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A guide for mastering your interview presentation

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera October 23, 2024

Job interviews can be quite stressful; so adding a presentation to that may sound even more scary. However, interview presentations should not be feared – if anything, they provide an excellent case for you to prove your worth without interruptions or further distractions.

When it comes to creating and delivering a presentation, selecting the right tools is essential for success. Prezi is widely recognized presentation platform that wins with its creative and unique format that deviates from the conventional slide based method.  

Read on to discover everything you need to know about interview presentations and how you can use Prezi for creating one!

What is an interview presentation?

Some employers may require an interview presentation. This could be a presentation about yourself and why you’re suitable for the job, or it might be something related to the position, like a particular subject. The employer may sometimes offer a guideline beforehand, expecting you to do some research and a presentation of the findings. The reason for interview presentations is to demonstrate your grasp of the subject you’re discussing and showcase your ability to convey ideas effectively with a structure. It’s also a good way for you to show that you can follow directions.  

Interview presentations are a way for you to showcase your skills in a way that typical interviews don’t facilitate. Potential employers are able to figure out how you think, how organized you are, and how well you can perform under pressure. 

Why presentations are becoming more popular for the hiring process

There are many reasons why presentation interviews are gaining popularity. Let’s explore a few of them: 

• Everything is in one place : By using a presentation for an interview, you can answer multiple questions at once. Whether it’s about your previous work experience or a specific case study, a presentation provides a structured approach to communicate your ideas.
• Helps employers evaluate a range of skills : Interview presentations show off your research abilities, attention to detail, communication, and technical skills all at once. 
• Less chance of getting caught off guard : Being able to plan ahead means there are fewer unexpected questions that might throw you off course. You’re also less likely to be nervous because you’ve been given time to prepare.
• Demonstrates how well you follow instructions : If given a topic or a brief beforehand, preparing a presentation shows that you can follow directions well. This is an important skill in any job. Employers want to see that you’re able to interpret instructions, research the topic, and deliver clear findings.

Preparing for an interview presentation

Preparation is key to nailing any interview, but especially one that involves a presentation. Here are some essential steps to get you ready:

Understand the brief

Make sure you fully understand what’s being asked of you. Is this a presentation about you and what you can offer to the role? Or is it about your ability to research a topic and present your findings? Either way, make sure you know what message you need to convey. If you’re unsure, clarify with the employer what their expectations are before diving into the creation process.

Research thoroughly

Whether the topic is about your skills or something industry-specific, research is critical. Gather data and evidence that back up your points. If you’re talking about yourself, make sure you frame your past experiences in a way that highlights your strengths and the value you bring to the company.

Consider the structure

A standard rule for structuring an interview presentation is to outline what you’re going to cover, and then go into each point in depth. After that, end the presentation summarizing key takeaways or giving next-step suggestions.

Tailor it to the audience

Align your presentation according to the company’s values. To do this, it’s a good idea to research the company and its culture first. For example, a tech company may appreciate visual aids and a modern style. Whereas more traditional industries, like finance, might prefer a more formal approach.

Rehearsing as much as possible will help you give a more confident delivery as you’ll be more familiar with the content. A confident demeanour is the key to winning over potential employers. 

Presentation topics to choose from based on different job fields

If you’re preparing a presentation for a job interview, the topic is the first thing you should think about. Here are some topics to consider for each general field:

• The rise of influencer marketing and its impact on shifting consumer behaviors.
• Digital marketing trends for 2024: What do businesses need to prepare for?
• How can data-driven marketing improve ROI and customer retention?
• Should businesses focus more on content marketing or paid advertising?
• How does color in branding influence consumer decisions?
• The future of video marketing: Is short-form video content here to stay?
• The role chatbots and AI play in automating customer engagement.
• What role will blockchain and cryptocurrencies play in the future of banking?
• Personal finance strategies for millennials and Gen Z: Are they different from previous generations?
• Sustainable investing: Balancing ethical concerns with profitability.
• The role of AI in financial forecasting: Can machines replace human analysis?
• How can decentralized finance (DeFi) reshape global financial systems?
• Retirement planning in uncertain times: What are the best approaches?
• What’s the impact of global inflation on small to medium-sized businesses?
• Social-emotional learning: Why it’s essential for student success.
• What’s the role of e-learning in modern higher education?
• Virtual classrooms: How can teachers keep students engaged online?
• How can personalized learning adapt to individual student needs?
• Should standardized testing remain the primary measure of student performance?
• The role of AI in education: Is it a tool or a threat to traditional teaching methods?
• How schools can incorporate gamification to enhance learning experiences.
• The importance of mental health initiatives in the workplace.
• Genomics and personalized medicine: Could they revolutionize healthcare?
• Addressing healthcare disparities in rural communities.
• The role of AI in diagnostics: Can it outperform human doctors?
• How can wearable technology contribute to proactive healthcare?
• Universal healthcare: Is it a feasible solution for modern economies?
• The impact of lifestyle choices on chronic disease management.

For even more ideas for interview presentation topics, check out our article on good presentation topics .

The creation process

After choosing a topic, next is the creation process. It can be easy to get lost in this process, so keep your focus on clarity, structure and engagement. Here are some essential tips to help you through the creation of your interview presentation: 

1. Start with a solid outline

First of all, start by arranging your ideas in a manner that reinforces your overall message. Think of the way you’re going to structure the presentation and put all the information together. Outline the key points to be addressed to ensure your presentation flows logically and stays on message.

If you’re interested in learning more about effective presentation structures, watch the following video:

2. Strike the right balance with visuals

Visuals need to be used well if you want to get the most out of an interview presentation. They have the potential to grab the audience’s attention; however, over-reliance on them often ends up shifting focus away from the real message at hand. It’s usually a good practice to use images, graphs or charts to expound on your ideas. But remember, less is more. You don’t want to stuff every slide with visuals; instead, have them support your talking points, rather than overrun them.

3. Choose the right design

Presentation design is one of the most influential factors in audience perception. Make it look really professional so that you set the right tone and associate yourself with the values of the company. Stick with contemporary, straightforward fonts and use colors that are in-line with the company’s branding. There should be uniformity in all your slide designs in terms of color, font sizes, and styles. Don’t use any over-the-top animations or transitions because they tend to steal the focus away from your content.

Learn more about the dos and don’ts of presentation design here .

4. Engage your audience with storytelling

Turning your presentation into a story transforms dull facts into points that people will actually remember. It’s all about framing your achievements or data points in the form of a visual journey. For example, when presenting a project you’ve been working on, make sure you indicate the challenges met, how they were addressed, and the results you obtained. This way, the audience is taken through the process and it seems more personal.

Discover the power and techniques of visual storytelling in this article .

5. Keep text minimal and impactful

Remember that your slides are there to back you up, not to take over. A slide with too much text can get overwhelming and shifts the focus of the audience away from your verbal message. Therefore, keep the text on them short and snappy by resorting to bullet points, short phrases, or keywords. Then expound more on these bullet points as you speak. It will keep the focus of your audience on you rather than on reading long paragraphs of the slides. A general rule is to have a single slide representing a single key idea so that you can elaborate without clutter.

Time to present

You’ve spent time preparing your presentation. Now let’s deliver it with confidence and professionalism. The delivery of your presentation is every bit as important as your content, so here are some tips to ensure you ace the performance and leave a lasting impression.

1. Confidence is your foundation

Confidence can make a world of difference when presenting. If you’re nervous, it’s important to act relaxed and confident. Stand up straight, have proper posture, and give regular eye contact to the audience. Speaking clearly and maintaining a moderate speed lets them know you’re leading the conversation and that you’re well prepared. If at any point you start to let those nerves get to you, take a deep breath and recompose yourself.

Want to learn more practical tips on calming your nerves before a presentation? Watch the following video or read this article :

2. Engage with your audience

A successful presentation isn’t just about addressing your audience; it’s about involving them. Inject moments into the experience that give it the feel of a conversation and not a lecture. An appropriate dose of humor will help you warm up the atmosphere and relax, both for you and your listeners. Asking questions or sharing anecdotes is another good way to make your audience think and feel connected to your arguments.

3. Master your pacing

Pacing can make or break a presentation. Speak too quickly, and your audience may miss important points. Speak too slowly, and you risk losing their attention. The answer is to find a comfortable balance. Talk at a speed that’s convenient for the audience, where they can keep up without feeling like they’re being rushed. Stop after making major points to give them a moment to appreciate what you’ve told them. These pauses can also be useful for you, allowing you to collect your thoughts and ensure you’re sticking to your key message. Practice pacing before the big day so you feel in control of your rhythm.

Learn more about body language and presentation speech delivery in this article .

4. Be prepared for questions

It’s not just about delivering your interview presentation—being ready to answer questions afterwards is just as important. It’s a way for the employer to assess your expertise and preparedness, which you can prove if you can anticipate further questions. Go through your presentation and try to figure out where the audience may want more explanation or information to be provided.

The only tool you need for creating interview presentations: Prezi

Prezi is the top choice when it comes to crafting impressive interview presentations. Mainly because, unlike traditional slide decks, Prezi can make your presentation flow like a story. With its non-linear format, you can zoom in and out of key points, giving you the flexibility to connect ideas visually—something you don’t typically get with static slide presentations.

Prezi AI further improves the process by saving you time on the design. It can suggest the best layout, fonts, and color schemes suit your content. If you’re wondering how to start your interview presentation, you can use one of Prezi’s AI-assisted templates . These templates are fully customizable, letting you easily adjust them to fit your topic. With most of the design work already handled, you can spend less time on formatting and more on refining your message. And, since Prezi is cloud-based, you can access your presentation from any place and adjust it, which is useful for professionals who are always on the go.

Job interview presentation examples from Prezi

Still struggling to figure out where to start? Here are some interview presentation examples from Prezi that can give you a jumpstart:

Climate Action

This presentation is ideal for those applying in environmental sciences or sustainability roles. It uses data and storytelling to address urgent climate issues. Also, it’s a great way to showcase how well you can use information to build a persuasive argument.

How to Fix Your Underperforming Team Before It’s Too Late

If you’re interviewing for a leadership or managerial role, this presentation is an excellent example of addressing team dynamics. You can use this format to demonstrate how you approach problem-solving and team improvement.

6 Metrics Every LinkedIn Company Page Owner Should Know About

Ideal for marketing professionals or social media strategists, this example dives into key metrics for LinkedIn company pages. You can use a similar approach to highlight your data analysis and social media strategy skills.

The Most Important Skill of the Future: Being Indistractable

If you’re applying for a tech or productivity-based role, this presentation discusses the skill of being “indistractable.” It’s a great format to show how you plan to address the future of work and the importance of focus in high-pressure environments.

UX Design Tips for Product Managers

Perfect for candidates in product management or design, this presentation showcases how user experience design impacts product development. You can adapt this to highlight your own design process or approach to user-focused solutions.

These interview presentation examples not only provide a starting point but can also help spark ideas on how to structure your own presentation based on the industry you’re targeting. Explore more inspiring examples here !

Ensure your interview presentation hits the mark with Prezi

Nailing your interview presentation may be what differentiates you from the other candidates, getting you the job. It’s your moment to demonstrate your communication skills along with your capacity to dissect complex subjects. And it’s also a chance for you to show your enthusiasm for the role. Using Prezi places you a step forward by creating a remarkable presentation using its advanced AI features . Follow the strategies we’ve discussed along with the intuitive features that come with Prezi AI , and you’ll have a very refined, interesting, and memorable interview presentation that’ll leave an imprint.

Now that you’ve got the tools and know-how, it’s time to bring your ideas to life. With a solid topic, thoughtful preparation, and Prezi by your side, your interview presentation will be nothing short of impressive.

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How to Ace Your Interview Presentation

Top Tips on How to Ace Your Interview Presentation

“ It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech .” – Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s words couldn ’t be more fitting when it comes to interview presentations. Even the most natural and effortless presentations often come from meticulous preparation. 

