how to make a good career choice speech

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How to Make Better Decisions About Your Career

• Timothy Yen

No, it doesn’t involve a Magic 8-Ball.

Making decisions is hard — especially when you’re trying to make big career decisions. This five-step framework can help you focus on what’s important.

• What are your feelings telling you? Think about the kind of work you’re doing now, or the kind of work you’re planning to do. Brainstorm and jot down ideas of different careers you’re considering. What feelings come up?
• What matters to you? Take a psychological assessment or complete an exercise that will help you identify your values.  Understanding your values will allow you to make choices that align directly with the things you care about.
• What matters to other people? Just as it’s important to get clear on what matters to you, it’s also important to consider how your decision will impact your loved ones. Ask them for their own thoughts, input, and feelings.
• What is the reality of the situation? Be objective and consider the realities surrounding your options, not your assumptions. Otherwise, you might end up having false expectations or feeling disappointed by your choices.
• How do I put the pieces together? Once you’ve answered these four questions, review all the information you’ve just discovered. You should come to your final decision. If you don’t revisit the previous steps.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Picking your college major, choosing the perfect career, trying to decide if you should leave your job and move to a new one — decisions like these can feel daunting. We all spend a huge amount of time at work, and we all want (and deserve) to love what we do. But the path to finding that work isn’t always clear.

• TY Timothy Yen is a clinical psychologist with a doctorate from Azusa Pacific University, practicing in the East Bay area, and leading conferences and retreats around the globe. Between his years in private practice and another eight years as a Mental Health Staff Sergeant in the US Army, he’s empowered hundreds of individuals, families, organizations, and teams to develop authentic relationships and grow into their best selves. He currently resides in Northern California with his wife and son.

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Top 5 Motivational Speeches for Anyone Considering a Career Change

You’re not happy in your job, and you’re afraid to make a move?

Sometimes when we feel really stuck it just takes a little motivation to generate powerful action.

Compelling, inspiring speeches can do just that.

Here are 5 motivational speeches for anyone considering a career change.

Steve Jobs – “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”

Steve Job’s speech at Stanford University in 2005 might just bring you to tears.

Although he was diagnosed with cancer at the time, Jobs still accepted the invitation to give a commencement speech. In it, he shared some meaningful stories that changed his life.

The tech guru talks about life and connecting the dots, love, loss and death. His intention was to motivate students to stay confident and believe in themselves.

The speech is powerful, and emotional. Jobs’ main advice for his audience is to have trust. Believe in something, and eventually you’ll attain your goals.

Apple’s founder was a creative genius, a visionary and a revolutionary innovator. People of all ages should listen to his speech because it’s not just motivating, it is life-changing.

Sheryl Sandberg: Too Few Women Leaders

Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg held an extremely motivating speech at the TED Conference in 2010.

She talked about women, and about the fact that very few modern women are successful business individuals. Sheryl is extremely charismatic, and she emphasizes that although we live in a contemporary society where women have rights and are independent, there are still issues about creating successful careers.

Jeff Bezos – “Cleverness is a Gift, Kindness is a Choice”

Founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, delivered an engaging and inspiring keynote speech for graduates at the Princeton University.

He talked about main differences between choices in life and gifts in life. Bezos encourages his audience to use gifts with other people with kindness, and he advises students to do everything in their power to succeed.

This speech is moving, bold and expressive. Bezos wants to help people make a choice and decide between a life of ease and a life of service. What will it be? Sometimes making a career change is the right thing to do, you just need someone to convince you take that leap of faith.

Oprah Winfrey – “Failure is Just Another Step to Achieve Greatness”

Oprah Winfrey presented a riveting commencement speech in 2008, at Stanford University.

In it, she shared a wealth of life-related and work-related experiences, and focused on the infinite learning opportunities we have in life.

She believes that success can be achieved only if you remain open-minded, focused, and enthusiastic. Self-improvement is the key to success. Winfrey emphasized that people should learn a lesson from everything they do because those lessons will eventually shape and define their personality and their beliefs.

J.K Rowling – “Failure is Necessary to Truly Get to Know Yourself”

British novelist J.K. Rowling is best known for her Harry Potter books.

She gave an unbelievable speech at the Harvard University wherein she talked about the importance of imagination and the great benefits of failure.

Rowling used powerful words to motivate the audience, and she didn’t hesitate to admit that her personal failures helped build and shape her success.

If you’re looking to switch careers but you’re scared of disappointment, listening to this amazing speech will boost your confidence as Rowling explains her view that failure is the whole point of living.

Are you thinking of switching careers? Do you want something more from life but you’re scared of taking a risk? Check out the above mentioned speeches for a boost of confidence.

About the Author : Christopher Austin  is a regular contributor at many sites, mainly focusing on business related topics. He recommends  LondonSpeakerBureau.com  to provide speakers from all over the world  for all types of briefs and budgets.

Image courtesy of khattaway . 

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How to give a speech about your job.

Talking about what you do, on the surface, seems like it should be an easy task. After all, you spend more than 40 hours a week focusing on your profession. But giving a speech about your job can be a tricky undertaking. If you aren’t used to speaking in front of large audiences or if the demographic for the speech differs from those you interact with daily, it might feel like a monumental task. Keep some key pointers in mind to ensure you wow the audience and clearly get your points across.

How Do You Write an Elevator Speech About Yourself?

If you’re a fan of the TV show “Shark Tank,” you’re probably familiar with the “elevator pitch” that entrepreneur-contestants give to the judges to introduce themselves and their product. Think of a speech about yourself and your work in the same way. Regardless of the length of the speech on your career journey, whether it’s 3 minutes or 30, ensure that you clearly talk about who you are, why you’re an expert on the topic and include digestible information that’s useful to the audience.

Understand the Audience

Before you can provide information that’s helpful to the audience, you need to understand who is sitting in the darkened seats. Consider the following likely audiences:

• College students or recent graduates : Focus your speech on actionable information about how you landed your job, what kind of preparation is needed for the job (think coursework or internships), and real-world advice that will help others transition from student to professional.
• Your peers : If you’re speaking at an industry conference or in front of a group of related professionals, you won’t need to lay out how you landed your job ‒ they’ve likely done the same. Tips are more useful to this audience: how you’re succeeding in the field, how to deal with common frustrations in your profession, other go-to resources that are helpful in career growth and aspirational career speech topics. 
• Executives or senior management : Maybe your boss tapped you to give a short speech about your department or your specific role at the company. At large organizations, it’s common for senior management to have quarterly or annual meetings with various departments to understand what’s working, what needs improvement, get a pulse on employee satisfaction and try to gain a 360-degree view of the organization. For a speech or presentation like this, keep it high level, insert any useful metrics, and focus on one or two key points. 

Determine the Goal of the Speech

After you understand whom you’re talking to, you need to determine the goal of your speech. What are two or three key points you want the audience to walk away knowing? It could be that you want recent graduates to understand how to interview and land a job in your field, or you might want stressed-out peers to understand three key points for hitting key targets with smaller budgets. Once you know the goals, be sure to clearly outline those points in your speech. This isn’t the place where you should be vague ‒ be direct in explaining the how, what and why to achieve these goals.

