Candidates are now turning their attention to callbacks and job talks. Other than the stakes involved, job talks are not much different than most other presentations of academic papers. Any time I present a paper, I try to focus on making a good first impression. There is no point in ending strong if I lose everyone at the on-ramp. I have many objectives when I present a paper, but I know that I can’t effectively achieve any of those aims if I confuse or bore my audience. So my first priorities are to be clear and to be interesting. And I know that I have to achieve those priorities at the beginning and quickly, or I risk losing my audience. I think there are a lot of ways to do this, but here are three things I try to do that I think generally help me get my presentation off to a good start:
1. “My paper is about…”: My first sentence is almost always “My paper is about…” or something along those lines. The point of this sentence is to frame my paper in a way that is interesting and accessible. I wrote a paper about how implementing the human right to water can result in poor cost recovery and fewer incentives for conservation, leading to unsustainable water management. I would begin presentations by saying, “My paper is about how the human right to water can keep humans from getting water.” I keep this sentence short, devoid of jargon, and hopefully framed in a way that would interest a non-expert.
2. “For example…”: My second sentence almost always begins “For example…” or something along those lines. I always have a story, a case, or a hypothetical that puts the paper into context. It helps everyone to understand better what I’m talking about, and it’s easier for them to frame questions when they can just refer to my example. I always try to tell the whole story in a just a few sentences. I don’t assume that I can just throw out a case name and everyone will know what I’m talking about. All water law scholars know what I mean if I reference Winters. But I can’t be sure that everyone will know. So if that case is my example, I have to tell the story.
3. “I argue…”: I make my main argument in the last few sentences in my introduction. I try to limit it to two or three simple sentences – “I argue that implementation of the human right to water often results in unsustainable water management. I proposed three regulatory reforms that would facilitate a more sustainable approach to the human right to water. First…” My whole introduction is only a few minutes, and the entire paper presentation is between 15 and 20 minutes. The whole point is the Q&A. I never say everything I want to say in the presentation – I know I will work in other points from my paper in Q&A. This is one of the most important reasons for mooting a presentation in front of colleagues or mentors. It gives me a sense of what questions I’ll likely face, and how to effectively work in points from my paper that I didn’t address in the presentation. I only use PowerPoint if pictures or other graphics are essential.
Now you might think “But my paper is too complicated to make clear.” I don’t think that is ever the case, but if it is, then it’s not the right paper for a job talk or a presentation in front of a general law faculty. You might also think, “My paper is about a dry subject, so I don’t think I can make it interesting.” You cared about it enough to write about it, so it must have interested you. It’s worthwhile thinking about why you cared so much, and how you can convey that in the presentation. Finally, you might say, “I’m just not a good presenter – I get nervous, or I’m shy, or just not a dynamic presenter.” I’m sympathetic to this concern. Presenting a paper, like teaching, is not acting. You should be yourself. But although it is not acting, it is still performing. That doesn’t mean you have to juggle fire or be a stand-up comedian. But you have to find a way to be interestingly genuine (or genuinely interesting – whatever). I’m not sure I have good advice on how to do that, though.
Posted by Rhett Larson on October 21, 2015 at 06:02 PM
Comments
anoncandidate:
Yes, definitely “thank yous” first – good call. And these are only three tips that help me. I think there are a lot of ways to make a good impression in your introduction. For example, one of the best academic presenters I have seen just begins with the story. But whatever your approach, I wouldn’t wait too long before establishing context through a story or example. Nothing does more to make a presentation accessible and interesting than a good illustrative example up front.
Posted by: Rhett Larson | Oct 22, 2015 12:09:43 PM
Thank you for the excellent and timely advice. Is there any benefit to not beginning “My paper is about…” but instead with some other way to draw in the audience? Or, is it like IRAC and we shouldn’t tinker with the structure?
Also, I’m assuming some thank yous are in order prior to that catchy first sentence, correct?
Posted by: anoncandidate | Oct 22, 2015 10:54:50 AM
I would also add a reminder that, during questioning, you always make the person asking the question feel good about herself. I’ve seen many times when a member of my faculty asks a less-than-great question and the candidate’s response makes clear to everyone in the room that it was a less-than-great question. Fast forward to voting and the faculty member in question frequently finds another reason to argue against the candidate. Bottom line: When you make the person asking the question feel bad about herself, it will redound to your detriment (and conversely, when you can make the person asking the question feel good about herself, it will redound to your benefit). So, in your haste to answer all questions, showing how clever you are, I’d keep that in mind.
Posted by: AnonHiringChair | Oct 21, 2015 11:36:37 PM
“I never say everything I want to say in the presentation – I know I will work in other points from my paper in Q&A.” – This is very good advice for applicants. There’s a temptation, especially when you are feeling nervous about a presentation, to try to make your presentation bulletproof, i.e. to have everything worked out and polished perfectly. Even if this were possible (and it isn’t), this misses the point of the job talk. It’s not about how well you present, it’s about how well you respond to questions and whether you can generate an interesting and lively discussion about your ideas. So, somewhat counterintuitively, you need to make sure you leave openings for people to engage.
Posted by: Joe Liu | Oct 21, 2015 9:22:30 PM