Many candidates focus heavily on crafting the perfect slide deck, forgetting that employers aren’t just evaluating their technical skills, but are also looking at how well they communicate, engage the audience and manage the overall flow of the presentation. These skills are also critical for many roles, so preparation is key.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you shine in your next interview presentation .

1. Understand the Brief

Before you even start creating your presentation, it’s important to take a moment to fully understand the brief you have been given. 

• Clarify expectations . What specific insights or solutions are you expected to present? Ensure you know what your audience wants to hear
• Consider the purpose . Are you presenting to showcase your problem-solving abilities, your creativity, or your leadership skills? Tailor your presentation to highlight these.
• Ask questions. If anything is unclear, don’t hesitate to seek clarification. This shows attention to detail and ensures you deliver exactly what is expected.

Understanding the brief will guide the content, structure and focus of your presentation.

2. Prepare your slides thoughtfully

Your slides are an important visual aid, but they shouldn’t overwhelm your message. When preparing your slides, try to:

• Keep it simple and clear – Use bullet points and visuals to support your talking points without cluttering the slides.
• Be consistent – Make sure fonts, font sizes, and text alignment are the same across all slides. This shows attention to detail and professionalism.
• Avoid information overload – Keep your points concise and focused. You want the audience to absorb your message, not get lost in a sea of text.
• Use visuals wisely – If you are incorporating colours in graphs, process flows, or flow charts, always include a key to explain the colour coding. This ensures your audience can easily interpret the visuals. Similarly, if you are using acronyms or complex terms, include footnotes with brief clarifications to avoid confusion.

Your slides are a tool to help you communicate, they shouldn’t overshadow the message you are hoping to deliver.

3. Create an Agenda and Executive Summary

At the start of your presentation, set clear expectations for your audience. Begin with an agenda outlining what you will cover, how the presentation is structured and whether there will be time for questions at the end.

After the agenda, introduce an executive summary . This should serve as a brief overview of your key insights or conclusions before diving into the details. It will help the audience understand the overall narrative of your presentation and prepares them for what’s coming.

4. Rehearse—as much time as you spend on creating slides

Professional presentation coach Janice Tomich emphasises that practicing a presentation is just as crucial as creating the content itself. She suggests that the time you invest in rehearsal should match the time spent developing your slides. 

Your delivery matters just as much as the content. Find below a few tips on how to rehearse effectively.

• Practice out loud – Run through your presentation, first alone and then in front of a friend, partner, or colleague. This will help you identify areas where the flow is smooth or needs improvement and allow others to give you feedback.
• Check transitions – Pay attention to how you move from one slide to the next. Are your transitions natural? Does the story flow?
• Time yourself – Make sure you are managing your time well, allowing room for questions at the end, at least 5-10 min.

By practising thoroughly, you’ll feel more confident and be better equipped to handle any nerves that come on the day, and ace your interview presentation!

5. Maintain a steady pace

When nerves kick in, many candidates may make the mistake of speaking too quickly. This makes it difficult for the audience to follow along and absorb your points. To avoid this, you can try to follow some of the tips below.

• Pause between key points – Give your audience time to process what you are saying.
• Take a breath – Slowing down your pace allows you to think more clearly and collect your thoughts.
• Trust your preparation – You’ve done the hard work and now it’s about delivering it calmly and clearly.

6. Allow time for questions

Always plan for a Q&A at the end of your presentation. This shows that you’re open to feedback and confident in your material. It also allows you to engage more deeply with your audience. 

Make sure you leave 5-10 minutes for questions, so the presentation can end with an interactive discussion.

7. Don’t forget about your audience

While it’s easy to focus on perfecting your message, don’t lose sight of the fact that your presentation is for the audience. You need to guide them through your content:

• Use an agenda and executive summary – This will help you map out where you’re taking the audience.
• Make your story clear – It’s not just about delivering information, it is also about telling a story that resonates.

8. Pay attention to your slide design

Professionalism shines through the small details. Here are some tips to ensure your slides look polished.

• Consistent formatting –  Make sure fonts, bullet points and text boxes are uniform across all slides.
• Alignment – Keep text, images and graphs aligned neatly for a clean look.
• Clear and concise content – Avoid overcrowding slides with too much information. Stick to key points.

Final thought, relax, you’ve got this!

Interview presentations can be stressful, but you have been invited to share your ideas, not to deliver a flawless performance. Think of it as more of a conversation where you are sharing something exciting with others. 

Take a breath, slow down, and enjoy the moment. The more comfortable you are, the more confident and engaging your presentation will be.

You have put in the preparation, and you are ready to let your story shine. Good luck!

10 Top Tips for Interview Presentations

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Myrto Skourletou

Myrto Skourletou is an HR Product Owner with over 10 years of experience in HR consulting and pharma. She has held various HR roles delivering high impact projects and system implementations.

Additionally, Myrto actively mentors graduates and early career professionals from various UK universities and shares career insights through her book "The Only Interview Guide You Will Need". You can find her on her Substack blog myrto.substack.com

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How to Create Perfect Presentations for Office Review Meetings

• Author PitchWorx
• Published October 21, 2024
• 0 comments Join the Conversation

1. Understanding Your Audience

• Identify their expectations : What does your audience want to hear? Do they want progress updates, strategic recommendations, or solutions to specific problems?
• Know their level of expertise : If you’re presenting to senior leadership, you may need to focus on high-level insights. For peers or team members, more detailed explanations may be required.
• Address their pain points : If your audience is dealing with specific challenges, ensure your presentation addresses these concerns directly.

2. Crafting a Compelling Narrative

• Start with a strong introduction : Your opening should grab attention. Clearly state the purpose of the meeting and what you aim to achieve through your presentation.
• Organize your content logically : Break your presentation into clear sections. Start by identifying the problem or context, follow it with the main content or solution, and finish with a conclusion or call to action.
• Use supporting evidence : Back up your points with data, statistics, or case studies. This adds credibility and helps your audience follow your reasoning.
• Tell a story : Personal stories or real-life examples can make your presentation more relatable and memorable.

3. Designing Visually Appealing Slides

• Stick to a clean design : Choose a template that reflects professionalism and aligns with your company’s branding. Avoid cluttered slides or overly complex designs that can distract from your content.
• Limit text : Too much text on a slide can overwhelm your audience. Use bullet points to break down your ideas and stick to a few key points per slide.
• Use high-quality visuals : Incorporate images, charts, and graphs to make your presentation visually engaging. Visuals help explain complex ideas and make your slides more appealing.
• Consistent color scheme : Ensure your color scheme is easy on the eyes and maintains brand consistency. Use contrasting colors for text and background to make information easier to read.
• Font and typography : Use readable fonts and appropriate sizes for both headlines and body text. Aim for clarity over style.

4. Practicing and Rehearsing Your Delivery

• Practice out loud : Reading your slides in your head doesn’t give you a true sense of your pacing. Practice speaking aloud so you can adjust your tone, volume, and speed.
• Time yourself : Make sure you can deliver your presentation within the allotted time. It’s better to finish slightly early than to run over time.
• Rehearse with feedback : Practice in front of a colleague or friend and ask for feedback. They can provide insights into areas where you may need to clarify your message or adjust your delivery.
• Control your nerves : Practicing repeatedly helps reduce nerves. Consider techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness to calm your mind before the actual presentation.

5. Engaging Your Audience

• Make eye contact : Eye contact establishes a connection with your audience, making them feel engaged.
• Ask questions : Pose rhetorical or direct questions to stimulate thinking and interaction.
• Encourage feedback : Depending on the format of the meeting, invite questions or input from the audience.
• Use strategic pauses : Pausing can emphasize a point and give the audience time to reflect on what you’ve just said.

6. Incorporating Data and Insights

• Use graphs and charts : Instead of long lists of statistics, show your data in visually engaging formats like pie charts, bar graphs, or infographics.
• Keep it simple : Don’t overwhelm your audience with too much data. Choose the most important figures that support your key message.
• Provide context : Ensure your audience understands the significance of the data you’re presenting. Provide clear explanations and link the data to your conclusions.

7. Managing Q&A Sessions

• Be prepared : Anticipate common questions and prepare clear, concise answers.
• Stay calm : If a question catches you off guard, take a moment to think before responding.
• Clarify if needed : Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification if a question isn’t clear.

8. Conclusion and Call-to-Action

• Summarize key points : Recap the main takeaways from your presentation in a brief summary.
• Encourage action : Whether it’s scheduling a follow-up meeting, providing feedback, or implementing a suggestion, give your audience a clear action to take next.
• End on a positive note : Thank your audience for their time and engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. how do i create an effective presentation for an office review meeting, 2. what are some best practices for designing presentation slides, 3. how can i make my presentation engaging, 4. what tools can i use to design visually appealing presentations, 5. how can i prepare for questions during my presentation, 6. why is it important to tailor a presentation to the audience, 7. can i see examples of professionally designed presentations, recent posts.

• Posted by PitchWorx

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Khabarovsk, Russia

Tours, Attractions and Things To Do in Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk travel guide.

• 1. Architecture
• 2. Attractions
• 3. Cultural life
• 4. Souvenirs

Khabarovsk, Russia fascinates visitors with its unusual heritage and fabulous untouched nature. Tourists are drawn to the native culture, eclectic architecture and mesmerizing waters in this off-the-beaten-track destination, which promises a unique and memorable vacation.

As the center of Russia’s far eastern region of Khabarovsk Krai, the city offers celebrations throughout the year which are sure to give added flair to your trip, from traditional culture days to large-scale food fests. It is easy to keep a full itinerary during your stay thanks to its many theaters, museums, restaurants, workshops and quest rooms. Guests who want a more relaxed holiday can venture into the serenity of Khabarovsk nature, including the coast of the Sea of Japan or one of the region’s many picturesque lakes .

Khabarovsk Architecture

Khabarovsk architecture surprises with its harmonious blending of varying types and styles. This is due in large part to major changes which the city underwent in the mid-19th-early 20th centuries in conjunction with developments in the political, economic, scientific and technical spheres. The search for new trends in architecture came after the death of the classicism style, which had dominated the Russian Empire and the wider world for centuries. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the practice of mixing eclectic architectural styles began to emerge, leading to an era of amazing stylistic improvisations.

During the final decades of Romanov reign, many educational institutions for architects and engineers were opened. As a result, the face of numerous Russian cities began to change rapidly. Art Nouveau - a new, modern trend that absorbed several preceding styles – had come to dominate the architectural scene.

Many Art Nouveau buildings can still be seen in central Khabarovsk. These include:

• Takeuchi apartment building (5 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Esplanade Hotel (18 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Luhta apartment building (84 Komsomolskaya Street)
• Zandau apartment building (34 Muravyov-Amursky Street)

Khabarovsk also has many Gothic buildings, a style distinguished by its elegance and attention to detail. Every element of Gothic architecture emphasize a vertical orientation, as seen in the massive walls and columns, round arches and wide windows which contrast with narrow towers, pointed peaks and lancet windows.

Khabarovsk’s Gothic architecture is best represented by the artillery warehouse buildings located at 16 Komsomolskaya Street. Another notable example is the Red Guard Headquarters (105 Komsomolskaya Street), which has been preserved in its original form. The complex consists of two identical two-story brick buildings with unusual motifs containing pseudo-gothic elements.

Also of note is the early 20th-century Treasury Building, a luxurious red brick structure with openwork balconies that exudes an architectural grace.

Khabarovsk also has many Soviet-era buildings which were mostly designed in the constructivism style. Characterized by their enormous size and grotesque shapes, they often occupy most of the block and dominate the surrounding space.

During your Khabarovsk excursion, be sure to appreciate its unique architectural heritage by going for a walk downtown .

Khabarovsk Attractions

The layout of Khabarovsk is very simple: its 3 main streets of Lenin, Muravyov-Amursky and Seryshev pass through the downtown area, while Ussuriysky and Amur Boulevards run perpendicular to them. A distinctive feature of Khabarovsk are its many hills, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes for your walk.