Lead With a Strong Hook

After you introduce yourself and title, get creative. Don’t list off your qualifications and job titles as if you were reading from a resume. This hook is one of the most important parts of getting people excited and tuned in to what you have to say. You have about 30 to 60 seconds to grasp the audience’s attention. Ways to get people on the edge of their seats include:

• Opening with an anecdote about how you overcame a massive challenge in your career.
• Listing an impressive accomplishment . “Employee of the month” does not count, but do note if you were one of the first or only people in your profession to accomplish something notable. 
• Stating a controversial or contrarian view to a topic that’s important in your industry. But don’t just list an opposing opinion; you’ll need to follow up with evidence as to why your differing view is legitimate.
• Revealing a dramatic statistic or data point that’s likely not common knowledge to the audience.

Use Classic Storytelling Techniques

While a bold statistic or anecdote is a good opener and a perfect way to get the audience’s attention, you then need to keep it. Don’t turn your time on stage into a listing of data points the audience can Google. Instead, use tried-and-true storytelling techniques that take the audience on a journey. Think back to literature class. A basis story contains:

• Narrator or characters to help provide perspective for the audience and make them more personally invested. 
• Setting , which helps the audience become more immersed in the place the speech about your job takes place.
• Plot , explaining what happens to whom and when.
• Conflict between the narrator (you) and any number of things: nature, other people or broader industry issues. In short, what kind of struggle did you face, even if small, and how did you overcome it?
• Theme that ties the entire story together. Maybe the theme is about teamwork or transitioning careers. Whatever it is, ensure that your speech stays focused on elements that all relate to the central theme. 

Exude Emotion

This is where it might be helpful to practice in front of a mirror. When you’re giving a speech about your job, be emotional in a way that’s appropriate to the audience. If you’ve overcome career struggles, make sure your facial expressions and tone of voice reflect the material. If you’re urging your peers to fight against an unjust industry practice, do so with measured emotion that reflects how much you care, but without using profanity or unprofessional language.

Include Vibrant Career Speech Topics

Think about other speeches you’ve heard that really moved you. Or, maybe you read an industry newsletter or website that included topics that inspired you to click, open and finish reading . Use those guidelines when thinking about the topics to include in your speech. If you’re excited about a topic or trend in your industry, it’s likely others in the audience are too. If you’re drawing a blank, take a look at a leading business magazine or trade publication and scan to see which topics have the most comments or the topics that appear issue after issue, or even think about the personal questions you often receive in your position.

How to Find Career Speech Examples

As you put pen to paper or gifs to PowerPoint slides, there are places to go for inspiration on topics, speech presentation tips, and ways to include media (beyond slides) that feel fresh and engaging.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization, with regional chapters across the country that promotes and fosters communication and public speaking skills.

TED, the nonprofit behind the now-famous TED Talks, has a mission of spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful speeches.

Related Articles

Expository speech topics →.

How to Give a Career Perspective Speech →

How to Answer Questions in Narrative Form →

How to Write a Keynote Speech →

How to Write a Brief Job Bio on Yourself →

• Inc: How to Hook Your Audience Within the First 60 Seconds
• TED: Before Public Speaking

Kristin Amico is a career and business writer who spent more than a decade managing creative teams at digital agencies. She has written for The Muse, The Independent and USA Today.

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Search for the name of a career along with the word "career." For example, search "accountant AND career."

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Career Speech

This research guide will help you find credible sources for career research speech and for your personal career decisions. You may have an assignment that asks you to prepare a speech on a career of your choice.

Step 1:  Your first step will be to choose a career you would like to research.  Need help coming up with a career choice?  Check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook to learn about many career options.  **Please check your professor's directions for this speech assignment**

Step 2:  Once you have chosen a career to research, a good place to find articles would be in a library databases such as Ferguson's Career Guidance Center .

Step 3: When you access Ferguson's Career Guidance Center you will see a section for "Explore Careers."  Under Browse Professions in that section, you look through hundreds of careers.  You can click on the titles of the careers to open the information.  Inside you will find many things to include in your speech such as earnings, history of the career, work environment, education needed, and more.

Step 4: If your assignment also asks you to include articles about your career, you may want to do a search in the SPC Online Catalog .  You can try typing in the name of your career with the word "career" after it.  For example, "librarians and career."

Career Research Tips Presentation

This presentation provides tips and an overview of databases for career research. (4 min.)

• Career Research Tips (4 min)

Career Research Handout

• Career Research
• << Previous: Choosing a Topic
• Next: Persuasive Speech Resources >>
• Last Updated: Oct 23, 2023 11:42 AM
• URL: https://spcollege.libguides.com/speech

Speech on Career

Careers are like journeys, full of exciting twists and turns. They shape your life, help you grow, and give you a sense of purpose.

You might wonder, “What career is right for me?” or “How can I succeed in my career?” These are common questions, and it’s okay to ask them.

1-minute Speech on Career

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let’s talk about something important today. Let’s talk about ‘career’. You might wonder, why should we talk about it? Well, your career is like the steering wheel of your life. It guides you, it takes you places, and it helps you grow.

The first thing to know about a career is, it’s not just about earning money. Yes, we all need money to live. But a career is also about finding your passion. It’s about doing something you love, something that makes you excited to wake up every morning. When you choose a career based on your passion, you’ll find joy in your work, and you’ll also be good at it.

Next, a career isn’t something that’s fixed forever. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to try new things. Remember, it’s your life, and you have the power to choose what you want to do. Don’t be afraid to explore different paths. Each path you take can teach you something new and make you a better person.

Lastly, a career is about making a difference. It’s about using your skills and talents to help others. Whether you’re a doctor, a teacher, an artist, or a scientist, you can make the world a better place through your work.

In conclusion, remember these three things about a career. It’s about passion, it’s about exploration, and it’s about making a difference. Your career is your journey. Make it a journey that you’re proud of. Thank you.

Also check:

• Essay on Career

2-minute Speech on Career

Hello, everyone! Today, we are here to talk about a very important topic – ‘Career’.

A career is like a journey. Just like how you travel from one place to another, in a career, you move from one job to another, learning new things along the way. It’s more than just a job. It’s about what you want to become in your life. It’s like a big dream that you want to make true.

Choosing a career is like picking a favorite game to play. You should choose something that you enjoy doing. If you like drawing, you can become an artist. If you like helping others, you can become a doctor or a teacher. The key is to pick something that you love. When you do what you love, work becomes fun.

Now, let’s talk about how you can choose a career. It’s like choosing what to eat from a big menu. First, you need to know what you like. You can do this by trying different things. You can join different clubs at school, read books on different topics, or talk to people who do different jobs.

Once you know what you like, you need to learn more about it. This is like practicing a game before a big match. You can take classes, read books, or find a mentor. A mentor is someone who is already doing what you want to do. They can guide you and help you learn the ropes.

