How many slides for a 10-minute interview presentation?

About 6 to 8 content slides, plus a title slide. One clear point per slide, and leave a minute spare.

Should I memorise my interview presentation?

Memorise your opening and closing lines, and know the order of your points. Speak the middle from keywords so it sounds natural and survives interruptions.

Can I use notes during an interview presentation?

Yes, short notes or cards are fine. Avoid reading full sentences; glance at a keyword, then look at the panel.

What if I run out of time during the presentation?

Skip to your conclusion: "I'm conscious of time, so let me go straight to my recommendation." It's better than rushing through every remaining slide.

How long is the Q&A after an interview presentation?

Often 10 to 20 minutes, sometimes as long as the presentation itself. Prepare for questions as carefully as for the talk.

How to give a presentation in a job interview: tips and timing

What the panel is judging

When an employer asks you to present, they usually want to see the work you'd actually do: explain a plan, make a recommendation, or present to stakeholders. They're judging:

Did you answer the brief? Many candidates present what they know rather than what was asked.
Is it structured? Can the panel follow your logic without effort?
Did you keep to time? In most jobs, overrunning a meeting slot is a real problem.
How do you handle questions? This is where they see how you think when the script runs out.

Content and slides matter less than people expect. A clear 8-slide talk delivered to time beats a 20-slide deck that runs over.

A structure for a 10 or 15-minute slot

Section	10-minute slot	15-minute slot	What goes in it
Opening	1 min	1–1.5 min	The brief in one line, your answer in one line, the outline
Context	1–1.5 min	2 min	What you understood about the situation, and assumptions
Point 1	2 min	3 min	Your first main idea, with evidence
Point 2	2 min	3 min	Second idea, with evidence
Point 3 (optional)	1.5 min	2.5 min	Third idea, or risks and how you'd manage them
Close	1 min	1.5 min	Recommendation or plan, and a next step
Buffer	1 min	1.5 min	Unused. It protects you from overrunning

The buffer matters. Nerves, a question mid-talk or a slow laptop will eat it.

How many slides and words

A common guide is one slide per one to two minutes, so 6–8 slides for 10 minutes and 9–11 for 15, plus a title slide. Fewer, clearer slides help: each one should make one point that you could state as a sentence in its title.

For words, at a typical presentation pace of about 130–150 words per minute:

Slot	Speaking time (after buffer)	Approximate words
5 minutes	4–4.5 min	520–675
10 minutes	9 min	1,170–1,350
15 minutes	13.5 min	1,750–2,000
20 minutes	18 min	2,340–2,700

You can check your own figures with the speech length calculator. Don't script every word, but knowing your rough word budget stops you writing a 2,500-word talk for a 10-minute slot.

Open with the answer

Don't spend the first two minutes on "about me". The panel has your CV. Example opening with made-up details, for a brief asking how you'd grow a regional sales team's revenue:

"You asked how I'd grow revenue in the northern region over the next year. My answer in one line: focus the team on the 40 existing accounts with the most room to grow before chasing new ones. I'll cover three things: what the numbers show, the plan for the first 90 days, and the risks. That should take about nine minutes, leaving time for your questions."

Answer, outline, timing. The panel now knows what to listen for.

Rehearse to time

Rehearse out loud, standing, with the slides, not reading notes silently. Silent reading runs much faster than speech.
Time each section against the table above, not just the total.
Mark a checkpoint: know which slide you should be on at the halfway mark.
Cut, don't speed up. If you run over, remove a point. Talking faster makes everything harder to follow.
Do a final run with someone watching who then asks you three questions.

Speaking Coach handles this format directly: you add your slides as a PDF, swipe through them while you speak, then answer the questions your audience would ask. The feedback shows your pace in words per minute and any long pauses.

Handling the Q&A after

The questions are where many panels decide. Expect:

Challenges: "Why not focus on new customers instead?"
Detail: "How did you get that figure?"
Extension: "What would you do if the budget were cut by half?"
Fit: "How would you get the existing team on board?"

For each question:

Pause for a second. It shows you're thinking, not reacting.
Answer in one sentence first, then give a reason or example.
Stop. Let them follow up rather than covering everything.
If you don't know, say so and explain how you'd find out: "I don't have the regional churn figure. I'd want it before committing, and I'd get it from the CRM in the first week."
If you disagree with a premise, say so politely: "I'd see it slightly differently. Here's why."

There's more in how to handle Q&A after a presentation.

Practical details

Send your slides in advance if asked, and bring them as a PDF on a USB stick and in your email.
Print a copy for each panelist; they may want to make notes.
Ask beforehand whether you'll present on your own laptop, a shared screen or in person.
For an online presentation, test screen sharing in the same app the day before.

Mistakes to avoid

Mistake	Why it hurts	Instead
Not answering the brief	The panel scores against the brief	State the brief and your answer in the first minute
Too many slides	You rush and run over	One point per slide, 6–8 for 10 minutes
Reading from slides	Looks unprepared, kills eye contact	Keywords on slides, talk to the panel
A two-minute "about me"	They already have your CV	One line of context at most
A weak close: "So, yeah, that's it"	The last line is remembered	End on your recommendation and a next step; see how to end a presentation
Getting defensive in Q&A	It's part of the test	Treat challenges as interest