Begin your walking tour of Khabarovsk from the train station, where you can see the monument to Yerofey Khabarov, the famous explorer for whom the city is named. Nearby is a sculpture of a double-headed eagle, erected in memory of soldiers, officers and builders of the Far Eastern Railway. Moving from the station along Amur Boulevard you will reach the central market, just past which is Lenin Square. A spacious area with a granite fountain in the center, it is the main plaza of Khabarovsk and the site of the city’s Christmas and New Year celebrations. Next to the square is Dynamo Park, famous for its three ponds and Ferris wheel.

From Lenin Square, move along Muravyov-Amursky Street to reach Amur Embankment, passing most of Khabarovsk’s famous 19th-20th century buildings along the way. Descend to the embankment via two grand staircases or make a small detour onto Shevchenko Street, where you can follow the slope until you reach the embankment’s main stretch. Among other things, the area is home to the House of Officers and three museums.

As you move along the embankment through a park you will come across the city symbol of Khabarovsk, a building set on a steep cliff above the Amur River. It was at the foot of this cliff that the founders of a military post, the first semblance of civilization in the area, first landed.

After reaching the river and walking along Ussuriysky Boulevard to Turgenev Street, turn right to reach Glory Square. Here you will find another famous Khabarovsk landmark, Transfiguration Cathedral, along with a magnificent view of the Amur River and its dreamy islands. Glory Square concludes the main walking route of Khabarovsk, but from here you can reach any part of the city by public transport or taxi .

Khabarovsk Cultural Life

Khabarovsk entertainment centers around its many theaters and museums. Visit Khabarovsk Museum of Local Lore to get a better glimpse of city and regional life. Children and adults alike will want to visit Fishes of Amur River Museum, an aquarium which is home to some 90 species of the underwater world. To catch the vibe of local artists, head to the Far Eastern Art Museum.

There are several theaters in Khabarovsk, each of which is worth visiting:

• Khabarovsk Regional Puppet Theater;
• Triad Pantomime Theater;
• Khabarovsk Regional Philharmonic;
• White Theater, and others.

In addition, Khabarovsk offers several concert halls, culture houses, cinemas and art institutions .

Khabarovsk Souvenirs

While the city’s souvenir selection is not as diverse as in other Russian cities, guests can still find something suited to their tastes on their tour to Khabarovsk. Amur River and the Sea of Japan offer an abundance of seafood that can be tasted on the spot or brought home in dried or smoked form. Yet it is the rich culture of the local indigenous peoples which provides the largest selection of national souvenirs.

If you’re looking for an original gift, traditional Nanai slippers are comfortable and warm. Sewn from leather or fabric and decorated in a bright, colorful style before being trimmed with fur, they make the perfect house shoes in winter. Traditional decorations include amulets which are made from animal bones, fur or fabrics and decorated with ribbons and colored beads.

Standard souvenirs like plates, magnets, mugs and flasks stamped with images of Khabarovsk or its coat of arms can be purchased in souvenir shops, which are mostly located downtown and at the airport and railway station.

Tips for Giving a Powerful Interview Presentation

Covid-19 has overturned the hiring process, with most companies opting for virtual interviews rather than face-to-face ones. A recent hiring trend is the emerging popularity of interview presentations among hiring managers. Statistics show that  76% of hiring managers find attracting the right candidates their greatest challenge . So how do you find the right fit for your company among the hundreds of job applications? The best option is to give candidates an opportunity to pitch their skills through a presentation. 

From the perspective of a candidate, this is a make-or-break moment. A well-crafted and unique presentation could be the key to landing your dream role, but a shoddy one can easily bring down your chances. If you are reading this, you are most likely looking for tips to create a presentation that will help you stand out from the crowd. You have come to the right place. 

Read on for tips to avoid ‘death by powerpoint’ and ace that interview presentation round.

What is an interview presentation?

You probably know what an interview presentation already is. For the unversed, an interview presentation, as the name suggests, is a presentation that has to be put together on a particular topic as part of an interview or recruitment process. An interview presentation could range from being a simple one focused on pitching why you think you would be the best fit for the role to solving a specific business dilemma. In some cases, you may even be expected to create a blind presentation wherein you would only be given a limited amount of time to prepare. However, the expectations for any kind of presentation remain the same.

As mentioned earlier, interview presentations help the employer to find a candidate who stands out from the crowd and also fits into their company culture. It also helps interviewers to assess a wide range of skills such as communication skills, industry knowledge, attention to detail, creativity, organizational skills, ability to engage with the audience, and much more. A successful presentation will put these skills on display and help your potential employer understand if you have what it takes to be a part of their organization.

From doing adequate initial research to nailing the delivery, there are several steps involved in ensuring your presentation goes well. 

Researching the Company and the Role

Consider your process of preparing for an interview presentation like that of painting a picture. You will naturally be starting with a blank canvas. Doing proper research about your potential employer and the role that you have been shortlisted for is the first brush stroke toward creating your masterpiece. 

Your initial research should be centered around the industry vertical that the company is a part of, the key players in the industry, and the ranking of the company within the industry. 

How to:  A simple Google search will help you in finding this information. 

Why:  Not only does this help you understand your role in the company better, but it also helps you structure your presentation accordingly. This will also help you to answer any questions that emerge during/after the presentation with much more clarity.

Once you are done with the initial research, the next step is to look further into the company’s core values and mission. Also, look at the company’s past successes and read up on their performance.

How to:  A company’s core values are often stated on its website. If not, take a look at their social media channels. To know more about the company, look at the case studies on its website and the news and PR articles.

Why:  Having a clear understanding of the core values and the current standing of the company not only demonstrates your enthusiasm but also helps you to determine the direction of your presentation.

In some cases, candidates are privy to information regarding who would be part of the interview panel. If you are not, you could figure it out on your own by doing quick research about the team members and who is most likely to be a decision-maker. Either way, ensure that you take a look into their job profiles, their background, and their career progression.

How to:  Most professionals are on platforms like LinkedIn, and you can find relevant information about them there.

Why:  Knowing your audience will help you customize your presentation accordingly and also give you an idea about their expectations.

Planning and Organising Your Content

You have painted the background of your portrait. What next? The next logical step is to plan and organize the content in your presentation. A well-structured presentation is crucial to preventing ‘death by powerpoint’ and nailing the interview. Start by determining what you would like to convey and how you would like to do it. Setting clear objectives will ensure your presentation doesn’t deviate from the topic. Now you are ready to structure the content of your slide deck.

As with most content, your presentation will require an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction:  Keep in mind that you will never get a second chance to make a first impression. The opening of your presentation should hook the audience and intrigue them. However, also be careful not to make it too long and to keep it as short and precise as possible. 

Body:  This is where the majority of your content regarding the topic goes in. Try to back up your arguments with statistics or real-life examples to ensure credibility. You could also draw references from the core values of the company, if relevant.

Conclusion:  A conclusion is as important as an introduction. Neatly wrap up what you discussed during the presentation and summarise the main points to jog the memory of your interviewers. You can also use the conclusion to highlight your profile and show them why they should hire you.

Designing your presentation

Humans are visual creatures; we remember 80% of what we see. Paying attention to the visual appeal of your presentation is a great way to engage the audience during your interview.

While designing an engaging presentation, choose a simple template and legible font. But how to stand apart from the rest when everyone shortlisted for the interview is using the same Powerpoint or Google Slides templates? One thing that you could do is to use a free online presentation maker to ensure that yours is unique from the other candidates. These editing tools also offer custom fonts and designs that can’t be found anywhere else, helping you stand out.

Here are a few top tips to keep in mind while designing your presentation for the interview.

Consistency is key:  Try to incorporate the company theme into your presentation. Every company has a different brand identity, and hence it is important to spend some time researching the brand colors, fonts, and imagery they use. Keep it consistent throughout the presentation.

Create visually-appealing slides:  Try to make your slides look aesthetically pleasing but not too crowded with information. Do not shy away from using lots of white space or bullet points. Also, ensure that the text is easy to read and maintain a contrast between the background and the text.

Use high-quality images:  Images act as visual cues and are a great way to draw attention. However, pixelated images will leave a bad taste in the mouths of your interviewers. Thus, always try to use images that have a high resolution.

Use legible font:  While choosing a font for your presentation, use one that is clear and legible. Illegible fonts will make it difficult for the interviewers to read the text on your slides.

Rehearsing and practicing your presentation

Practice indeed makes a man perfect, and it’s a good idea to practice your presentation over and over again. Job interviews are nerve-wracking, and practicing your presentation beforehand will help you gain confidence and avoid  common presentation mistakes . Here are a few tips to keep in mind while rehearsing.

Firstly, practice speaking in front of a mirror so that you can see yourself from the point of view of an interviewer. You can also practice in front of your friends or family to get feedback.

Moreover, remember to time yourself to ensure that you do not exceed the time limit given to you. Running over time doesn’t leave a good impression!

Delivering your presentation

You have come to the end of the process of painting your masterpiece. All that requires now is the pièce de résistance, in other words, the delivery of your stunning presentation. All the work that has gone into creating your presentation would mean nothing if the delivery is not up to the mark. A few tips for nailing a good delivery are:

• Ensure that you speak slowly and clearly with confident and open body language.
• Maintain eye contact with the interview panel.
• Engage with the audience by addressing any questions or concerns that they may have. 

For more details on impressing your audience with your presentation, check out these  creative presentation ideas . 

Create a winning presentation with Powtoon today

To nail your interview every time, use Powtoon, a free presentation maker. With Powtoon, you gain access to amazing presentation templates that will help your own presentation stand apart from the average Powerpoint presentation. The templates have been designed by expert designers making it easy for non-designers to create beautiful presentations in minutes. 

Create a  Powtoon account  today and get ready to use the presentation maker to create stunning designs, animations, and video presentations.

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How to Create an Engaging and Effective HR Presentation

What is an HR presentation?

Hr presentation templates, how to create engaging and effective hr presentations, how to measure the success of your hr presentation.

• Step 1. Identify the objective.
• Step 2. Know your audience.
• Step 3. Organize content.
• Step 4. Design engaging slides.
• Step 5. Practice delivery.

Human Resources (HR) presentations are vital tools for communicating important information, policies, and strategies within an organization. Whether addressing new hires, delivering training sessions, or presenting to senior management, the effectiveness of an HR presentation can significantly impact its reception and the overall success of HR initiatives.

This guide will provide detailed insights into creating engaging and effective HR presentations, including examples, key roles of HR professionals, templates, and relevant topics for employees.

An HR presentation is a structured tool used by human resource management to convey essential information to employees, management, or stakeholders. Topics can include onboarding, compliance training, benefits, performance evaluations, and organizational changes. The goal is to ensure clear understanding, engagement, and retention of information.

When creating HR presentations using Google slides, HR managers can leverage the platform's features to enhance their communication skills and effectively convey critical information to their audience. This approach helps ensure clarity, engagement, and better retention of the presented material.

Why should HR professionals make good HR presentations?

HR professionals need to make good HR presentations for several key reasons:

Clarity and engagement: A well-crafted presentation helps convey complex information clearly and keeps the audience engaged. This is important for ensuring that key HR policies, initiatives, or data are understood and remembered.

Effective communication: Good presentations facilitate effective communication of HR strategies, changes in policies, or training programs. This helps align employees with organizational goals and expectations.

Persuasion and influence: HR often needs to persuade stakeholders, such as executives or employees, of the benefits of proposed changes or initiatives. A compelling presentation can effectively present the case and gain support.

Training and development: In training sessions, clear and engaging presentations help ensure that the material is delivered in a way that enhances learning and retention.

Professionalism: High-quality presentations reflect well on the HR department, showcasing professionalism and competence. This can positively impact on the department's reputation within the organization.

Decision-making: Presentations often support decision-making processes by presenting data and analysis in a concise and accessible format, aiding in informed and timely decisions.