But choosing a career is not a one-time thing. It’s like growing a plant. You need to take care of it regularly. You need to keep learning and growing. You need to keep updating your skills. This is because the world is changing fast. What worked yesterday might not work today. So, you need to stay ahead of the game.

Finally, remember that it’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to try something and not like it. It’s okay to start over. This is your journey. You are the driver. You get to decide where you want to go.

In conclusion, a career is a big part of your life. It’s your dream. It’s your journey. So, choose wisely, work hard, keep learning, and most importantly, enjoy the ride. Thank you!

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Article • 11 min read

Making the Right Career Move

Choosing the role that's best for you.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Imagine that you have an opportunity to move into one of a number of open positions in your organization. Perhaps you are offered two different positions and you have to decide which one you want. So how do you choose the right one for you?

Or perhaps you're already in a good job, but something that seems to be an even better opportunity comes up in another company. Are you going to make the move?

Having options is great: what a wonderful confidence booster! However, there's also a lot of pressure trying to decide which option is best.

To make the right choice, you have to decide what factors are most important to you in a new job, and then you have to choose the option that best addresses these factors. However, this operates on two levels – on a rational level and on an emotional, "gut" level. You'll only truly be happy with your decision if these are aligned. This article gives you a framework for analyzing your options on both levels.

First, we look at things rationally, looking at the job on offer, and also at the things that matter to you. Then, once you've understood your options on a rational level, we look at things on an emotional level and think about what your emotions are telling you.

This framework assumes you are weighing alternatives that are all consistent with your overall career goal. This should be the starting point for any decision you are going to make on what career options to pursue. If the options you're considering are not aligned with pre-considered plans and goals, it's time for even more fundamental thinking! For more information on this, read our articles on developing a career strategy and goal setting .

Making Career Decisions Rationally

The first step is to look at your career choices rationally. Firstly, you'll look at the quality of the jobs themselves, and secondly you'll think about the criteria you need for job satisfaction.

Factor 1: Job Analysis

A good decision is an informed decision. You'll need to gather as much information as you sensibly can about the jobs you are considering. OK, this can be a pain, but think about how much future happiness depends on this decision!

Review the Job Description and Other Related Documents

• What are the key objectives?
• What competencies are required?
• What behaviors and outcomes are rewarded?
• How is remuneration determined?

If a job option is with a new organization, gather this information from the recruitment information you've been sent about the role, and from discussions with the recruiter.

Analyze Culture Impacts

• Does the department/organization have a distinct culture?
• How well do you think you'll fit in?
• How are conflicts resolved?
• How do people work together?
• How do people dress?
• What things constitute "doing a great job"?

Analyze Incumbent Success

• Who has been/is successful in the role?
• What characteristics do they possess?
• What skills beyond the job description do they use?

Analyze Available Resources

• Does the role/department appear to have adequate resources?
• What human resources are available?
• How much training and development will be available to you?

Determine Career Progression Path

• Where have people in this role typically moved?
• What is the average tenure in the position?

See our article on job analysis for a more detailed discussion.

Armed with the facts about the job, next think about what you are looking for in a great job. Since the whole point is to find the best option for you, you need to do a properly considered self-analysis as well.

Factor 2: Analysis of Satisfaction Criteria

Everyone has a different idea of what makes a great job. That's why not everyone wants to be a doctor and why, thankfully, some people find that cleaning out sewers can be satisfying work.

Use these five sets of criteria when deciding on the factors that are important to you for your job.

1. The Work Itself

What you will be doing on a daily basis should be the primary focus of your satisfaction criteria. Unless the work is satisfying, it may not really matter whether you make vast sums of money, or have a boss you regard as a friend: nothing will seem quite right. The things to consider here include:

• Job responsibilities.
• Learning/growth opportunities.
• Potential for promotion.
• Future career potential.
• Authority to make decisions.
• Leadership/supervision.
• Self-expression/creativity.
• Physical environment.

Think about which of these matters most to you, and explore them when you're discussing the new role.

2. Financial Considerations

What you are paid is important when making any career decision. Your salary and bonus potential determine whether you can buy a new home, purchase a car, go on vacations, or start a family. It's important that you have a good idea of what you need to achieve a reasonable standard of living. Factors to consider here include:

• Incentives.
• Stability/economic security.

Does the job give you these?

3. Culture and Relationships

You will spend a large portion of your day at work. It is important that you get along with your co-workers and feel like you fit in. Sure, there will be minor disagreements along the way. However, you should be comfortable working in the environment, given cultural elements such as dress codes and the way that conflicts are resolved. Ask yourself what you need in terms of:

• Work relationships (managers, peers, and subordinates).
• People/Culture/Style.
• Recognition.
• Prestige/Title.

4. Work/Life Balance

There can be great merit in maintaining a balance between your home and professional responsibilities, and making enough time for leisure and downtime. You need to look at your life and determine what you need from a job so that you can achieve this balance and maintain it for the long term. Think about things like:

• Work schedule.
• Flexibility for family time and other commitments.
• Time to commute.
• Travel requirements.

Clearly, though, this depends on your goals. If a major goal of yours is to be a great parent, then work/life balance is important. If your goal, however, is to be CEO and build a great organization, then this necessarily involves carrying a heavy workload.

5. The Company

The final set of criteria involves looking at the company itself. People tend to want to work for organizations that make them feel good about what they are doing on a daily basis. Look at the following criteria and decide what it is that you need from the company you work for.

• Size of company.
• Leadership.
• Product and quality.
• Environmental concern.
• Geographic location.
• Corporate image/integrity.
• Contribution/service to society.

These criteria are not just for career options outside your current company. Some internal moves may take you to business units that operate quite differently from the rest of the organization, or produce a different product or service. It's important to understand your criteria in these areas regardless of whether your move is inside or outside the company.

Now, download our free worksheet , and print off a copy of it for each of the options you're evaluating.

Instructions: For each job option you're considering, work through the criteria in the rows of the table one-by-one (we explain these criteria below.) For each criterion, first decide how important it is to you on a scale of 0 (not at all important) to 5 (very important). Next, evaluate how much of the criterion is on offer within the job, using the same scale. Finally, multiply these values together to give the score for that row of the table.

This worksheet is based on the Decision Matrix Analysis tool for decision making. This is a powerful tool that can be used in a variety of situations.

This type of analysis is very useful in helping you quickly see how well your career options match the criteria you've identified as necessary for your satisfaction.

Pulling This Together

Once you've worked through the worksheet for each of your options, add up the scores and total them for each worksheet. This gives you an initial score for how each job fits your needs, looked at on a rational basis.

If some of the scores seem a bit wrong, don't be afraid to revisit them. Spend as much time as you need to make a rational, properly considered decision.

This is not necessarily a comprehensive list of factors. If other factors are important to you, build these into your analysis.

Career Moves: the Emotional Impact

So far, you've looked at the job's criteria and what you need to be satisfied, in an objective manner. However, it's also important to consider how your decision feels. You need to get in touch with your inner self and think about how well the career options fit with your overall sense of self and personal fulfillment. Ask yourself:

• Do I feel like it is the right choice?
• Do I feel positive about the choice?
• Does this choice further my career and life goals?

