Presenting

By Sarah-Jean Murray

The first day of Career Week is today and let me tell you, it's been crazy. I was forced out of my comfort zone this morning when I gave a presentation on Liberal Arts careers and specifically the question, "Do Liberal Arts even have career paths?". Public speaking has never been my strong point and I've constantly struggled with it over the course of my college career. I don't like it and it makes me nervous, however I know that presenting skills are something I need in my future career.
So today I sucked it up and gave a speech. Nothing bad happened. I gave my presentation and I didn't faint or throw up. I feel like this marks a change from the nervous wreck I used to be to the slightly more confident figure I was today. Here are some tips on how I organized my presentation and how you can make that next speech go smoothly!

1. Structure your presentation: Give a brief overview of what you'll be talking about and then hit each main point. Expand on each main point and give examples that make your audience understand your topic more. Conclude by giving two or three main points you want your audience to remember when the presentation is over. Give them something that will stick in their minds.

2. Practice...but don't memorize: You want your presentation to have flow instead of making you sound like a parrot. Rehearsing your speech may involve pitching to friends, going through your speech to see if you remember your main point or making sure your timing is on key. Remember this for the next time you present, "When an individual is too polished, it makes them relatively inaccessible in the mind of the audience." You want to know your stuff but you still want to be relatable to the audience.

3. Body language: Don't roam the room with your eyes but rather make eye contact with one person at a time. Take a confident stance, don't slump or look at the ceiling to avoid eye contact with the audience.

So next time you're giving a presentation, think about me. I overcame my fears and presented to a room full of strangers. If I can do it, you can too.

Source: http://www.inc.com/guides/how-to-improve-your-presentation-skills.html