HR presentation examples

Here are a few examples of HR presentations showcasing effective presentation skills:

Recruitment presentation

A recruitment presentation provides an overview of effective hiring practices and strategies, highlighting current trends, technological advancements like AI, data-driven techniques, employer branding, candidate experience enhancement, diversity and inclusion strategies, and legal considerations.

Training presentation

A training presentation educates employees on specific skills, processes, or knowledge areas. It can cover technical skills, soft skills, compliance, or role-specific training. The presentation should be engaging and interactive, using quizzes or activities to reinforce learning.

Year-end employee review

This presentation summarizes employee performance over the past year. It typically includes performance metrics, achievements, areas for improvement, and goals for the upcoming year.

Company culture

A company culture presentation defines and communicates the organization's core values, beliefs, and behaviors. It includes examples of how the culture is embodied in daily operations, stories of employees who exemplify the culture, and initiatives to promote a positive and inclusive workplace.

Performance review presentation

This presentation assesses individual employee performance, evaluating key performance indicators (KPIs), providing feedback, setting goals, and developing action plans for professional growth. It ensures employees align with organizational objectives and continuously improve.

New hire onboarding

This presentation covers the company overview, including its history, mission, and values, and organizational structure. It outlines key policies, procedures, employee benefits, and expectations to enhance employee engagement and help new hires integrate smoothly.

Compensation and HR benefits presentation

This presentation details the company's compensation structures and benefits packages, including salary ranges, bonuses, health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other perks.

Using Total Compensation Statement ensures employees understand their complete compensation, aiding in retention and satisfaction.

The presentation template below provides a structured format that can be customized to fit the specific needs of the presentation.

Performance Review Presentation

Title: Performance review process at [Company Name]

I. Introduction

Purpose of performance reviews

Importance for both employee and company growth

II. Review timeline

Annual review schedule

Key dates and deadlines

Preparation tips for employees

III. Review criteria

Core competencies

Role-specific objectives

Behavioral indicators

IV. Feedback mechanisms

Self-assessment process

Peer feedback collection

Manager evaluation

V. Goal setting

SMART goals framework

Aligning personal goals with company objectives

Continuous improvement plans

VI. Development plans

Training and development opportunities

Career pathing and promotions

Mentorship programs

VII. Rewards and recognition

Performance-based bonuses

Employee recognition programs

Career advancement opportunities

VIII. Handling difficult conversations

Constructive feedback techniques

Conflict resolution strategies

Support resources

IX. Q&A session

Open floor for questions

Contact information for follow-up

Using free HR presentation templates saves time and ensures consistent design and delivery. A structured performance review template emphasizes continuous improvement through development plans, training, career pathing, and mentorship.

Additionally, the templates incorporate HR metrics to track and evaluate performance, assisting HR professional in making data-driven decisions.

Creating an engaging and effective HR presentation requires careful planning, clear communication, and a focus on the audience's needs. Here are the steps to create a successful HR presentation:

Clearly define the purpose of the presentation. What do you want the audience to learn or achieve? Having a clear goal will help shape the content and layout of your presentation.

Understand what your audience needs, what interests them, and what they already know. Tailoring your presentation to them keeps it relevant and engaging. Compensation Data and Analytics gives insights that matter to their roles.

Outline the main topics and subtopics you will cover. Make sure the content flows smoothly and is easy to follow. Divide complex information into simple sections.

Use visually appealing slides with a balance of text, images, and graphics. Avoid cluttered slides and use bullet points for key information. Consistent use of colors and fonts enhances readability.

Practice your presentation several times to make sure it goes smoothly. It helps you become familiar with the content and boosts confidence. Time your presentation to avoid running over the allotted time.

Measuring the success of an HR presentation involves evaluating various metrics to ensure that the presentation's goals were met effectively. Here are some keyways to measure success:

Feedback forms: Use short surveys to get audience opinions on what they liked, disliked, and suggestions for improvement.

Engagement: Observe audience involvement, such as asking questions or taking notes.

Understanding: Use a quiz or activity to check if the audience understood the material.

Follow-up actions: See if the audience uses the information and changes behavior or performance.

Attendance: High attendance indicates interest in the topic.

Personal reflections: Reflect on your performance and confidence to improve for next time.

For an engaging HR presentation, HR leaders should focus on understanding the presentation's purpose, knowing their audience, organizing content logically, designing captivating slides, practicing their delivery, and encouraging audience interaction. This approach should be adapted for both in-person and virtual presentations to ensure effective communication and engagement.

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10 Presentation Slides for More Effective HR Management

Imagine seamlessly incorporating data, charts, and key points into your HR management discussions, making your message not only informative but visually compelling.

In this article, we will delve into the power of these Smart Slides, which are designed to elevate your presentations and leave a lasting impact.

Get ready to explore a new way of presenting HR information that will impress and engage your colleagues and new hires.

Unleashing HR potential with Beautiful.ai

By leveraging Beautiful.ai's capabilities, human resource teams or people leaders can elevate their communication, ensuring it resonates with every stakeholder and employee. Smart Slides make it possible to visualize complex employee data in a digestible format, from diversity and inclusion statistics to performance reviews. 

This clarity in communication fosters better understanding and engagement from your team. When employees see their work and progress reflected in sleek, modern slides, it can boost morale and drive home the impact of their contributions.

Traditional slides often fail to engage, burdened with bulleted lists and dense paragraphs. However, with Beautiful.ai, you can turn these mundane moments into compelling stories. Imagine slides that dynamically adapt as you input key HR metrics, where charts animate to illustrate talent acquisition trends and company policies are outlined with clear, impactful visuals. This transformation is not just a visual upgrade—it's about making processes engaging. 

With pre-designed templates, you can quickly build presentations without starting from scratch every time. This means that whether you're reporting on recruitment metrics or updating training materials, you can do so with efficiency and consistency. By incorporating Smart Slide templates into their workflow, HR departments can streamline processes, reduce administrative burdens, and deliver high-quality presentations that drive results.

10 Presentation slides for more effective HR management

1. timeline.

Give your onboarding process a boost with our powerful Timeline slide template . This tool is designed to help you articulate your business plans, status updates, and next steps in an orderly and visual manner. It's an efficient way to keep your team up-to-date with project deadlines and to illustrate your company's past, present, and future events.

• Visual representation of major events over a period of time
• Helps conceptualize past, present, and future events
• Easy addition and rearrangement of milestones
• Library of free icons for customization

2. Org chart

Streamline your company's operations with our Org Chart slide . This Smart Slide is designed to help you keep track of changing roles or employees and share employee contact information company-wide. It’s beneficial not only for management—who need insights into hours per department, promotions, and team resources—but also for employees who need important information.

• Multiple chart styles to suit your organization's size and needs
• Regular updates to ensure accurate information
• Easy-to-read fonts, colors, and sizes for enhanced readability

3. Gantt chart

This Smart Slide design intuitively represents the onboarding journey, helping you communicate effectively with your new hires. It's smart, simple, and designed for you.

• Interactive Gantt chart for task tracking
• Color-coding for easy task categorization
• Pre-designed templates to jumpstart your onboarding process

4. Full video 

With Beautiful.ai's Full Video template, you can simplify the process of communicating HR policies and procedures and immerse your new hires in the company culture right from day one. Our template is an excellent tool for HR teams looking to incorporate video into their onboarding process.

• Seamlessly introduce your company's story, values, and team
• Streamline complicated onboarding information into digestible video content
• Keep the attention of your new hires with engaging visual narratives

5. Word cloud

Word Cloud Smart Slide template is an innovative tool designed to visually represent your company's mission, values, and other key elements. It is an effective way of highlighting the most crucial aspects of your organization for new hires. The bigger and bolder the word, the more important it is to your company. 

• An engaging and interactive way to showcase your company's mission and values
• Easily customizable with your desired words and phrases
• Create stunning visualizations of important textual data
• Ideal for HR presentations, sales proposals, and marketing reports

6. Calendar

Redefine your planning and scheduling with our customizable Calendar slides , which provide a unique way to share important onboarding dates or hiring milestones with your team. A calendar slide makes more of an impact than a long list of dates in bullet points and can be easier to read at a glance.

• Share important dates or milestones with ease
• Organize your schedule into a calendar format
• Avoid overcrowding with event descriptions with our customizable tools
• Ideal for all team sizes: Individual power users, small/medium businesses, and large organizations 

Put faces to names with our Team slide , whether introducing a new hire to the team or introducing a team to an interview candidate. A team slide is a visual depiction of your company's members and is a resource that constantly needs updating. 

• Special callouts for new hires
• Onboard new employees
• Introduce team members to each other and showcase what they do

Photos add a look into culture, values, and brand. Having a dedicated photo slide breaks up the cadence of information, and can be a welcomed break from slides filled with words or metrics. From an HR perspective, including photo slides in decks like new hire onboarding, staffing updates, and quarterly policy updates can inject personality and fun. 

• Give a look into company culture with team photos
• Add visual interest
• Introduce new hires to the team

9. Pictograph

A pictograph template uses repeating rows or a grid of icons to represent data. Also called an icon chart, picture chart, or pictogram, pictographs display data in a simple, compelling way. It also introduces a new way to visualize HR reporting . 

• Add variety and visual interest to your presentation
• Make statistics memorable and impactful
• Show the status of onboarding a new hire 

10. Process diagram

Process diagrams are used to document, improve, or model a new process–especially helpful when employees are learning processes for the first time. 

• Standardize a process for optimal efficiency and repeatability
• Document a process for better understanding, quality control, and training of employees
• Model a new process for employees and teams

Incorporating these Smart Slides into your HR management arsenal can transform mundane moments into compelling stories and ensure that your message resonates with every stakeholder and employee. Whether you're reporting on recruitment metrics, updating training materials, or introducing new hires to the team, these templates offer efficiency, consistency, and a visually engaging experience.

As you prepare your next HR presentation, consider the impact that Smart Slides can have on your communication effectiveness. Elevate your presentations with Beautiful.ai and unleash the full potential of your HR department's communication strategy.

Isabelle Nicole

Isabelle is a freelance content writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles.

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28 Free Technology PowerPoint Templates for Presentations from the Future

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By Lyudmil Enchev

in Freebies

3 years ago

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If you’re amongst the science and technology teachers, students, or businesses in the field; we have something for you. We deep-dived to find the best free technology PowerPoint templates for your presentation, so today’s collection has 28 amazing designs to choose from.

The following selection has templates related to science, technology, cybersecurity, search engines, bitcoin, networking, programming, and engineering, so there’s something for everyone.

1. Computer Hardware Free Technology PowerPoint Template

This template sports a cool design with a bright light of a microchip processor and a blue background. Ideal for explaining concepts such as semiconductors, databases, and central computer processors.

• Theme : Technology, Hardware
• Slides : 48
• Customization : Fully editable + 136 editable icons
• Graphics : Vector
• Aspect Ratio : 16:9
• License : Free for Personal and Commercial Use │ Do Not Redistribute Any Components of the Template

2. Space Science Free Technology Powerpoint Templates

This free template has 3D spaceship graphics and blue background color. It’s great for presentations on astronomy.

• Theme : Technology, Cosmos
• Slides : 25
• Customization : Fully editable
• Resolution : 1920×1080

3. 5G Technology Speed Free Powerpoint Templates

Design with twinkling rays of geometric shapes is perfect for presentations on technology topics such as internet networking, intranet, and communication technology.

• Theme : Technology, Networking, 5G
• Customization : Editable

4. Start-Up Tech Corporation Free Powerpoint Template

This free tech corporation template is great for presentations on tech business startups.

• Theme : Technology, Tech Business, Start-Up Companies

5. App Startup Free Powerpoint Technology Template

This design is great for presentations on communication, mobile technology, and other digital devices used for the PPT presentations.

• Theme : Technology, Apps, Software

6. Cloud Technology Free Powerpoint Template

A technology template with a clean and modern design for your presentations about cloud computing and other computing services.