If something doesn't feel right, then you need to understand why. Are some factors of overriding importance? Or are other factors important that are not mentioned? Take the time to make sure that you're comfortable with you analysis, and that you're confident that you've made the right decision, both on a rational and emotional level.

When you have an option that fits both objectively and subjectively, chances are you've got a winning career move. (To read more about making a career decision using emotional criteria, read Am I Making the Right Choice? in the Coaching Clinic.)

Making a career move is a very important decision. It requires serious thought and consideration. You can think long and hard and still not come up with a solution unless you have a framework to use to help you make a decision.

Using the three distinct approaches outlined here – job analysis, analysis of satisfaction criteria, and emotional validation – you can be confident in your decision. Analyzing each element in this way forces you to consider the multidimensional criteria that go into determining a great job fit. With a decision that is valid emotionally as well as on paper, you can be confident that you've made the best possible choice.

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Elevate your communication skills

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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career development

7 Meaningful Answers to "What are Your Career Aspirations?" in an Interview

Learn the best approaches to answer interview questions about your career aspirations. We provide example answers and explain what makes them meaningful.

Together Team

Published on 

August 9, 2023

Updated on 

Time to Read

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“What are your career aspirations?”

This has to be one of the most commonly asked questions in interviews besides the standard questions about the candidate’s professional background, skills, and experience.

"Career aspirations" refer to an individual's long-term professional goals and ambitions, encompassing the desired achievements and personal growth they seek throughout their journey.

Interviewers inquire about your professional aspirations to gain insights into your long-term motivations, passion, and alignment with the company's vision, helping them assess if your goals and the organization's objectives are in sync. 

The key to providing meaningful answers is to be genuine and demonstrate a clear connection between your career aspirations and the value you can bring to the organization. Tailor your responses to the specific job and company, and let your passion for personal and professional growth shine through.

7 examples of answers about career aspirations

When asked about your career aspirations, a meaningful answer that goes beyond personal growth will help you differentiate yourself from other interviewees. Here are seven meaningful answers that can make a lasting impression on interviewers:

1. Pursuing continuous learning and skill development 

Example: "My career aspirations are centered around constant growth and skill enhancement. I am committed to staying updated with the latest trends and technologies in the industry. In the coming year, I plan to pursue specialized certifications and attend industry conferences to learn from experts . By continuously improving my skills, I aim to bring innovative strategies to the table and contribute to the company's success in reaching new audiences."

While the above example is a generalized statement on continuous learning , you can improve it by naming specific skills and certifications that you mean to acquire.

2. Making a positive impact on society and the environment

Example: "Beyond personal career goals, I am passionate about creating a positive impact on society and the environment through my work. I aspire to work for a company with a strong commitment to sustainability. I envision aligning my career with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and actively participating in corporate social responsibility initiatives. I find immense fulfillment in contributing to a greener and more sustainable future, and I believe that my dedication to these causes will resonate with the organization's values and mission."

The above answer will help you showcase your interest in contributing to a larger purpose by making a difference in the world. Make it your own by discussing any volunteer work you are involved in to emphasize your commitment to meaningful impact.

3. Becoming a thought leader and influencer in the industry

Example: "My ultimate career aspiration is to become a thought leader and influencer in my field. I plan to publish research papers, contribute to open-source projects, and participate in conferences to share my knowledge. Additionally, I aspire to become an active member of industry forums and engage in public speaking opportunities to promote advancements in the industry. By becoming a recognized authority, I can position the company as a leader in our space."

Turn the above example into a highly specific answer by mentioning your area of expertise and your topic of research. Give examples of other thought leaders in your industry and how they helped establish their organizations as leaders in their space.

4. Embracing leadership opportunities

Example: "As a seasoned manager, my career aspiration is to take on more significant leadership roles and contribute to the growth of the organization's talent. I envision leading cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative work culture, and mentoring emerging managers . A company can grow and succeed faster when the more experienced members of the team empower and guide others."

Communicate your interest in taking on leadership roles and guiding others to success. Make the above example your own by discussing your leadership style and how you plan to inspire and motivate team members.

5. Driving innovation and advancement within the company 

Example: "Innovation drives me, and I am passionate about leveraging technology to push the boundaries of what's possible. My career aspiration is to lead the research and development team, where I can spearhead new product ideas and create groundbreaking solutions. I envision fostering an innovation-focused culture within the organization, where employees are encouraged to experiment and think outside the box. By introducing disruptive products to the market, we can elevate the company's position and stay ahead of the competition."

To be more specific with the answer, talk about your ideas for improving processes or developing new products or services for the company.

6. Cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment 

Example: "My biggest career aspiration revolves around creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. I envision implementing diversity training programs, establishing mentorship opportunities for underrepresented groups, and ensuring that all employees feel valued and respected. By fostering a workplace that celebrates differences, we can boost employee morale, creativity, and ultimately contribute to the company's overall success."

In your answer, discuss strategies for promoting inclusivity and building a diverse team. Emphasize the positive impact of diversity on organizational performance and innovation.

7. Becoming a mentor and guiding others to success

Example: "One of my most significant career aspirations is to take on a mentorship role within the organization. Throughout my career journey, I have benefited greatly from the guidance and support of mentors who have helped me develop both professionally and personally. I aspire to pay it forward by becoming a mentor to junior colleagues and assisting them in their career growth. By sharing my knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned, I hope to inspire and empower others to reach their full potential and contribute to a more dynamic and skilled workforce within the company."

Mentorship can have a profound impact on individual development and team cohesion. By showcasing your willingness to mentor and uplift others, you demonstrate not only a commitment to your own growth but also a dedication to fostering a supportive and collaborative work culture within the organization.

How to answer questions on career aspirations during an interview

When answering the question about career aspirations, demonstrate your alignment with the company's values and showcase your enthusiasm for personal and organizational growth. To ace this critical aspect of the interview, consider the following tips:

Read about the company’s vision and mission, and the job role

When asked about your career aspirations, connect your goals with the company's mission. Search the company's website and annual reports to understand their core values and long-term objectives. Read the job description carefully, because it will also have details about how the role you are interviewing for contributes to the overall picture. 

You will be able to give better answers if you know what the company stands for and how you will potentially fit in and add value. For instance, instead of saying, "I want to improve my leadership skills," say, "I aspire to become a leader who can drive the organization towards achieving its mission of sustainable environmental practices."

Speak with a “We” mindset

Avoid phrases that focus solely on personal gain. Most employers look for a team-oriented and collaborative mindset in their employees. By focusing on how you can contribute to the collective success of the organization and its goals, you will show the interviewers that you are a team player.

Instead of saying, "I want to be making $150,000 in two years," say that "I aim to contribute to the success of the team by utilizing my skills to achieve higher growth."

Be specific and realistic about your goals

Instead of providing vague statements like, "I want to be successful," be specific about your aspirations, such as "I aspire to take on a managerial role within the next three years, leading cross-functional teams and driving innovative projects."

