A workplace is not a forgiving type of environment for employees. No matter how old you are, what your experience is and your education, you are still pressured to be productive according to the companies expectations. A slip up could easily backfire and may cause termination.

A fresh graduate could easily feel this pressure as soon as they are hired for the job. Sure, a company orientation on the first day on the job should help you feel good about the company but when it gets serious, the fresh graduate is expected to be as productive like the oldest member of the group.

And the situation could get worst since, the boss will eventually ask for more data from the fresh graduate. This data could come in the form of presentation or a simple one-on-one meeting. Either way, this situation should be handled like a professional but the pressure could easily shake the fresh graduate’s confidence.

Knowing the “Enemy”

In war and in competitions, a good way to ensure victory is to know the capabilities of your enemy. Although the boss is not literally an enemy, he could be if the presentation does not go well. The boss has expectations that should be met or else it will only spell trouble.

A fresh graduate or anyone not familiar with the boss should extend research on the boss’ personality. He or she could be demanding; asks a lot of questions or could be subtle but will ultimately be unimpressed if you don’t provide a good presentation. By knowing how they react to certain information, you will be able to prepare rebuttals in case of questions and objections.

Focus on a Goal

The best way for your information to be totally understood is to provide a goal while creating a road map on achieving that goal. This is usually the challenge faced by those goes into presentation the first time. There are too many information to be considered and too many factors that could affect the goal. But thinking about those things could easily jeopardize your presentation.

To ensure you focus on a goal, the factors that you need to add should be the ones that will have a great effect on the goal. By sticking to these factors, you can provide the challenges in achieving that goal and what you can do about it. Expect your boss to ask questions regarding other factors and be prepared for a rebuttal on why those factors will not have a significant role in affecting the goal.

Many fresh graduates often end up frustrated with their careers because they are unable to go through these scenarios. But think of pressure packed presentation only as a test. These presentations are not death chambers wherein you will die if you do not have a good presentation. If your first presentation does not go well, pick yourself up and try harder the next time. As long as they do not terminate you from work, you will still have a chance to improve.