• Theme : Cloud Technlogy

7. Artificial Intelligence High Technology Free PowerPoint Template

This template represents artificial intelligence as an illustration . It also includes related shapes to allow for a variety of expressions.

• Theme : Technology, Artificial Intelligence

8. Search Engine Optimization PowerPoint Template

The template is SEO-themed but you can adapt it to any presentation related to marketing and search engines.

• Theme : Technology, Marketing, SEO

9. Binary Code Free PowerPoint Template

The cool binary code design makes this template perfect for any presentation on computer science.

• Theme : Computer Science, Programming

10. Network Free Technology PowerPoint Template

Sporting design with crags and electric rays in many angles are representing networking around the globe, the template is suitable for presentations on communication, networking, technology, and crag wheels.

• Theme : Technology, Networking

11. Hexagonal Design Free PowerPoint Template

Here we have a free template with hexagons and icons pattern for techy content. Its dark background and bright blue color palette give a professional look.

• Theme : Technology

12. Technology Pixels Free PowerPoint Template

A technology-themed template for presentations on consulting, IT, software, and other related subjects. The pixel pattern is grouped by tones which you can change from the master slides.

13. Connections and Networking Free PowerPoint Template

This free Powerpoint template is perfect for a presentation about the internet, blockchain, machine learning, cybersecurity, or cloud computing.

14. Isometric Free Technology PowerPoint Template

Here we have an amazing isometric design and high-tech background with gradients. Ideal for subjects like cloud computing, SaaS development, servers, and networks, or cybersecurity.

• Theme : Networking, Programming

15. Free PowerPoint Template with Techy Contour Lines

This design has an abstract contour lines background in a dark green color. Ideal for subjects like geography, technology, video games, or even military affairs.

• Theme : Technology, Gaming

16. Marketing and Technology Free PowerPoint Template

The isometric design has illustrations on business, marketing, and technology topics that will make every slide stand out.

• Theme : Technology, Marketing

17. Purple Hexagons Free PowerPoint Template

For presentations related to scientific or technological topics, with professional hexagonal design.

• Theme : Technology, Science

18. Rockets Taking Off  Free PowerPoint Template

Rockets taking off is a great metaphor for growing businesses. It’s also a symbol of progress and technology.

• Slides : 35

19. IOT Smart City Free PowerPoint Template

Smart City offers a futuristic design for subjects such as internet communication, smart city concepts, and tech innovation.

• Theme : Technology, Smart City

20. Cyber Security Free PowerPoint Template

The perfect template for presentations on cybersecurity, antivirus software, and other related topics.

• Theme : Technology, Cyber Security

21. BlockChain Free PowerPoint Templates

This template is a 3D rendering design of blockchain technology and you can use it for a variety of purposes.

Presentation Design Tips You Wish You Knew Earlier:

The shorter you keep the text, the better. In fact, some specialists suggest that you shouldn’t use more than 5-6 words per slide . And sometimes, a single word combined with a powerful visual is enough to nail the attention of the people sitting in front of you and make them listen to what you have to say.

22. BitCoin Themed Free PowerPoint Template

A very versatile template that includes 20 semi-transparent illustrations of different concepts: security, social networks, programming, bitcoin.

• Theme : Technology, Bitcoin

23. Technical Blueprint Free Technology PowerPoint Template

This template uses a blueprint style and a monospaced font to emulate the technical drawings used in construction and industry.

• Theme : Technology, Engineering

24. Blue Connections Free PowerPoint Template

The design of this free template fits social media, connection, internet, cloud computing, and science-related topics.

• Theme : Technology, Social Media

25. Cute Robots Free PowerPoint Template

Here we have a colorful design with beautifully illustrated robots for presentation on technology, science, and physics.

• Theme : Technology, Physics

26. Green Circuit Free PowerPoint Template

This is a free template with futuristic vibes that you can use for your tech presentations both in PowerPoint and Google Slides.

27. Data Particles Free Technology PowerPoint Template

The design with particle lines gives it a modern and slightly technological look.

28. Science Hexagons Free Technology PowerPoint Template

The background gradients highlight the white text, and the hexagons give it a techie style.

Final Words

That’s it. Today’s collection covered the best free technology PowerPoint templates that you can download and adapt to your presentations related to science, technology, programming, engineering, and physics. Now all you need to do is open your PowerPoint and make the most amazing presentation your viewers have ever seen.

For more freebies, you can check the Best Free Powerpoint Templates of 2022  or see these related articles:

• 36 Free Food PowerPoint Templates For Delicious Presentations
• 31 Free Modern Powerpoint Templates for Your Presentation
• 25 Free Education PowerPoint Templates For Lessons, Thesis, and Online Lectures

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Lyudmil Enchev

Lyudmil is an avid movie fan which influences his passion for video editing. You will often see him making animations and video tutorials for GraphicMama. Lyudmil is also passionate for photography, video making, and writing scripts.

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Career PowerPoint Presentation Examples Download

A career plan can help you identify your goals, figure out the steps you need to take to achieve them, and track your progress. Looking to develop career PowerPoint presentation examples? Here are a few examples to get you started. Whether you're a newbie looking for tips, or a pro looking for inspiration, these examples will have you presenting like a pro in no time.

These templates are for a way to spice up your presentation with a touch of creativity. If so, you're in luck! There are many great career PowerPoint presentation examples out there. To help you get started, we've gathered some of the best examples. You'll be able to find templates for a variety of careers, including business, teaching, and healthcare.

We hope you find the template that is perfect for your presentation. If not, be sure to visit the WPS website for more help. There, you'll be able to find other users who can give you feedback and help you create the perfect presentation.

1.Blue Aircraft Career Plan Presentation Example

There are many career plan PowerPoint templates, but this blue aircraft plan presentation has all the elements for the career aircraft presentation. I hope you enjoy this presentation and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

2. Business Career plan Presentation Example

If you're looking to start your own business, or if you're already in business and want to improve your career, you'll want to consider a business career plan. This template will help you to create the best business career plan for your business presentation.

3. Fresh Simple Career Plan Presentation Example

Are you looking for a fresh and simple career plan? If so, you've come to the right place. In this presentation, this template is for you that you can use to get started on your path to success. This career plan is designed for people who are interested in a career in the arts, but it can be adapted to any career path.

4. Creative Career Plan Presentation Example

Whether you're a novice starting out in the world of design or a professional looking for some inspiration, the Creative Career Plan Presentation Example Template is the perfect tool for you! This template allows you to showcase your design portfolio and all of the skills that you have.

5. Health Care Medical Icons Presentation Example

If you were looking for a professional and modern template to showcase your project, you came to the right place! Download this PowerPoint presentation to give your next project a professional look. Health Care Medical Icons Presentation Example template is a collection of vector icons that can be used in presentations, reports, and other documents.

6. College Students Career Plan Presentation Example

This is a custom-made template for students who will be presenting how they plan their careers. This document contains many examples of how to structure your presentation, as well as information about additional resources students can use to prepare. Download the PowerPoint here

7. Fresh and Colorful Career Plan Presentation Example

Career planning presentations are meant for providing guidance and support to those who are about to start a new career. The presentation will provide key details about the various steps or stages that have been taken in the field. This template will help you to create a strong and professional presentation for your career plan.

8. Green Leaf Career Plan Presentation Example

Green Leaf Career Plan Presentation Example template is excellent because it provides a great way to create your presentation. we will provide you with a Green Leaf Career Plan Presentation Example template to give you the best chance possible of success.

9. Simple Blue Dental Health Presentation Example

Ever felt like you don't have enough time to create an amazing presentation? This template will show you a simple and easy way to create a presentation with PowerPoint. The template is in PowerPoint Format and it can be easily modified to suit your needs.

10. Blue Cute Teaching Plan Presentation Example

The design is clean and simple, with a light blue background, and will give you that professional look from the start. Templates are a great way to save time when creating presentations, but they can also be intimidating to use. That's why we've created this template as a starting point for your next presentation.

Templates are a great way to save time when creating presentations, but they can also be intimidating to use. That's why we've created career PowerPoint presentation examples as a starting point for your next presentation. It's loosely based on the classic set of project management tools so you'll know exactly how much time you should budget for each step in your process - and that includes the dreaded PowerPoint slide show!

If you're looking to give a career-oriented presentation at a conference or event, you can career PowerPoint presentation examples. You can use these designs for job-seeking presentations or other empowerment activities. These templates are free to download, adaptable, and customizable. Download more editable presentation templates from the WPS website .

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Keynote Presentation

The Climate Change Conference kicked off on Thursday, March 14, with a keynote presentation by author and journalism professor Amanda Little.  The Thursday evening event also featured a musical performance by students in Loyola's Department of Fine and Performing Arts. 

Amanda Little is a columnist for Bloomberg and a professor of journalism and science writing at Vanderbilt University. Little is the author of the bestseller,  The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World , a five-year adventure into the lands, minds and machines shaping the future of sustainable food. She also wrote  Power Trip: The Story of America's Love Affair With Energy

Little has has written about energy, technology and the environment for the  New York Times ,  Washington Post ,  Wired ,  The New Yorker  and  Rolling Stone . She has interviewed politically diverse figures from Joe Biden and Barack Obama to Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham, and has been interviewed by journalists including Terry Gross and Fareed Zakaria. Her TED Talk,  "Climate change is a problem you can taste,"  has 1.7M views. Little is the founder and executive director of Kidizenship, a media platform for kids interested in civics and politics, and the national youth civics magazine,  Watch Us Rise . 

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21 Conference Interpreting

Franz Pöchhacker is Associate Professor of Interpreting Studies in the Centre for Translation Studies at the University of Vienna. He holds Master's degrees in conference interpreting and has been working freelance since the late 1980s. His research covers both conference and community-based settings, as well as general issues of interpreting studies as a discipline. He has published a number of articles and books and is co-editor of the journal Interpreting.

• Published: 18 September 2012
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This article introduces the concept of conference interpreting. It describes the origins and evolution of conference interpreting as a profession. Within the field of translation studies, conference interpreting is among the primary domains of translational activity. It is a modern-day phenomenon and, more importantly, a distinctly professional endeavour. Conference interpreting is a professional communication service rendered in either the simultaneous or the consecutive mode of interpreting in a conference(-like) situation. This article describes the evolution of conference interpreting studies as a discipline and its theoretical and methodological lines of approach. The research issues reviewed in this article include the conference interpreters' qualifications and skills, the settings of their work, the nature and quality of their service, and, the features of the professional community at large. Research on conference interpreting has since become an important domain within the wider and increasingly diverse field of translation studies.

21.1 Introduction

Within the field of translation studies, conference interpreting is among the primary domains of translational activity. Unlike more traditional concerns such as literary translation and Bible translation, conference interpreting is a modern-day phenomenon and, more importantly, a distinctly professional endeavour. A thorough understanding of conference interpreting as a field of inquiry therefore requires one to engage with its professional underpinnings, which have had a significant influence on the development of the field's scientific paradigms.

Until well into the 1990s, conference interpreting constituted the main object of research for interpreting studies in general, and the emergence and development of that (sub) discipline largely corresponds to the evolution of research on conference interpreting as presented in this chapter. As conference interpreting has traditionally been practised in two main working modes, known as consecutive and simultaneous, the present chapter is closely interrelated with the overview of mode-specific research on interpreting in Chapter 19 (simultaneous interpreting) and Chapter 20 (consecutive interpreting).

Given the loose definition of ‘conference interpreting’ as discussed in the following section, this chapter will also accommodate such distinctions as interpreting in media settings and remote interpreting. Its core will nevertheless be the professional practice of conference interpreting in the traditional sense, where such issues as interpreters' qualifications, working conditions, and performance standards continue to play a vital role in many current lines of research.

