I like to think I am. I actually really like public speaking. When I worked in staffing, I did a lot of speaking. I was on several advisory boards for local colleges and went to employment fairs where I had to pitch our company. I also did a lot of job training for veterans and transitioning military. I miss doing that type of work...
I think I'm a pretty good public speaker. In my Ph.D. program, you have to present your work several times a year. Sometimes I still get nervous before important talks, but once I get into the groove I'm much more comfortable.
Nope not at all. I just gave a briefing the other week and I knew everyone in the room, the main guy got me the job! Still nervous and um'd my way through.
Most of the time I'm terrible at it, but then there are times where I can knock it out like nothing. I gave a really good last minute unplanned Thank You speech at our wedding because H was too nervous to do it. But then that Thanksgiving, my cousin wanted us all to stand in circle and say what we were thankful for. For some reason, I got really nervous and turned bright red. Thankfully I don't have to do any public speaking for my job!
I am not that good. I'm okay in certain groups but others not so much. Eventually I am going to have to teach a class for my job and I am not looking forward to that.
I'm pretty good at it. I don't necessarily enjoy it, but I'm really good at thinking on my toes and BSing most of the time. At our rehearsal dinner H and I stood up and we said thank you to everyone and to our parents. Afterwards he said, "Did you write that beforehand? It sounded really good!" I just winged it!
Ok funny/embarrassing story. My 2L year, I got called on in Federal Jurisdiction to discuss this huge case at the time, Boumediene v. Bush. It's a super long SCOTUS case dealing with habeas corpus, Gitmo, blah blah blah boring and terrible stuff. It's literally like a 40 page opinion with some concurring opinions and I think 2 different dissents...my point is that this thing was long and complex. My professor (who was pretty attractive BTW, only compounding my nerves) calls on me Socratic Method style, which is the tool of the devil, and just point blank asks me to explain the WHOLE case in front of the class. (Also keep in mind that law school is mostly made up of all the assholes you ever knew, all the gunners and one-uppers and jerks from kindergarten up, that's where they land after college. Basically, many of them want you to fail, so that they look better.)
So I'm all super nervous and wishing I could literally disappear into thin air or sink into the ground, but I can't not answer because if it looks like I didn't read the case then my grade will suffer. So here was my very eloquent summary: "Um...it was about this guy who was like a taxi driver or something, and he is detained in Guantanamo...I think he was Serbian or something." DROPS MIC.
My professor then looked at me in what I can only describe as a combination of confusion and pity, and asked if anyone else could elaborate. For my troubles, I got called on in EVERY single class of his from that point forward.
I'd say that I am if I have something prepared. I did a lot of presentations in college that got me used to speaking for crowds and I'm more comfortable doing so in front of strangers than people I know.
@frank139@msu.edu That is awful! I am sorry you had to be traumatized!
It depends for me. I'm a teacher, so obviously public speaking is my job. I have no problem speaking in front of any sized group of children. When an adult comes in, it's a different story. I usually struggle to speak publicly with my peers. In college, I was in a sorority. I had no problem socializing daily with these girls. I was treasurer one semester and as soon as I had to give a report at chapter every week, it was terrible. I hated it. I have gotten better but it still isn't my favorite thing to do.
Far from it. I'm horribly shy to begin with. Throwing me in front of people makes me more skittish. In all honesty, I wound up taking an acting class to avoid taking public speaking in college. (Most of the scenes were with other people, so that took the pressure off feeling by myself up in front of others)
If I feel confident in the source material though, I have done somewhat okay. I volunteered to take part in a symposium and presented my research topic from my geography of Russia course (my professor gave anyone who volunteered extra credit). I knew my material, took questions from the audience and managed to excel...even if nobody knew where exactly I was talking about.
Re: QOTD 4/16
Nope, but give me a couple cocktails and you can't take that microphone away!
It depends for me. I'm a teacher, so obviously public speaking is my job. I have no problem speaking in front of any sized group of children. When an adult comes in, it's a different story. I usually struggle to speak publicly with my peers. In college, I was in a sorority. I had no problem socializing daily with these girls. I was treasurer one semester and as soon as I had to give a report at chapter every week, it was terrible. I hated it. I have gotten better but it still isn't my favorite thing to do.