Being specific and realistic about your goals during an interview shows that you have a clear understanding of your career path and have thoughtfully considered your aspirations. It also indicates that you are pragmatic and grounded, making you a more credible candidate who can set achievable targets and work diligently towards them, increasing your chances of being seen as a reliable and valuable asset to the organization.

Show enthusiasm and passion for your career path

Demonstrate your excitement for your chosen career path by saying, "I am genuinely passionate about (let’s say) marketing, and I look forward to creating impactful campaigns that can connect with customers on a deeper level and drive brand loyalty."

Employers value candidates who are enthusiastic about their work as they are more likely to be motivated, proactive, and willing to go the extra mile to excel in their role.

Common pitfalls to avoid when answering questions about career aspirations

By effectively communicating your career aspirations during an interview, you can leave a lasting impression on potential employers. However, candidates should steer clear of the following two common pitfalls:

1. Using cliches and vague responses

Using cliches and providing vague responses can make your answer sound insincere and lacking in authenticity. Vague statements like "I want to make a difference" or "I want to be successful" don't provide meaningful insights into your actual goals and may come across as generic.

Instead of saying, "I want to be a leader who inspires others," be more specific by saying, "My career aspiration is to become a compassionate and influential team leader, empowering my team members to achieve their goals and foster a collaborative work environment."

2. Being too modest or self-deprecating

While it's essential to strike a balance between confidence and humility, being overly modest or self-deprecating may undermine your credibility and hinder your chances of making a strong impression. It's crucial to showcase your strengths and aspirations with conviction without sounding arrogant.

Instead of downplaying your accomplishments with statements like, "I was just lucky to receive that award," own your achievements and say, "I am proud of the hard work and dedication that led to receiving the award, and it motivates me to continue striving for excellence in my career."

Strike the right balance between authentic and impressive 

When answering questions about your career aspirations, honesty in your responses is essential, as it reflects your genuine motivations and long-term goals.

Strike a balance between authenticity and alignment, and let your enthusiasm for your career path shine through. By articulating your aspirations with clarity and conviction, you present yourself as a proactive and dedicated candidate, poised to make a significant impact within the organization. Your ability to combine honesty and alignment is the key to leaving a strong impression and increasing your chances of securing the opportunity that aligns perfectly with your career aspirations.

Want to grow in your career and achieve your career aspirations? Learn from those who have walked the path before you. Find mentors that will teach you how to navigate the ups and downs of your career and make the right moves to achieve your goals.

Dive deeper into the topic in our mentees guide

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15 TED TALKS TO INSPIRE CAREER GROWTH

Are you looking for the job of your dreams, or do you want to get projects and plans off the ground? It is not news to anyone that it is possible to find several sources that help in the direction of these goals on the internet. Many TED talks are a good source of inspiration to take small steps towards a better life.

After all, the so-called talks present content to make the viewer reflect on the proposed theme. But not just that. Speakers usually have experience, either through technical expertise or practical experience, in the subjects covered. The language, moreover, is straightforward – like an informal chat. 

So, whether you are a young professional looking to set your goals or someone who is looking to motivate your routine, it is very likely that a TED talk will help. So, read on and watch yourself being inspired to improve your career. Don’t believe it?

15 TED TALKS TO INSPIRE CAREER GROWTH

1. the best career path isn’t always a straight line.

Most people assume that growth in the corporate ladder is just that, a straight ladder. Generations before ours would spend years and decades in the same company, doing the same exact job line or specialty. I loved this Ted Talk in particular because my career has been exactly like they described – a squiggle.

Started with a major in IT and Telecoms Engineering, moved on to project management and customer service, then to commercial and marketing, credit and customer finance, and at the moment of this writing, general management. Those who started in IT with me, and remain in IT, are currently team leaders, supervisors, and IT/Software specialists.

To have a squiggle career path, a person generally needs to be curious, ready to learn and adapt, and change perspectives quickly. What are the career possibilities, rather than what job comes next? That’s the key question here.

Career development consultants Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper are the experts who shared this talk, and you can watch it/learn it here .

2. How to make stress your friend 

One of the most popular TED talks is “How to make stress your friend .”In it, psychologist and researcher Kelly McGonigal explains why we should embrace stressful moments. According to a study she presented, those who believe that stress is bad for them can adversely affect their life expectancy. Therefore, it encourages us to face pressure as a positive thing and presents us with an unknown mechanism for reducing stress: getting closer to others.

You can learn more about it by watching the talk on the Ted website .

3. How to speak in a way that people want to hear 

Have you ever felt as if no one was listening when you spoke? Julian Treasure, president of The Sound Agency, a company that advises global businesses on the use of sound, is here to help. In this TED Talk, the sound expert demonstrates how to speak powerfully – teaching everything from vocal exercises to tips on how to communicate with empathy.

Julian Treasure does a great job of teaching and showing in practice how to keep people engaged. Watch it here .

4. The danger of a single story 

Our lives and our cultures are made up of many overlapping stories. Writer Chimamanda Adichie tells how she found her authentic cultural voice – and warns that if we only hear a single story about another person or country, we risk generating significant misunderstandings. This is one of the most-watched lectures on the platform and currently has a book version.

Watch it here .

5. Success, failure, and the drive to keep Creating 

You most likely know the book – which became a movie – “Eat, Pray, Love ,” but you must not know that its author was a waitress devastated by rejection letters. In this talk, Elizabeth Gilbert says that even in the wake of success, she still strongly identified with the person she once was. 

With a breakthrough, Elizabeth reflects on how success can be just as confusing as a failure and offers a challenging but straightforward way to keep going, regardless of the results.

 6. Build a tower, build a team 

Tom Wujec, writer and researcher at Autodesk, presents surprising research on the “marshmallow problem” – a simple group dynamic that involves dry spaghetti, a yard of duct tape, and a marshmallow. Who will be able to build the tallest tower using these ingredients? Wujec demonstrates why an unexpected group always does better than average in this talk.

 7. Listening to Shame

There is a very high probability that you already know Brené Brown – if not, check out an article about her here. In this talk, she explores what can happen when people confront their shame.

 An expert in vulnerability, courage, and empathy, she also talks about shame, which she says is a silent epidemic and the secret behind various forms of deviant behavior.

 8. What is a good life made of? Lessons from the most extended study on happiness

What keeps us happy and healthy throughout life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you may be wrong. As director of a 75-year study of adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on happiness and satisfaction. 

In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study and some ancient practical knowledge on building a long and fulfilling life.

9. All It Takes is 10 Mindful Minutes 

When was the last time you did nothing for 10 minutes? Without texting, chatting, and even thinking? Meditation expert Andy Puddicombe describes the transformative power of doing just that: refreshing your mind with ten minutes a day, simply by being aware and experiencing the present moment – ​​without needing incense or sitting in different positions.

 10. A Guerrilla Gardener in South Central Los Angeles 

Ron Finley is a fashion designer for professional athletes who plant vegetable gardens in South Central Los Angeles – in vacant lots, alleys, and curbs.

