the essentials – and to do so in a concise, convincing manner. When designing your self-presentation, try and avoid too many bells and whistles as well. People want to get to know YOU, not your presentation design skills.

And never forget: Honesty is the best policy. False statements will be found out sooner or later and will only work against you.

A self-presentation template: communicate content in an interesting way.

Some of you might be thinking, the most important information about myself is already in my application. So why do I need a self-presentation? In order to really stand out from the crowd, you need to go a step further and show who’s behind that information. To do this, you need to use all that information to tell your personal story, including reasons for applying, personal anecdotes, goals, etc. Having this kind of framework allows you to share your personal and professional information with confidence. Because if you're not convinced of yourself, why should others be?

Here are some questions that you can give an interesting, convincing answer to:

• • ...What motivates you in your career?
• • ...What are you proud of and why?
• • ...Why was a particular project so meaningful to you?
• • ...What or who has had a significant impact on you?
• • ...What would you like to achieve through your work?
  

How creative can you get in a self-presentation?

You usually can't go wrong with a classic, professionally delivered self-presentation. But many applicants are looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and increase their chances. The success of a creative self-presentation depends, of course, on the industry and the position you are applying for. Your chances of getting into the executive suite of a bank with jokes and a picture from your last Halloween party are probably slim. If you want to present yourself as the perfect vacation club entertainer well, that’s a different story. As a rule, restraint is always recommended.

If you want to add an individual touch to your self-presentation, it's best to do so right at the start. What you say and how it’s delivered should correspond to the position you're aiming for. With an original introduction, you can attract your audience’s attention and set yourself apart from other applicants.

Example: If the company operates abroad and Spanish language skills are required, you could start by briefly introducing yourself in Spanish.

Presenting yourself with PowerPoint: Should you mention weaknesses?

A work history with interruptions and detours, or qualifications that don’t quite meet the requirements:  these are things that make applicants sweat. In a classic job interview, you don’t have any influence on whether you'll be asked about them or not. But what about in a self-presentation? Should weak points be skipped over and avoided?

There is no clear answer to this question. Of course, you should never go into length and detail about this sort of thing. But certain information, such as a noticeable gap in your work history, will attract even more attention if you give the impression you have something to hide.

Instead, maybe you can sell your supposed weakness as a strength. HR managers know that work history is rarely a straight line. Life experience and motivation are worth more today than a seamless career. If they weren’t interested in you, you wouldn't have gotten to the point of presenting yourself at all.

You might even score points if you manage to sell a professional crisis as a courageous new start or lack of qualifications as a personal challenge.

Can a self-presentation also be given without PowerPoint?

Generally speaking, a self-presentation can also be made without using presentation software. However, PowerPoint is almost always the standard presentation tool in companies today. A self-presentation with prepared slides shows that you’ve put the work in and you’re comfortable with technology and software. PowerPoint also provides a huge variety of design options and professional visual support for your content.

Other presenting tools, such as a flipchart or whiteboard, are only recommended for the most confident and experienced of presenters. Writing legibly and without mistakes when nervous is a challenge and can throw off your flow of speech and rhythm. A prepared PowerPoint presentation makes all this, nerves or no nerves, much easier.

Choosing the right self-presentation PowerPoint template.

It's not only the content of your interview that matters. You can also score points with an appealing and professional design. Choosing the right PowerPoint template guarantees a high-quality, coherent design and makes it easier for you to create your self-presentation.

Think about what you want to say about yourself and what your counterpart wants to know. These considerations are also important when choosing the layout and template for your self-presentation. In our range, you'll find a large selection of layouts with different imagery to choose from. You can decide which self-presentation layout will best express your personal ambitions.

Self-presentation template: slide design  

A well-designed template provides the right visual support for your self-presentation. But keep in mind, the design should never be the focal point of your presentation. The focus should be on you, of course. From a design point of view, less is more. Too much text, inconsistent slide design, and a jumble of colorful graphics and images will only confuse and distract from you.

In contrast, a clean, streamlined design puts the focus on the essentials. Choosing the right templates will provide your content with the perfect backdrop and won’t distract from your oral presentation. Our templates include useful, well-organized diagrams and tables that will help you get to the heart of the facts you want to communicate.

A popular PowerPoint tool for self-presentations is the roadmap that you can use to visualize your career, milestone by milestone. How minimalist or creative the design depends on the company and profession in question. Stronger visuals, e.g., presenting your own work with embedded photos or videos, can be a definite advantage in creative industries.

Things to keep in mind when delivering your presentation.

It's not only what you say that counts, but how you say it. Speaking freely, making eye contact, facial expressions and body language are important and often say more than words alone. This is why preparation is key for your self-presentation. Filming yourself while you practice is a fantastic idea. A test audience of friends or family can provide helpful feedback.

Also pay attention to your voice. The volume and tempo with which you speak should be strong but not forced. In other words, avoid yelling or rushing. You can avoid the dreaded monotone delivery by building in emphasis and pauses.

The goal is to communicate your content in an interesting and engaging way.

Here’s an overview of some key points for delivering a strong self-presentation:

• • ...Maintain good but relaxed posture.
• • ...Incorporate friendly, natural facial expressions.
• • ...Establish eye contact.
• • ...Formulate short, easy-to-follow sentences.
• • ...Don’t read off your slides.
• • ...Speak calmly and clearly.
• • ...Build in pauses and emphasize key points.

Self-presentations at assessment centers

If you're invited to an assessment center, expect to give a short self-presentation. You’ll typically have little to no time to get ready while you're there so come prepared. Self-presentations of 2-7 minutes are the norm.

Sometimes you'll be asked for specific content. You might have to talk about a formative experience in your career or something similar.

Unlike the classic job interview, you may be asked to give a presentation in pairs or in a group. Sometimes you may even be asked to introduce another person.

Finally, expect critical follow-up questions – it’s often about testing your ability to handle stressful situations.

Here are some key self-presentation tips in a nutshell:

• • ...Content: Personal details, career, qualifications, soft skills, motivation.
• • ...Length: A few minutes (usually 2-7 minutes)
• • ...Design: Clean, streamlined but also expressive
• • ...Goal: Present information about yourself clearly and confidently, show your personality and highlight skills and qualifications
• • ...Do’s: Present information efficiently, choose an appropriate and expressive design, present confidently and assertively, be well-prepared and practice!
• • ...Don’ts: Make false statements, overload slides, talk at length, read from slides