The ultra-paranoid guide to ensuring you’ve got your presentation slides.
Last week my wife successfully interviewed for a new teaching job. She had to teach a lesson and asked me for advice as to how to make sure she would definitely have the interactive whiteboard resources to hand. That made me think about the lengths I’ve heard some people go to in order to ensure they have the slidedeck for their presentation…
I give you: The Ultra-Paranoid Guide to Ensuring You’ve Got Your Presentation Slides
Slightly paranoid
- Export slides to images
- Email to self
- Put on USB flash drive
Very paranoid
- Export slides to images and PDF
- Email to self
- Put on two USB flash drives
Ultra paranoid
- Export slides to images, PDF, and every version of PowerPoint/Keynote/OpenOffice.org Impress
- Email to self (two separate accounts)
- Add to Dropbox
- Put on two USB flash drives (in separate places)
- Print out large copies to stick to wall if all else fails
What have I missed? :-p
Image CC BY Rennett Stowe
Missed: Upload lesson plan to Primary School Teaching
LOL! Thanks for the self-promotion! :-p
Email to conference organizers, in two separate emails, one ppt and one pdf. Not to just one organizer, but to your main contact and also to the technical contact.
Good one Stephen! :-)
How about travel to venue the previous day / week / fortnight and leave copies of presentation in situ? A pre-visit also allows you to ensure internet access, power availability and suchlike. Additionally, take every piece of kit that might be required – just in case something breaks. In your above scenario this could include projector, laptop, even interactive whiteboard.
Yet surely the best solution would be to ensure you have as few slides as possible to make your presentation both as interesting and attention grabbing as you can – whilst also minimising the disruption if the resources do go wrong.
Good advice, Andy – although pre-visits jot always possible if you’re
presenting in a foreign country! ;-)
I’d go for printing 30 copies to take into the classroom – just in case. At two interviews I have been to now, the software I have been informed would be installed, was not; earlier incompatible versions of whiteboard software. Of course, online versions of the slides – GApps or slideshare – would probably play a part as well. NB: IME, if the software doesn’t work and you handle it well it leads to good brownie points in interview lesson.
Great point about handling potential diasters, Dai! :-)
just in case the USB wont install on the machine you’re going to you’d better take it on a CD too.
but what if they don’t have a CD drive? Drop that USB CD drive in the bag.
But if the USB flash wouldn’t install then the USB CD probably wont either.
Take your laptop so you can present from that, drop a projector into the bag too…
If you present often then having a complete mobile system might just
be the best option! ;-)