 Known as the gangster gardener, he’s the phrase you may have heard around : “planting your food is like printing your own money.” Why? For fun, rebellion, beauty, an alternative to fast food, and to show that fresh food should be accessible to everyone.

11. How do great leaders inspire action? 

We’ve already talked about Simon Sinek, but it’s possible to watch one of his most popular lectures. Both contents are about a simple but powerful model for inspiring leadership based on a golden circle and the question “Why?”. 

His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers — and by contrast, TiVo, a famous brand of digital video recorders struggling to keep up.

 12. How to take control of your free time 

There are 168 hours each week. How to find time for what matters most? Time management expert Laura Vanderkam studies how busy people lead their lives. According to her, many of us drastically overestimate our commitments each week, while we underestimate the time we have for ourselves. 

In this TED Talk, Laura offers some practical strategies to help you find more time for the things you care about. And so, we can “build the lives we want in the time we have.”

13. My journey from soldier to actor 

This is not an article about Star Wars leadership or any fictional work. But, yes, there is a TED talk with actor Adam Driver, and it can be interesting for anyone looking for a new path. After all, before starring in the franchise, he was a United States Marine in the First Division. 

Driver tells how he became a Marine and discusses the transition from soldier to acting. In addition, he talks about “Arts in the Armed Forces,” a non-profit organization that brings theater to the US military that he created. “Self-expression is as valuable a tool as a rifle on your shoulder,” says Driver.

14. Why doesn’t the best hire have the perfect resume? 

Human resources executive Regina Hartley has a different strategy for recruiting talent. Calm! This is not just a good talk for those in a position to hire people, but for those on the journey of finding a job – and most importantly, feeling underappreciated. 

When faced with a choice between a job candidate with a perfect résumé and one who struggled and won, the executive always gives the letter a chance. Having grown up in adversity herself, Hartley believes that those who thrive in the toughest of environments are gifted with the strength to persevere in an ever-changing work environment. “Pick the underrated candidate whose secret weapons are fervor and determination,” she says.

15. How to find a job you love 

Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him unhappy and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that gave him joy and meaning. After researching what thousands of employees wanted out of life, he founded the organization Live Your Legend. He shares what he’s learned about finding what’s important to you and getting to work in this talk.

Why invest in Leadership Training? Is it even Worth it?

Career Planning And Stages By Age: From Your 20s To 70s

What Makes a Good Presentation For a Job Interview? 7 Tips

Conclusion 

Reference and Further Reading

12 TED talks to inspire and motivate your employees

TED Talks to help you work smarter

28 of the Best Motivational TED Talk Videos to Inspire You

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8 Opening a Speech: Get Their Attention from the Start!

Get the audience’s attention, or the rest of your speech is a waste. I mean it!  Most people spend the majority of their speech preparation time working on the body of their speech and then they tack on an opening and a closing last minute.

The opening and closing deserve the most attention. Why?  If you don’t get the audience’s attention and get them to pay attention to you instead of…  the thoughts in their heads, their grocery lists, their neighbors, their social media…then all the rest of your brilliant content is wasted because they will never hear it. Lisa Marshall of Toastmasters International stresses the opening words are so important that “I spend 10 times more time developing and practicing the opener than any other part of the speech.”

Look at the description of Person A and Person B and tell me which person you like more.

Person A envious, stubborn, critical, impulsive, industrious, and intelligent

Person B intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, stubborn, and envious

If you are like most people, you have a preference for Person B.  This illustrates a study by Solomon Ashe. He had subjects rate these two people using a string of descriptive words. Now look back at the descriptions. Look closely and you will notice they are the same words in a different order. Most people put the most emphasis on the first three words in determining how they will create the person. Like Asche’s subjects, your audience will be evaluating those first three words. Let’s bring it back around to speechmaking. The first sentence out of your mouth is crucial and the first three words are especially important.

I am sure you are not surprised to know that people form opinions quickly. To prove this, researchers showed subjects either a 20-minute clip of a job applicant or a 20-30 second clip of a job applicant. They were asked to rate the person on likeability and self-assurance. People were able to form an opinion in under thirty seconds. Not only that but they were able to form the same opinions from a 30-second clip as a 20-minute exposure.

The Battle for Attention

Remember that every piece of content in our modern era is part of an attention war. It’s fighting against thousands of other claims on people’s time and energy. This is true even when you’re standing on a stage in front of a seated audience. They have deadly distracters in their pockets called smartphones, which they can use to summon to their eyes a thousand outside alternatives. Once emails and texts make their claim, your talk may be doomed. And then there’s that lurking demon of modern life, fatigue. All these are lethal enemies. You never want to provide someone with an excuse to zone out. You have to be a savvy general directing this war’s outcome. Starting strong is one of your most important weapons. Chris Anderson, TED Talks, The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking.

“People don’t pay attention to boring things,” according to John Medina, author of Brain Rules, “You’ve got 30 seconds before they start asking the question, ‘Am I going to pay attention to you or not?'” It is important to get your audience’s attention right away. In this chapter, I will share with you several ways to win the war for attention and to start your speech right. I will show you the basic opening and closing structure of speeches and give you many examples of what that looks like.  A speech, like an airplane, needs a good take-off and a good landing. Now it’s time to prepare to have a strong take-off and learn everything that goes into a speech introduction. This chapter is full of examples from a variety of talks. I included quotes from those introductions, but I also included links to each of those talks hoping you will be interested enough to want to listen.

Ways to Start a Speech

Chris Anderson likens this to battle. “First there is the 10-second war: can you do something in your first moments on stage to ensure people’s eager attention while you set up your talk topic? Second is the 1-minute war: can you then use that first minute to ensure that they’re committed to coming on the full talk journey with you?”

When thinking about your speech, spend a lot of time thinking about how to win the battle for their attention. Your introduction should make your audience want to put down their phones and listen. Your introduction should be so compelling they stop their wandering minds and turn their thoughts to you and you alone. Your introduction should start with three strong words where they form a strong opinion of you and your speech.  Let me share how to accomplish this. 

Capturing the audience through the story is one of the most powerful ways to start a speech. A story engages the brain in powerful ways and causes the audience’s brains to sync with the speakers. A well-told story will allow the audience to “see” things in their mind’s eye and to join the speaker’s emotions.

Watch this clip by Ric Elias for how he begins his speech with a powerful story. Particularly notice his first four words, “Imagine a big explosion.” 

Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft.   Imagine a plane full of smoke.   Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack.   It sounds scary.   Well, I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D. I was the only one who could talk to the flight attendants. So I looked at them right away, and they said, “No problem. We probably hit some birds.” The pilot had already turned the plane around, and we weren’t that far. You could see Manhattan. Two minutes later, three things happened at the same time.

Ric Elias, Three Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed. 

Consider these other examples and notice how the speaker uses a story.