21.2 Definition

Conference interpreting is generally understood to refer to the most prestigious and highly professionalized form of interpreting (between spoken languages), practised, usually in the simultaneous mode, in international conferences and organizations such as the institutions of the UN and EU. Indeed, ‘conference interpreting’ is often used interchangeably with ‘simultaneous interpreting’ from a booth with electro-acoustic equipment (headsets, microphones). Strictly speaking, however, the term specifies only a particular type of more or less ritualized multiparty interaction (‘conference’), and as such does not imply a particular mode of interpreting or refer only to international settings. Simultaneous interpreting in the democratic institutions of bilingual or multilingual nations is a case in point.

In a much-quoted working definition from the 1980s, a conference interpreter was described as

a person who by profession acts as a responsible linguistic intermediary (alone or more often as a member of a team) in a formal or informal conference or conference-like situation, thanks to his or her ability to provide simultaneous or consecutive oral interpretation of participants' speeches, regardless of their length and complexity. (AIIC 1984 : 21)

Conference interpreting is thus defined as a professional communication service rendered in either the simultaneous or the consecutive mode of interpreting in a conference(-like) situation. Rather than the conference as a particular format of interaction, however, the ability to interpret speeches of any complexity appears to have become the essential defining characteristic. In a document offered as guidance to those interested in joining the profession, the conference interpreter's working environment is expanded to include ‘all kinds of multilingual settings where speakers want to express themselves in their own language and still understand one another (conferences, negotiations, press briefings, seminars, depositions, TV broadcasts: you name it!)’ (AIIC 2006 ). Conference interpreting is therefore taken to include such specializations as diplomatic interpreting and media interpreting, as the focus is placed on high levels of professional skills (and commensurate remuneration and social prestige) rather than conference settings as a special type of institutionalized interaction.

21.3 Profession (alization)

The following description of the origins and evolution of the profession serves as a basis for the subsequent overview of the development and state of the art of (conference) interpreting research and at the same time reflects one particular line of work in interpreting studies, that is, the historiography of interpreting. Rather than offering a detailed chronology or historical account, the following sketch foregrounds the main forces that have transformed the millennial practice of interpreting from an occupation into a modern profession.

21.3.1 1920s origins

There is general agreement that conference interpreting is a phenomenon of the twentieth century and that it originated in the multilateral negotiations at the end of the First World War in 1918, with both French and English as official working languages. In these meetings, and especially in the subsequent conferences of the League of Nations and ILO (International Labour Office) in Geneva, beginning in 1920, interpreters were faced with the need to render whole speeches at a time rather than working ‘sentence by sentence’. These new demands led them to take notes and thus to develop the technique that came to be known as consecutive interpreting (see Chapter 20 ).

The special skills required of—and mastered by—pioneer conference interpreters in the 1920s, together with the institutional need to conduct proceedings in at least two, and frequently more, working languages, led to the emergence of a first small cadre of professional conference interpreters, then known in French as interprètes parlementaires . These were highly educated men (rarely women) who, though without specific training, made interpreting their source of livelihood, either as one of barely a dozen members of staff in the League of Nations family of organizations, or by accepting freelance contracts for any of the growing number of multilingual meetings in the 1930s and 1940s.

Conducting all proceedings in two official languages, French and English, and in additional ones used by particular conference delegations, was time-consuming in the consecutive mode of interpreting, and attempts to introduce a more simultaneous form of interpreting were made as early as the mid 1920s (see Chapter 19 ). Despite training efforts and some successful trials in the ILO with subsequently patented IBM equipment, simultaneous conference interpreting did not have its breakthrough until after the Second World War.

21.3.2 Nuremberg and beyond

Conference interpreters as a small group of professionals, if not yet constituting a recognizable profession, existed in the first half of the twentieth century, and so did university-level schools to provide younger generations of interpreters with the necessary knowledge and skills, sometimes including those required for simultaneous interpreting. However, it was not until the use of simultaneous interpreting at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal in 1945/6 (Gaiba 1998 ) that conference interpreting received its decisive boost. Having proved its effectiveness in enabling communication in four working languages, simultaneous interpreting soon came to be adopted by the newly created United Nations Organization, which became the best-known and most prestigious employer of professional interpreters. The 1950s and 1960s saw a growing demand for the services of conference interpreters, and the profession can be said to have experienced a boom. Both at the UN and in the many other intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations founded in the course of the twentieth century, not least the institutions making up the present-day European Union, conference interpreting was practised in both the consecutive and the simultaneous mode. These two techniques have therefore been seen as the core skills of conference interpreters, and have played a central role in their professional education.

21.3.3 Schools

In recognition of the growing number of international and multilingual contacts, a number of training programmes for interpreters (and translators) were launched at university level in the 1940s and 1950s (see Chapter 32 ), with steady growth in the number of interpreter training institutions in Europe until well into the 1990s. This trend has continued on a global scale into the third millennium, albeit with a shift in momentum from Europe to Asia.

The fact that (conference) interpreter training came to be institutionalized in universities is of obvious significance, both for the prestige and social status of the interpreting profession and for the development of interpreting studies as a discipline. Though training programmes were often run in college-like university-affiliated ‘schools’ rather than fully fledged academic departments, their foothold in academia was gradually extended to research as well as teaching. With time, as academic requirements were raised, both for students earning their university degrees and for teaching staff wishing to hold on to university posts, interpreter education underwent a process of academization, with benefits for professional practice as well as scholarly production. If critical reflection and ongoing development of its body of knowledge and skills are among the hallmarks of a profession, then access to academic resources (specialized literature including theories and models, and researchers with appropriate methodological skills) should be a key component of professionalization. Nevertheless, in the early decades of its existence, the conference interpreting profession was shaped not so much by insights from scholarly research as by highly effective policies adopted by the organization that has laid claim to the international representation of the profession.

21.3.4 Professional organization

Underlying the professionalization ofconference interpreting were increased needs for multilingual communication that could be met thanks to interpreters' skilled performance of newly developed techniques. Conference interpreters thus enjoyed strong market demand for their services, driven mainly by financially potent clients such as international organizations and government bodies. Notwithstanding these propitious circumstances, much of the profession's success story in the latter half of the twentieth century goes to the credit of the professional organization that was set up, in 1953, to regulate working conditions, establish professional standards, and control access to the profession. The International Association of Conference Interpreters, best known by its French acronym AIIC, effectively accomplished these and other tasks, and gave conference interpreting a clear and coherent global profile, the main features of which were replicated by interpreters' professional bodies at the national level. Unlike FIT, AIIC was not conceived as a federation of national-level interpreters' associations but as a worldwide body with individual membership. Several of its lasting achievements for the profession, including the benchmarking of competence and the establishment of a code of ethics and standards of practice, were founded on this organizational approach.

Before completion of a university-level interpreter training programme became the standard way of acquiring appropriate qualifications, one of the foremost tasks of AIIC was to ensure that would-be practitioners had the necessary professional skills. This was achieved through a peer assessment system based on a classification of interpreters' working languages as A, B, or C languages. An A language is an interpreter's native language (or another language strictly equivalent to a native language) into which s/he interprets from all his/her other languages in either mode (consecutive and simultaneous). A B language is a language of which an interpreter has a near-native command and into which s/he works from one or more of his/her other languages, at least in the consecutive mode. A C language is a language of which the interpreter has a complete understanding but does not interpret into. C languages are therefore referred to as ‘passive’ languages, whereas A and B languages are known as ‘active’ languages. Conference interpreters have at least one A language (but may have more than one) and—minimally—at least one C (or B) language.

As part of the admission procedure for new members, at least three active AIIC members who have worked with the candidate must vouch for the applicant's professional behaviour and competence in the language combination applied for. Since candidates must provide evidence of a minimum of 150 days' prior working experience as conference interpreters, the threshold for AIIC membership is clearly set at a high level of professional expertise. AIIC members, currently over 2,900 worldwide, therefore represent only a part of the global community of conference interpreting practitioners, whose total number is probably several times higher.

For AIIC members, professionalism is assessed not only with reference to language proficiency and interpreting competence, but also with regard to the organization's standards of professional ethics and practice. The AIIC Code of Ethics, which dates back to the late 1950s, binds its members to strict professional secrecy (confidentiality), the avoidance of conflicts of interest, and professional solidarity, and enjoins them to accept only assignments for which they are competent and properly prepared, and to work only under appropriate working conditions as laid down in the organization's professional standards and related documents. The latter concern such features as team strength, professional domicile, the duration of an interpreter's working day, and specifications for assignments involving video-conferencing as well as for ISO-standardized interpreting booths.

While the professional standards also include guidance for individual interpreter contracts, it is significant that in addition to its role as a professional body defending the interests of its membership and of the profession in general, AIIC also has a trade union function. As the recognized interlocutor of international organizations employing interpreters, AIIC engages in collective bargaining and concludes multi-year agreements stipulating employment conditions and remuneration.

AIIC had actually set remuneration levels also for the non-agreement sector until the 1990s, when the practice was brought to an end by an anti-trust action in the US. This threat to the profession's established standards in particular highlighted the need for scientific research to back up claims concerning the working conditions required to ensure quality of service.

21.3.5 Profession, research, and teaching

Unlike the promotion of professional standards and the negotiation of working conditions, research and university teaching would not necessarily be considered to fall within the remit of a professional organization. In the case of conference interpreting, however, the link between the profession and training has been very close indeed, dating back to the 1950s. Dissatisfied with the way interpreting was taught at many schools in the 1950s, when interpreter training was not always clearly distinguished from foreign-language teaching, AIIC formulated a set of criteria that included positioning interpreter training at the postgraduate level and using practising professionals as teaching staff. Degrees from universities that agreed to adopt this ‘school policy’ (e.g. in Geneva, Heidelberg, and Paris) were given ‘recognition’ by AIIC. The professional body had thus managed to implement an accreditation system of sorts for training institutions, on top of the de facto certification scheme put in place by its admissions procedure.

As will be described in more detail in the following section, the professional association, and some of its leading representatives in particular, played a major role in shaping not only teaching but also scientific research. A classic example of the former is The Interpreter's Handbook , a 1950s textbook for interpreting students published (in three languages) by Jean Herbert, a pioneer of the profession who taught at the Geneva school and served as president of AIIC in the 1960s. No less influential in research as well as teaching was Danica Seleskovitch, Executive Secretary of AIIC in its early days, whose 1968 monograph on conference interpreting (see Seleskovitch 1978a ) remains a standard reference work, and who went on to become the most influential figure in the development of interpreting studies as a discipline.

While interpreter education programmes at universities have gradually acquired more of the resources needed for autonomous academic research, including the critical analysis of teaching methods and assessment criteria, the role of the profession as represented by AIIC remains significant. The Workload Study (AIIC 2002 ), commissioned in the wake of the legal struggle with anti-trust authorities, was by no means the first such effort promoted by the organization. A major study of occupational stress had been carried out with the support of AIIC in the early 1980s (Cooper, Davies, and Tung 1982 ), and a comprehensive survey of user expectations of conference interpreting in the mid-1990s (Moser 1996 ). While the AIIC Research Committee coordinates such activities, the Training Committee continues to promote best-practice criteria for conference interpreter training programmes and, significantly, offers ‘training the trainers’ courses to university teaching staff.

21.4 (Conference) interpreting studies

For most of the twentieth century, in which conference interpreting enjoyed such spectacular development as a profession, research on interpreting was focused almost exclusively on consecutive and simultaneous interpreting as practised in international conferences and organizations. The core of what has come to be known as interpreting studies—and generally regarded as a subdiscipline within the broader field of translation studies—is thus made up of research on conference interpreting. The present section reviews the development of this field of study with regard to disciplinary perspectives and overall theoretical and methodological lines of approach.

21.4.1 Pioneering professionals and psychologists

The very first scientific study of conference interpreting was devoted, most appropriately, to the work and skills of this budding professional community in the 1920s. The Spanish educator Jesús Sanz ( 1930 ) observed conference interpreters at work in Geneva, and interviewed some twenty of them to find out about their working practices and the qualifications they considered necessary for the task. Given the impressive list of abilities gleaned from his survey, Sanz concluded that there was much potential for further (experimental) research on conference interpreting, as well as a clear need for specialized training.

