Do Not Discard Slide Decks Just Yet

The following is a guest post by Jenya Zueva and originally appeared on her blog. Jenya is currently a student a The Flatiron School. You can follow her on twitter here.

How many times did you have to sit through a torturous power point presentation wondering what did you do to deserve this?

Yet, it continues to be one of the most important marketing tools.

Why should we not discard this method completely just yet?

Slides will always help you to:

1. Organize your thoughts

How many times did you get so excited to talk about your idea and half way through your speech you found yourself completely lost? A slide deck will help you stay on track.

2. Always be prepared

Please, don’t pull out your laptop in the elevator. There is place for an elevator speech, that you should also have prepared, and there is a place to put on a show with your rocking slides.

3. Commit your message to memory

If you want your listeners to remember bigger part of your presentation, offer them more than one method to remember it. A slide deck will play back in people’s memory well after Q&A.

4. Let it speak for you when you are not available

Sending out your résumé to as many potential employers as you can won’t get you far anymore. You have to stand out from hundreds of other applicants and it’s very hard to do remotely. Here is a great example of someone going beyond that expectation:

Fantastic job application by Margot. Follow her on twitter.

I think it’s safe to agree that a presentation deck is still important. Now let’s talk about how to deliver your message and keep people from falling asleep:

1. Make it fun

Sense of humor and positive attitude are greatly appreciated in anyone who you have to spend 8+ hours per day with. Show them that you enjoy what you do and people will want to share your energy.

2. Keep it professional

Remember that once online, any information represents you. Employers now run background chek on your facebook, twitter feed and tumblr reposts. Just as it can ruin your chances of getting that dream job, it is a good way to show everyone your vast range of interests.

3. Share it

Online tech community is growing fast. Attending professional meet-ups and networking events is important, but not enough. Maintain your presence and allow it to contribute to open source community. Let people learn from it and see your seeds sprout.

Disclaimer: The information in this blog is current as of October 18, 2012. Current policies, offerings, procedures, and programs may differ.