More powerful introductions using story:

I love you, I believe in you and it’s going to be OK. The three things that I needed to hear three years ago when I felt more abandoned than ever. I remember that day as if it happen this morning. It was Sunday and I had just woken up early at a brisk 12:30 in the afternoon. Ryan Brooks, Honesty, courage, and the importance of brushing your teeth.  When I was nine years old I went off to summer camp for the first time. And my mother packed me a suitcase full of books, which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. Because in my family, reading was the primary group activity. And this might sound antisocial to you, but for us, it was really just a different way of being social. You have the animal warmth of your family sitting right next to you, but you are also free to go roaming around the adventureland inside your own mind. And I had this idea that camp was going to be just like this, but better. Susan Cain. The Power of Introverts. I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia. Jill Bolte Taylor, My Stroke of Insight. A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails. I’m not quite sure how, but it turned up in my inbox, and it was from a guy called Solomon Odonkoh.  James Veitch This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email. Eleven years ago, while giving birth to my first child, I hemorrhaged and was transfused with seven pints of blood. Four years later, I found out that I had been infected with the AIDS virus and had unknowingly passed it to my daughter, Ariel, through my breast milk, and my son, Jake, in utero. Elizabeth Glaser,  Address to the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Good stories immediately set the stage and introduce you to the place and to the people. Doing this helps your brain can form a structure where the story takes place. It helps you see the story unfold in your mind.  If you need help starting a story, Vanessa Van Edwards suggests these prompts:

• Once upon a time.
• I’m here for a reason, and it’s an interesting story.
• The best thing that ever happened to me was.

There is an entire chapter on the Power of Story that can be found here.

Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood. – Mary Hirsch

  When Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane spoke at Harvard Commencemen t in the rain, he started with “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electrical equipment.” People laughed, people smiled, and the speech was off to a strong start. Humor works because it gives the audience a hit of the feel-good hormone dopamine. That is … if you are funny. If you decide to use humor, make sure you are funny. Test your humor on honest friends. In addition, the humor you use should fit your personality and your audience. Be warned, some groups would find humor inappropriate, do your research.

Watch this clip for how Tshering Tobgay begins his speech with humor. 

In case you are wondering, no, I’m not wearing a dress, and no, I’m not saying what I’m wearing underneath. (Laughter) This is a go. This is my national dress. This is how all men dress in Bhutan. That is how our women dress. Like our women, we men get to wear pretty bright colors, but unlike our women, we get to show off our legs. Our national dress is unique, but this is not the only thing that’s unique about my country. Our promise to remain carbon neutral is also unique, and this is what I’d like to speak about today, our promise to remain carbon neutral.

Tshering Tobgay, This Country Isn’t Just Carbon Neutral–Its Carbon Negative. 

More powerful introductions using humor

I didn’t rebel as a teenager.   I started late and was still going at it the summer I turned thirty. I just became an American citizen, I divorced my husband, I got a big tattoo of a bat on my arm, and I joined a New York City punk band. Danusia Trevino, Guilty I need to make a confession at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret, something that I’m not particularly proud of.   Something that, in many ways, I wish no one would ever know, but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school. Dan Pink, The Puzzle of Motivation.  It is really interesting to be a woman and to get to 45 and to not be married yet and to not have kids, especially when you have pushed out your fifth kid on television. Tracee Ellis Ross, 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year. I am not drunk …but the doctor who delivered me was.” (reference the shake she has due to a botched medical procedure at birth causing her cerebral palsey). Maysoon Zayid, I’ve Got 99 Prolbems and Cerebral Palsey is Not One of Them .

Salutation followed by humor

Oh boy, thank you so much, thank you so much.   Thank you, President Cowan, Mrs. President Cowen; distinguished guests, undistinguished guests, you know who you are, honored faculty and creepy Spanish teacher.   And thank you to all the graduating Class of 2009, I realize most of you are hungover and have splitting headaches and haven’t slept since Fat Tuesday, but you can’t graduate ’til I finish, so listen up. When I was asked to make the commencement speech, I immediately said yes.   Then I went to look up what commencement meant which would have been easy if I had a dictionary, but most of the books in our house are Portia’s, and they’re all written in Australian.   So I had to break the word down myself, to find out the meaning. Commencement: common, and cement, common cement.   You commonly see cement on sidewalks.   Sidewalks have cracks, and if you step on a crack, you break your mother’s back.   So there’s that.   But I’m honored that you’ve asked me here to speak at your common cement Ellen DeGenres, Commencement Speech at Tulane. Well, thank you. Thank you Mr. President, First Lady, King Abdullah of Jordan, Norm, distinguished guests. Please join me in praying that I don’t say something we’ll all regret. That was for the FCC. If you’re wondering what I’m doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well so am I. I’m certainly not here as a man of the cloth, unless that cloth is — is leather. Bono at  the  54th annual National Prayer Breakfast.  

Starting your speech by sharing a little-known fact, can be powerful. For this to fully work, you need to have the audience’s attention from the very first word. Read on for how these speakers started strong.

Powerful introductions using facts

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat. Jamie Oliver, Teach Every Child About Food. So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes. Amy Cuddy, Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are. Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. (Laughter) Also, the person to your left is a liar. Also the person sitting in your very seats is a liar. We’re all liars. What I’m going to do today is I’m going to show you what the research says about why we’re all liars, how you can become a lie spotter and why you might want to go the extra mile and go from lie spotting to truth seeking, and ultimately to trust building. Pamela Meyer, How to Spot a Liar. You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.  Jane McGonigal. The Game That Can Give You Ten Extra Years of Life. There are 900,000 divorces   in the United States of America every year.   Fewer than 10% of them   ever talked to anybody about their relationship.   So why would you need a science?   Well, we need a science to develop effective treatment   and understanding of how to make love work.   Why?   Why should we care about having great relationships?   Well, it turns out that in the past 50 years,   a field called social epidemiology has emerged,   and it shows that great friendships,   great love relationships between lovers and parents and children   lead to greater health – mental health as well as physical health –   greater wealth, greater resilience,   faster recovery from illness,   greater longevity –   if you want to live 10 to 15 years longer, work on your relationships,   not just your exercise –   and more successful children as well.   John Gottman. The Science of Love.  This room may appear to be holding 600 people but there is actually so many more because within each of us there is a multiple of personalities. Elizabeth Lesser,  Take the Other to Lunch.

Using a physical object can draw the audience’s attention. Make sure you plan the timing of the prop, and you practice with it. It is important that it is large enough for the audience to see and they can see it well enough that they are not frustrated. Depending on your speech, it may be appropriate to put it away, so it is not distracting.

Powerful introductions using props

Darren Tay walks onto the stage and stares at the audience. He pulls a pair of underwear out of his pocket and puts them on over his suit. “Hey loser how do you like your new school uniform. I think it looks great on you. Those were the words of my high school bully Greg Upperfield. Now if you are all wondering if the underwear that Greg used was clean, I had the same questions. Darren Tay, Outsmart, Outlast. Toastmasters 2016 World Champion of Public Speaking . Mohammed Qahtani walks onstage, puts a cigarette in his mouth … then looks up as if noticing the audience and says, “What?” As the audience laughs, he continues. “Oh, you all think smoking kills? Ha-ha, let me tell you something. Do you know that the amount of people dying from diabetes are three times as many [as the] people dying from smoking? Yet if I pulled out a Snickers bar, nobody would say anything.” He goes on to say, his facts are made up and his real topic is about how words have power. Mohammed Qahtani, Toastmasters 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking

JA Gamach blows a train whistle and then starts his speech as if he were a conductor, “All aboard! It’s a bright sunny day and you are taking a train. You are wearing a pair of sandals you proudly made yourself. As you board the train one of your sandals slips off and falls beside the track.  (J.A. loses one sandal that falls down the platform.)  You try to retrieve it. Too late. The train starts to pull away. What would you have done? I would have cursed my bad luck, mad at losing a sandal. JA Gamache, Toastmasters 2007 World Championship. 