Training was also the focus of the very first academic thesis devoted to conference interpreting, submitted by Eva Paneth to the University of London in 1957. Among other things, she observed and described teaching practices at several interpreter schools in Europe, including Geneva, Germersheim, and Heidelberg.

Although the study by Sanz had also covered simultaneous interpreting, it was not until the 1960s that this innovative technique attracted further scientific interest—mainly from psychologists, most notably Pierre Oléron (Oléron and Nanpon 1965 ), Henri Barik (e.g. 1975 ), and David Gerver (e.g. 1969 ; see also Chapter 19 above). In 1977 Gerver co-organized an international symposium that brought together experts from a variety of scientific disciplines (including linguistics, cognitive psychology, sociology, and artificial intelligence), as well as leading representatives of the conference interpreting profession (see Gerver and Sinaiko 1978 ). Nevertheless, the two communities largely went their own separate ways, and conference interpreters and interpreter trainers with an interest in research had claimed the field of interpreting as their own by the mid 1970s.

21.4.2 Forging a paradigm

The towering figure in the endeavour to put the study of (conference) interpreting on an academic footing is Danica Seleskovitch (1921–2001), whose lifetime essentially spanned the history of conference interpreting in the twentieth century. With a diploma in conference interpreting from the HEC in Paris, she began her career in the early 1950s in the US and with the European Coal and Steel Community in Luxembourg, joined AIIC in 1956, and soon began teaching at the newly founded École Supérieure dʼInterpretes et de Traducteurs (ESIT) at the University of Paris, which was to remain her academic home and the centre of her activity.

As early as 1962, with her affiliation as Executive Secretary of AIIC, Seleskovitch had published a paper in the FIT journal Babel in which she described not only conference interpreting as a profession but also, however briefly, the basic ‘mechanism’ of interpreting (consecutive as well as simultaneous), which she conceived as a triangular process leading from a source-language utterance to a target-language utterance via the construct of ‘sense’. This basic cognitive process model, while simplistic by modern standards, represented a radical departure from the prevailing linguistic rule-based assumptions about translation as implemented in early machine translation systems.

The idea that interpreting was not linguistic ‘transcoding’ but required the comprehension and re-expression of (non-verbal) sense built from linguistic meanings and cognitive complements (i.e. relevant contextual and world knowledge) informed Seleskovitch's 1968 monograph on international conference interpreting (Seleskovitch 1978a ) and her doctoral thesis on note-taking in consecutive interpreting. Having won her own academic credentials, Seleskovitch managed in 1974 to establish a doctoral programme in what came to be known as traductologie at the University of Paris/Sorbonne Nouvelle. Based on her robust ‘theory of sense’, officially known as the ‘interpretive theory of translation’, and a distinct methodological preference for observation and experience-based introspection rather than laboratory experiments, a number of doctoral theses supervised by Seleskovitch were completed by fellow professionals and interpreter trainers. Chiefamong them was Marianne Lederer, who applied the interpretive theory to simultaneous interpreting and went on to co-author two volumes on conference interpreting theory and training (e.g. Seleskovitch and Lederer 1989 ).

Championed by Seleskovitch as a charismatic leader, the so-called Paris School of interpreting studies became the first scholarly community to share a theoretical framework and methodological approach founded on a coherent set of basic assumptions and values. The latter were clearly derived from these scholars' professional background in conference interpreting, and most research in the interpretive theory (IT) paradigm indeed highlighted successful professional practice and the ideal process, rather than difficulties or even failures. This outlook held obvious appeal for the community of practitioners, and was associated with prescriptive answers to many questions of practice and training, even without recourse to systematic empirical studies. Grounded in the concerns of the profession and training, the Paris School approach can be described as a ‘bootstrap paradigm’—an initial effort to use the (modest) resources available to lift the study of interpreting (and translation) to a level of visibility and recognition in academia.

Similar efforts had been made in the 1960s by Otto Kade, a teacher of Czech and Russian and self-taught conference interpreter who spearheaded interpreter (and translator) training at the University of Leipzig from the late 1950s. In his doctoral dissertation, Kade ( 1968 ) established the conceptual groundwork for the systematic study of translation and interpreting as mediated communication. Unlike Seleskovitch, however, Kade and his colleagues of the so-called Leipzig School relied mainly on modern linguistics as the guiding disciplinary framework.

In training as well as research activities, the Leipzig School maintained close ties with the ‘Soviet School’ of interpreting research, as represented chiefly by Ghelly V. Chernov at the Maurice Thorez Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow. Chernov's research on simultaneous interpreting (see 2004) was based on (psycho)linguistics and experimental psychology—and close interdisciplinary cooperation.

21.4.3 Aspiring to science

Interdisciplinary cooperation rang out as the buzzword in interpreting research from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. Dissatisfied with the rather hermetic theoretical and methodological paradigm of the day, science-minded conference interpreters such as Daniel Gile, Jennifer Mackintosh, Barbara Moser-Mercer, and Catherine Stenzl promoted a more rigorous empirical approach to the study of interpreting, drawing in particular on insights from the cognitive sciences. Moser-Mercer's process model of simultaneous interpreting, dating back to the mid 1970s, Gile's cognitive-effort models of attention management, and the use by Mackintosh of the Kintsch and van Dijk model of discourse comprehension and production testified to a new willingness to look to other disciplines for guidance in elucidating interpreting as a cognitive process.

Most spectacularly, the aspiration to interdisciplinarity came to fruition at the University of Trieste in a series of experiments carried out by the neurophysiologist Franco Fabbro in cooperation with staff and students at the Interpreter School (e.g. Fabbro and Gran 1994 ). This gave rise to a distinct neurolinguistic paradigm of interpreting research, with subsequent contributions by interdisciplinary teams in Vienna and Turku.

Another significant example of interpreting researchers' aspiration to science was the founding, in 1996, of the field's first international peer-reviewed academic journal by Barbara Moser-Mercer in cooperation with cognitive scientist Dominic Massaro. Not least by the composition of its original editorial board, Interpreting signalled an orientation toward scientific standards as established in disciplines like cognitive psychology. This was promoted strongly by Daniel Gile, who emerged as the leading figure of conference interpreting research in the 1990s. In his plenary speech at the Vienna Translation Studies Congress of 1992, Gile ( 1994a ) presented his vision of a division of labour between research-minded practitioners (‘practisearchers’) and specialists in the cognitive sciences, with their superior research skills.

However, Gile's plea for an ‘opening up’ was not heeded, and by the end of the decade it had become rather doubtful that interdisciplinarity could serve as a motor for conference interpreting research. Indeed, more enrichment and growth in interpreting studies had come from other sources, and especially from its deliberate integration into the wider field of translation studies.

21.4.4 Growing together—and apart

Too isolated in the Paris School, not scientific enough if left in the hands of practisearching professionals and trainers, too distinct from the linguistically dominated study of written translation, and not attractive enough for researchers in established sciences to take a sustained interest, the study of conference interpreting did not have an obvious home in academia. Though ‘I’ had been linked with ‘T’ for decades in practical terms (such as T&I training at T&I schools, T&I associations, or T&I journals), it was only in the course of the 1990s, with the buoyant development of translation studies (originally in the narrower sense), that interpreting researchers were increasingly drawn into their cognate discipline, where interpreting research is now a major domain alongside such areas as literary translation or screen translation.

Often referred to as a ‘(sub)discipline’, interpreting studies, which now includes considerably more than conference interpreting, has a somewhat ambiguous relationship with, or position within, translation studies. Comprising several different paradigms of its own—such as the interpretive-theory tradition, the cognitive-science-oriented approach, and the neurolinguistic paradigm—conference interpreting research has only gradually developed stronger links or even synergies with translation research. Nevertheless, areas of theoretical and methodological interface, such as the notion of translational norms, concepts from sociology (e.g. Bourdieu) and cultural studies, or corpus-linguistic approaches, are now in evidence and serve to reinforce the position of (conference) interpreting studies within translation studies, on the basis of a common core area in general translation theory.

At the same time, the much more tangible ‘situatedness’ of interpreting and its inherently real-time nature as a cognitive and communicative process make interpreting research amenable to theoretical and methodological approaches of its own. Beyond the use of neuro-imaging techniques to explore cerebral activity patterns in the interpreting process, these include such lines of research as stress management and environmental constraints, and the immediate response of the interpreter's audience.

Unique challenges for interpreting research also include the problem of accessing authentic discourse data (unless made publicly available in broadcasts or on the web) and the difficulty of conducting controlled experiments to test specific hypotheses. The relatively small number of conference interpreters with the same language combination and professional background in any given location; the reluctance of such practitioners to have their work recorded and analysed for research purposes; the high degree of individual variability in professional performance; and the many threats to ecological validity inherent in an experimental design have often been cited as formidable barriers to scientific studies of conference interpreting that might yield clear-cut and generalizable findings for this complex phenomenon.

As the limits of experimentation in the psycho-statistical paradigm have become increasingly clear, research on conference interpreting has come to benefit considerably from the qualitative turn in the human sciences. Having greater recourse to social-science methods in general, scholars in the field have adopted ethnographic approaches and aimed for the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data and methods in order to do justice to interpreting in both its cognitive and communicative (interactional) dimensions.

The study of conference interpreting, generally conceived as a domain within translation studies but with a strong interdisciplinary tradition, has thus been enriched by developments in the broader field of translation studies and the human and cultural sciences in general. As most members of the conference interpreting research community have been open toward and interested in the domains of community-based interpreting (as described in Chapters 22 , 23 , and 24 ), further enrichment and synergy have come from an integrationist rapprochement with conference interpreters' proximate—albeit socio-professionally different, and poor(er)—relations.

21.5 Major issues

‘Conference interpreting’ as used in this chapter denotes a professional domain rather than its prototypical form of practice in the simultaneous mode (which is the subject of Chapter 19 ). The research issues reviewed in the following sections therefore relate to the professionals and the service they render rather than the specific nature of the consecutive or, predominantly, the simultaneous mode in which conference interpreting is practised. They include the primordial question of conference interpreters' qualifications and skills, the settings in which they work, the nature and quality of their service, and, most broadly, the features of the professional community at large. Most of these topics are variously interrelated, and many need to be cross-referenced to what is known about different working modes, as described in detail in Chapters 19 and 20 . Moreover, the training of interpreters has traditionally been an overriding concern of interpreting studies but is here given separate treatment (in Chapter 32 ). What follows, then, is a necessarily incomplete sketch of some major lines of research informed by a view from, and of, the profession.

21.5.1 Skills

Conference interpreters' qualifications for the job are of fundamental interest to the profession, to interpreter educators, and to employers or clients. Ever since the very first study by Sanz ( 1930 ), there has been general agreement that the requisite qualities include cognitive-intellectual abilities (e.g. intelligence, memory) as well as moral and affective competence (e.g. tact, discretion, poise). The latter are features of ‘professional behaviour’ and are dealt with in interpreters' codes of ethics and professional conduct, the AIIC version of which gives pride of place to confidentiality. Keiser ( 1978 ) emphasizes knowledge (i.e mastery of languages and general background knowledge) and ‘personal qualities’, including the ability to intuit meaning, adaptability, concentration, a gift for public speaking, and a pleasant voice. Some of these are reminiscent of the idea that ‘interpreters are born, not made’, but such a belief has clearly been reversed by the boom in interpreter education in the latter part of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, some of the personal qualities of individuals who can be made into conference interpreters through training seem amenable to psychometric testing. When compared to translators, there is some evidence that interpreters are more people- and action-oriented. On the whole, however, the use of standardized psychological instruments to screen potential interpreters for a distinct personality profile has not yielded conclusive results.

