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I want to stand out as a candidate for a C-suite role. Is creating a PowerPoint presentation a good idea?
Elaine Varelas advises on how preparing a presentation for a C-suite interview can be an effective way to distinguish yourself from other candidates.
Q. I am currently interviewing for a C-suite role and there is another candidate. To help distinguish myself, should I proactively put together a slide presentation of my ideas for a successful strategy for my area of the business (noting it is based only on what I know so far) and send it to the CEO?
A. Congratulations on making it this far for a c-suite role and for knowing that there’s one person that you’re currently competing with. Putting together a presentation for the CEO can absolutely be something that will differentiate you and set you apart from the other candidate. It will be very significant to begin the presentation with a list of assumptions based on what you know so far and acknowledge any potential gaps. If you don’t do this, and any of your assumptions are significantly wrong, your presentation could flop.
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Be sure to do your research on the organization and the CEO. Research news (past year), company press releases, the company’s LinkedIn posts, analyst reports if applicable, etc. Ensure that if there’ve been any video presentations or company meetings that have gone public that you refer to those questions that the CEO has asked and answered and show that you are in sync with that person’s thinking. And be sure to reference any research that you have done in your presentation.
If there are any ways you can double-check any assumptions that you may have, I strongly encourage you to do that before investing your time in creating a slide presentation. I’d also encourage you to find out if PowerPoint presentations are the norm within the organization or if the organization has a preferred presentation style.
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I’m not in favor of delivering that kind of information by surprise email, and I encourage you to see if the CEO would be willing to have a conversation with you about the same content in a virtual or in-person meeting. If you’ve been interviewing through a recruiting firm, you may need to get the recruiter to help you create this opportunity. The CEO may just want it sent to them but make the attempt to turn this into a conversation. It gives you the opportunity to ask additional questions and get the CEO’s response and potentially redirect anything that might not be accurate in your initial assumptions. Either way, what you end up with is permission to continue the conversation and present your thoughts.
While most senior level people will say that they want direct reports to be self-sufficient and to set their own charter, what they really want is the opportunity to offer their input and turn it into a collaborative dialogue. They always want to see a bit of themselves in the efforts of someone who puts together any kind of successful strategic plan for the organization. This is your opportunity to distinguish yourself from the other candidate, provide strategic insights for the role, and align with the organization’s vision.
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