Crafting a Capstone Presentation: A How-To Guide
As the summer winds down, Skillsoft’s interns are gearing up to present their capstone projects. These presentations give interns the opportunity to provide a deep dive into a project or aspect of the work they’ve completed over the summer, showcasing a problem they solved or an initiative they developed to their Skillsoft colleagues. Below, I’ve outlined a step-by-step guide to help future interns at Skillsoft and beyond gain a better understanding of how to put together a successful final project.
Step 1: Narrow down a topic.
At Skillsoft, your capstone project shouldn’t be a comprehensive summation of your work — rather, it should be a concise but detailed overview of one significant thing you spearheaded, contributed to, or learned during your internship. This could be a small, day-to-day task you consistently mastered or a larger project you took on, as long as it taught you something or helped you gain a valuable skill. For me, this was a relatively simple decision as I’ve been working on a four-pronged Instagram revamp project throughout the summer. I felt this was most representative of my contributions to Skillsoft and taught me invaluable lessons that I will continue to apply in my professional endeavors.
Step 2: Create an outline.
Once you’ve established your topic, figure out how you’ll structure your presentation. Create a rough outline that identifies the problem you aimed to solve, the approach you took (or plan to take), the solution you determined would work best, why the project was valuable, and what the future of this particular issue will look like with your solution implemented. Most importantly, pepper your outline with key learnings and takeaways.
Step 3: Flesh out your outline.
With a general idea of your project in place, begin filling in gaps with essential details. Although this presentation should be straightforward; it must also be comprehensive. Delve into the specifics of your work, such as how you identified the problem, your rationale, the steps (and perhaps missteps) you took in finding a solution, and more. Your colleagues want to see the thought and effort you put into this project.
Step 4: Create your presentation.
Having prepared the “meat” of your project, transmute this information into a cohesive presentation. Your presentation should be sequential and easy-to-follow, breaking down information into short digestible tidbits that you can elaborate on. To fit within a ~15-minute time limit, I found that a 10-slide presentation worked best for me.
Step 5: Prepare in advance.
It’s crucial to go into your presentation having practiced and rehearsed what you’ll say. Not all of your talking points will be on your slide, so you should have an idea of the additional information you’ll add and how you’ll present it. Run through your presentation alone and with your manager beforehand, making sure you’re within the time limit. Also, anticipate questions your colleagues might ask like “How did you land on this topic?” and “Why should we care?” and prepare your answers.
Step 6: Conquer presentation day.
Presenting can be unnerving in and of itself, especially when you’re doing so in front of higher-ups. Calm your nerves by taking deep breaths and speaking slowly and intentionally. Stay confident; remember that you’re an expert in this subject matter and have been immersed in this topic all summer. Recognize that — like all other aspects of your internship — this presentation is simply another chance to learn and grow your skills.
Despite how intimidating presenting can be, acknowledge the hard work you’ve put into preparing your capstone and the efforts you’ve made throughout the internship. Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. With practice and preparation, your knowledge will shine through.