Many authors have focused on interpreters' special (acquired) skills and expertise, from linguistic proficiency to text processing and situation management. Contrary to lay notions of an interpreter's essential skills, the type and degree of bilingualism, or multilingualism, required for interpreting, though discussed by psycholinguists as early as the 1950s, have not been studied in depth. With the AIIC language classification as a point of reference, language competence was mostly taken for granted. Dealt with in Thiéry's ( 1978 ) study of ‘true bilinguals’ (i.e. interpreters with two A languages) and in some work on cerebral lateralization in the neurolinguistic paradigm, the issue acquired new urgency only with the growing need for simultaneous interpreting into the B language (from interpreters' A languages such as Finnish or Chinese). Within the limitations of actively using a non-native language, such retour interpreting has been found to involve special strategies (e.g. Chang and Schallert 2007 ) and to require an adaptation of teaching approaches (Donovan 2004 ).

The cognitive skills for processing (i.e. comprehending and producing) text and discourse in any given working mode of interpreting are unquestionably fundamental to the task. It is not very clear, however, to what extent and how the receptive and productive processes in interpreters are unique. There is some evidence, from a study by Gerver et al. ( 1989 ), that anticipatory comprehension (as measured by the cloze task) and logical memory skills are predictive of superior interpreting abilities, but also that such correlations are probably mode-specific. For simultaneous interpreting in particular, it is not clear whether interpreters owe their performance to superior working memory spans or to specially developed task-specific attention-management skills (e.g. Liu, Schallert, and Carroll 2004 ).

Moreover, the expertise developed by professional interpreters over time (see Ericsson 2000/2001 ) must also be seen in relation to different settings of work, and includes special skills in the areas of knowledge acquisition (assignment preparation, terminology research) and ‘situation management’ (sensitivity to communicative needs and interactional dynamics) over and above the core competence areas of discourse processing in encounters requiring cross-language and intercultural communication.

21.5.2 Settings

From its beginnings in the 1920s, conference interpreting has been practised in the context of international diplomacy, where the use of interpreters—in essentially bilateral encounters—has a millennial history. Given this heritage, bilateral as well as multilateral meetings between representatives of sovereign entities (i.e. diplomatic interpreting in the narrower sense) would be regarded as falling within the remit of conference interpreters. Most typically, though, their working environment is international bodies such as the UN family of organizations and the European institutions, the world's largest employer of conference interpreters. In this default case, interpreters can expect to work in standardized booths and for listeners and speakers accustomed to using their services. Nevertheless, conditions may vary widely, from large, thoroughly prepared assemblies with political speech-making to small expert meetings using the latest technical jargon, and field missions requiring consecutive interpreting. This applies even more to assignments on the ‘private market’ (not subject to AIIC agreements), where trade meetings and scientific conferences accounted for much of the demand for conference interpreters' services until they began to be held increasingly in English as a lingua franca.

In contrast to this trend in international specialist communication, the demand for interpreting in mass media communication, especially television broadcasts, has been on the rise. Though typically offered as a live voice-over in the simultaneous mode (e.g. for interviews and televised events as well as news broadcasts), interpreting in media settings may take many forms, ranging from dialogue interpreting in talk shows to simultaneous interpreting into signed languages.

If the simultaneous mode represents an important interface between conference interpreting and signed-language interpreting, the same applies to international conference interpreting and court interpreting. Though the latter is typically practised in the consecutive mode (in combination with whispering), simultaneous interpreting equipment is used in an increasing number of courtrooms, and certainly in the proceedings of international tribunals—the very context in which simultaneous interpreting first came to fame.

Not so much a setting as a new dimension of practice is interpreting using various types of videoconferencing technology. With early experiments dating back to the 1970s, remote interpreting in conference settings has benefited greatly from technological advances (see e.g. Mouzourakis 2006 ) and has considerable potential to emerge as the twenty-first-century model of conference interpreting. However, interpreting in remote mode—whether using staff-interpreter capacities from different locations (as in the case of the UN) or accommodating additional working languages (as in the case of EU meeting rooms)—has been found to be significantly more stressful than on-site simultaneous interpreting with direct visual access. For this new mode to become widely accepted, conference interpreters will need to cope with the lack of a sense of ‘presence’, possibly with the aid of newly designed workplaces that no longer resemble a booth.

21.5.3 Service

Irrespective of the mode in which it is practised, the service rendered by interpreters essentially comes down to the task of saying again what has been expressed in another language. The requirements which such a rendering is expected to meet have long been described with reference to such notions as accuracy, completeness, and fidelity.

Ever since Herbert ( 1952 ), the explicit requirement for an interpretation has been to ‘fully and faithfully’ convey the original speech. Rather than the correct translation of words, as measured in early experimental studies, the object of fidelity has been variously defined with reference to different theories. In the Paris School tradition, one would speak of fidelity to the ‘sense’, and this is echoed in Bühler's ( 1986 ) pioneering survey among AIIC members, who identified ‘sense consistency with the original message’ as the top-ranking criterion in interpreting (and interpreters), outweighing aspects of presentation. By the same token, more leeway in dealing with the linguistic ‘packaging’ versus the ‘informational content’ is granted by Gile ( 1995 ), who allows for a flexible balance between message content and form depending on situational and functional considerations.

Such interaction-related concerns have also dominated the view of interpreting service quality from the perspective of functionalist translation theories which foreground the communicative needs and expectations of the clients or users. More specifically, the quality standard of ‘equivalent effect’ holds that transmitting the message ‘with total accuracy’ requires the interpreter ‘to have his listeners understand it as well as it was understood by those who heard it directly from the speaker himself’ (Seleskovitch 1978a : 102).

To the extent that listeners appreciate an interpretation not only for its information content but also for its linguistic and delivery features, quality may ultimately be ‘in the ears of the user’ (Kurz 2001 ). Indeed, while survey research among conference participants (e.g. Kurz 1993a ) has yielded a moderately stable pattern of criteria, experiments contrasting generic expectations with actual performance assessment suggest that the nonverbal (prosodic) features of an interpreter's output may have a significant impact on the judgements of interpretation users, who are by definition unable to reliably check the target text against its source (see Collados Aís 1998 ).

Kurz ( 2001 ) therefore calculates quality in conference interpreting as the balance of ‘service delivered minus service expected’. However, since audience perceptions of quality may not be founded on material parameters, the client-centred or receiver-oriented perspective on service quality needs to have as its complement professional interpreters' ethics of service, requiring loyalty to the communicating parties whom they serve, as well as respect for the deontological principles of their profession.

21.5.4 Sociology

Having developed from a small band of gentlemen-interpreters into a several-thousand-strong female-dominated global profession in the course of half a century, conference interpreting is of obvious interest from a sociological perspective. The reasons and implications of its changing internal make-up in terms of age, sex, and the switch from the consecutive to the simultaneous mode have yet to be thoroughly studied.

Conference interpreters in the 1950s clearly disliked the loss of status and visibility resulting from being moved from the rostrum to a booth in the back of the room. At the same time, it was the technology-based simultaneous mode that made conference interpreting a much-admired feat commanding high social esteem—and substantial fees. While the profession's prestige may have declined over the years, job satisfaction among conference interpreters has been stable at high levels, notwithstanding increased competitive pressures and the interpreter's ambiguous role as a ‘central outsider’. After all, even Herbert, who praised conference interpreting as ‘one of the fairest and loftiest occupations in the world to-day’, spoke of the interpreter as ‘a necessary evil’ (1952: 3–4).

Drawing up a socio-professional account on a global scale is a considerable challenge, even though conference interpreting is much less strongly conditioned by national contexts than community-based interpreting (see Chapter 23 ). Some country-specific descriptions of the conference interpreting profession have been put forward, notably for Germany (Feldweg 1996 ) and Japan (Kondo 1988 ). Tseng ( 1992 ) presented a case study of the profession(alization) of conference interpreting in Taiwan that came to inspire similar accounts for community-based spoken-language and signed-language interpreting. With the interpreting market and profession in China advancing in great leaps, there is ample space for further socio-professional analyses, presumably pointing to a complex interplay of international standards (as established by AIIC) and local sociocultural constraints.

21.6 Conclusion

With roots going back as far as Ancient Egypt, interpreting became a widely recognized profession only in the twentieth century, when multilateral diplomacy in more than one working language created a need for the special translational skills of conference interpreters, initially working in the consecutive mode. The novel feat of simultaneous interpreting, in particular, sparked interest among psychologists, and also led practitioners and trainers to reflect systematically on their practice. Established as an academic field of study in the 1970s, research on conference interpreting has since become an important domain within the wider and increasingly diverse field of translation studies. While sharing an interest in such fundamental concerns as professional norms, sociocultural constraints, and features of translated discourse, conference interpreting offers unique theoretical and methodological challenges. In particular, the situatedness and real-time nature of the interpreter's task make it fertile ground for interdisciplinary explorations with a focus on neurolinguistic foundations as well as on cognitive processing and communicative performance.

Further reading and relevant resources

A wealth of information on the conference interpreting profession is available on the website of AIIC, the International Association of Conference Interpreters ( www.aiic.net ).

Among the books describing conference interpreting as a professional practice, the 1968 classic by Danica Seleskovitch, published in English as Interpreting for International Conferences (Seleskovitch 1978a ), is still the primary source for those interested in an introduction to the profession as well as to the basics of the interpreting process. A contemporary version is Jones ( 1998 ), and several other introductions to the profession, often oriented toward students, can be found. The very first book in this category, still worth reading, is the ground-breaking Interpreter's Handbook by Jean Herbert ( 1952 ). A rich collection of papers on the history of (conference) interpreting in the twentieth century can be found in a special issue of the journal Interpreting (4.1, 1999).

A volume on Current Trends in Research was edited by Gambier, Gile, and Taylor ( 1997 ), based on the proceedings of an international stocktaking conference in Turku in 1994. A comprehensive overview of concepts, models, and empirical research is offered in Pöchhacker ( 2004 ), and seminal contributions to (conference) interpreting research are made available and put into context in The Interpreting Studies Reader (Pöchhacker and Shlesinger 2002 ).

Bibliographic updates are available from the website and bi-annual Bulletin of CIRIN, the Conference Interpreting Research Information Network run by Daniel Gile ( www.cirinandgile.com ).

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Florida Panthers | Bobrovsky wins 400th career game, Panthers beat…

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Florida Panthers | Bobrovsky wins 400th career game, Panthers beat Rangers 3-1 in Eastern Conference finals rematch

NEW YORK (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves for his 400th career win, and the Florida Panthers defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 on Thursday.

Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe scored early first-period goals for Florida. Lundell opened the scoring 44 seconds in, beating Igor Shesterkin alone in the slot. Verhaeghe added to the Panthers’ lead at the 2:42 mark.

Alexis Lafreniere scored 4:44 into the game to halve Florida’s early lead, but it was the only time New York was able to beat Bobrovsky.

Sam Bennett gave the Panthers a two-goal lead 6:59 into the second period.

Florida held on to win in a rematch of last spring’s Eastern Conference Final, which the Panthers won in six games.

Shesterkin finished with 26 saves for the Rangers.

New York: The Rangers lost in regulation for the first time after a 5-0-1 start.

Florida: The Panthers improved to 3-2-0 on the road after finishing with an Eastern Conference-best 26-10-5 away record last season.

Bobrovsky denied Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski on a breakaway at 5:47 of the first, then made a pad save on Filip Chytil at 6:35. He also stopped Chris Kreider from in close at 15:20 of the opening period.

Bobrovsky became the 14th goaltender in NHL history to reach the 400-win milestone. The 36-year-old netminder, in his sixth season with the Panthers, has a career record of 400-226-56 in 15 seasons. Bobrovsky is the fastest goaltender to win 400 games, reaching the milestone in 707 contests. He needs two wins to pass Chris Osgood for 13th on the all-time wins list.

Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, who leads the team with 13 points including six goals, was held off the scoresheet for the first time this season.

The Rangers host the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, while the Panthers will remain in New York to play the Islanders on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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