Public speaking for your job search
Speaking engagements and presentations are more than just an opportunity to ‘talk the talk’, it’s a public relations and marketing opportunity for you and your job search! Here I’ll show you the why, how, and where to go about beginning to speak publicly for your job search to increase your personal publicity.
WHY
Speaking engagements offer you the opportunity to have a personal conversation with groups of people where you are the focus, gives you something interesting and fresh to add to your resume, and opens up various new networking avenues. Putting yourself in the limelight and proving that you’re an authority within your industry surely will give you an advantage in proving to potential employers why you’re such a hot commodity with a high value.
Furthermore, you’ll constantly see job ads using the terms “great communication skills” as a requirement for their available positions, yet it is completely wasteful and trite to list “great communication skills” on your resume. Instead, you need to prove that you have them through your cover letter being well-written and powerful, and more so by displaying activities on your resume that show these skills, such as public speaking! It truly visions you as a more valuable catch and a comfortable leader.
HOW
Unsure if you’re ready? Start off by joining a Toastmasters club near you or taking a public speaking course through your local community college. We’re all a little self-conscious until we get going – I still get a little nervous before mine and I’ve been speaking in front of groups for years now! Just start off with a short presentation on something you’re very knowledgeable, comfortable, and passionate about. Develop a topic that is timely and of interest to many in your field and create an agenda and flyer for the event (you can always add details later). Then practice your presentation in front of family, friends, and at a Toastmasters meeting. Practice makes perfect.
WHERE
What kind of organizations and events look for speakers? Professional associations, charities, conferences, job clubs, libraries, museums, and other groups host a variety of events that need speakers. Don’t forget companies who host webinars and teleseminars too – even the speaking world is going through technological advances!
Check your local event guides to see what organizations are hosting engagements similar to what you’re going to propose, and then reach out to them to see if they could use you. You may even want to find a speaker who speaks on similar topics and take a look at all of the places they are presenting to make your target list. Start with doing smaller local events for free, slowly building your way up to more high-profile engagements with organizations paying your expenses, and even later on for a fee.
SUCCESS STORIES
If you’re good at moving and shaking to get yourself out there, the possibilities are limitless. Speaking may just introduce you to someone who can land you a full-time gig, win you clients for a consulting business, or create a new stream of income through paid public speaking engagements. Don’t forget to provide a hand-out for all participants with some tips and your contact information in case they’d like to follow-up with you and connect.
Here are a few success stories from others:
“I lost my job at the end of '07, and I set out to become a public speaker instead. Through this, I was able to successfully book several speaking engagements, and this has become my new job now. I travel full time.”
- Brooke Kelley, Inspirational Speaker
“Public speaking is an excellent way to get exposure and credibility in a crowded job market. “I spoke at a major user-organized “un-conference” on product marketing in the Boston area. Attendees were impressed with my knowledge and at least one referred me to a job in their company. Several years earlier, I had a truly career-altering experience. My manager was unable to attend an executive meeting so he asked me to fill in for him, presenting to the top executives of the company. They appreciated my command of the subject and my presentation abilities. That greatly increased my visibility and later, I was brought in on key projects and was promoted to vice president.”
- Steve Robins, Software Marketing Leadership
“When I was laid off in May, I thought it was time to start doing what I really enjoyed which was writing. In a impromptu group setting, I talked about being the wife of a man incarcerated and didn't know at the time there was someone who knew someone in my situation. She told a couple of other women she knew and I was asked to speak at her local church's prison ministry. From that experience, I've since spoken at several churches and a local advocacy group and have started a local support group in my town. This exposure has lead to my finally doing what I enjoy. I am now a contributing writer for several prison newsletters.”
- Reesy Floyd-Thompson, Director of ‘Prisoners' Wives and Girlfriends’
“After I left BeJane.com, I did several speaking engagements while I took some time and figured out my next move. After a long day on a panel of experts discussing entrepreneurship and start-ups I had a long line of people come up to speak with me, either to ask me advice about their own company, network, or tell me about their business idea. The last person in line was Steven Ng and I was ready to ignore him and go home but something in my gut told me he had something interesting – he had established a good technology and strategy base, and had a great brand concept I could connect with. After speaking in the parking lot for an hour, I knew he had a great business plan and had something none of the other people were offering. About a year later I became President of eDivvy.com.”
- Eden Jarrin the President of eDivvy.com
Comments
I agree with this 110%. Blogging is good, too.
Megan,
I could not agree more - great article!
Steve Robins
www .steverobins .us
Great article!
Thank you all for reading!
Great article. Did you also hear that gillette surveyed HR professionals and found that guys who are well-groomed make a better first impression and climb the corporate ladder faster? So, if you are going the public speaker route, better keep this in mind! the results are on gillette.com/careeradvantage
How "old" is too old to become a Public Speaker..'tho I am 'up there' in age, I can pass for at least 10 yrs less...am not afraid of an audience etc...give me some insight...kopoag@aol.com
thank you
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