Use a Quotation

Powerful introductions using quotes.

Rules for using quotes

• Be sure to use the quote purposefully and not just as placeholders.
• Quotes can just take up valuable space where you could put content unless they are not properly used.
• Let the quote be more important than the author. When using a quote at the opening, say the quote first and then the author. When using a quote at the end of a speech, say the author first and then the quote.
• Keep it short and sweet. Use a quote that gets to the point quickly.
• If you must use long quotes–put them on your slide.
• If you project a quote, read it to the audience. Never expect them to read it while you talk about something else. Never say stupid things like, “You can read, I’ll let you read this for yourselves” or “Your adults, I’ll let you process this.”
• Check the authorship and authenticity of the quote. There are so many quotes on the internet that are misattributed and misquoted. For example, who wrote the quote: “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel”?
• Do not go for the overused quote or your audience is prone to dismiss it.  Instead of quoting an overused “I have a dream quote” do as Jim Key, the 2003 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking did and pick an equally great but lesser-used Martin Luther King Quote: “The time is always right to do what is right!”

Watch Nate Stauffer at a Moth Grand Slam as he uses poetry to start and carry his story.

Watch this clip for how Andrew Solomon opens with a quote to make us think about depression. 

Andrew Solomon, Depression, The Secret We Share. 

Reference the Occasion

Ceremonial speeches often call for acknowledgment of those in attendance or a mention of the occasion. Here is how Martin Luther King Junior set up his famous speech. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Martin Luther King Junior, I Have a Dream.

Get the Audience Involved

Having the audience stand, raise their hand, or even nod in encouragement can cause them to focus on your message. This can be particularly helpful if the audience has been sitting for a while. Let me show you a few examples of how that works.

Ask a Question

You can involve the audience from the start by asking them a question.

Watch the first few minutes of Amy Purdy’s speech and how she starts with a question, “ If your life were a book   and you were the author,   how would you want your story to go?” 

More powerful introductions using a question

I’m here today to talk about a disturbing question, which has an equally disturbing answer. My topic is the secret of domestic violence and the question I’m going to tackle is the one everyone always asks. Why would she stay? Why would anyone stay with a man who beats her? Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave- Leslie Morgan Steiner Here’s a question we need to rethink together: What should be the role of money and markets in our societies? Today, there are very few things that money can’t buy. If you’re sentenced to a jail term in Santa Barbara, California, you should know that if you don’t like the standard accommodations, you can buy a prison cell upgrade. It’s true. For how much, do you think? What would you guess? Five hundred dollars? It’s not the Ritz-Carlton. It’s a jail! Eighty-two dollars a night. Eighty-two dollars a night. Michael Sandel, Why We Shouldn’t Trust Markets with Our Civic Life.

How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions? For example: Why is Apple so innovative? Year after year, after year, after year, they’re more innovative than all their competition. Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders Inspire Action.  Can you remember a moment when a brilliant idea flashed into your head? Darren LaCroix,  Ouch! World Champion of Public Speaking.

Have the Audience Participate

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, be sure to give them time to respond. If they raise their hands, be sure to acknowledge their response. You might have the answer by standing, by raising their hands, by speaking to their neighbor. You might call on one member of the audience to answer for the group.

If you ask a question you want the audience to answer, don’t let your presentation slide give away the answer. For example, one speaker had a slide behind him that said, “Lesson 1: Don’t Worry About IQ.” He has the audience raise their hand if they want to improve their grades then he asks, “So can I get a show of hands, how many would say IQ is going to be the most important to get those marks to go up?” Very few people responded because the answer was “written on the wall” literally.

Watch this clip as Allan Pease engages the audience.

Everybody hold your right hand in front like this in a handshaking position. Uncross your legs. Relaxed position. Right hand in front. When I say the word, “Now” here’s what we’re going to do. I am going to ask you to turn to someone besides you, shake hands as if you’re meeting for the first time, and keep pumping till I ask you to stop. Then you’ll stop and freeze it and we’re going to analyze what’s happening. You got that? You don’t have time to think about this. Do it now. Pick anybody and pump. Pump, everybody. Freeze it. Hold it. Stop. Hold it. Freeze it. Keep your hands locked. Keep them locked. The person whose hand is most on top is saying “I’ll be the boss for the rest of the day.” Allan Pease, Body Language, the Power is in the Palm of Your Hands. 

More powerful introductions using audience participation

I have a confession to make. But first, I want you to make a little confession to me. In the past year, I want you to just raise your hand if you’ve experienced relatively little stress? Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend. So I’d like to start, if I may, by asking you some questions. If you’ve ever lost someone you truly loved, ever had your heartbroken, ever struggled through an acrimonious divorce, or being the victim of infidelity, please stand up. If standing up isn’t accessible to you, you can put your hand up. Please stay standing and keep your hand up there. If you’ve ever lived through a natural disaster, being bullied or made redundant, stand on up. If you’ve ever had a miscarriage, if you’ve ever had an abortion or struggled through infertility, please stand up. Finally, if you or anyone you love has had to cope with mental illness, dementia, some form of physical impairment or cope with suicide, please stand up. Look around you. Adversity doesn’t discriminate. If you are alive, you are going to have to, or you’ve already had to, deal with some tough times Thank you, everyone. Take a seat. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People.  Advice from Moth Storytelling Club Have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention No: “So I was thinking about climbing this mountain. But then I watched a little TV and made a snack and took a nap and my mom called and vented about her psoriasis then I did a little laundry (a whites load) (I lost another sock, darn it!) and then I thought about it again and decided I’d climb the mountain the next morning.” Yes: “The mountain loomed before me. I had my hunting knife, some trail mix and snow boots. I had to make it to the little cabin and start a fire before sundown or freeze to death for sure.”  

Arouse Suspense or Curiosity

Watch this clip for how Kathryn Schulz creates curiosity by showing us Johnny Depp’s tattoo and then talks about her tattoo of regret. We hang on to her every word wondering, “Where is all this going and how bad can her tattoo really be?”

So that’s Johnny Depp, of course.   And that’s Johnny Depp’s shoulder.   And that’s Johnny Depp’s famous shoulder tattoo.   Some of you might know that, in 1990,   Depp got engaged to Winona Ryder,   and he had tattooed on his right shoulder   “Winona forever.”   And then three years later —   which in fairness, kind of is forever by Hollywood standards —   they broke up,   and Johnny went and got a little bit of repair work done.   And now his shoulder says, “Wino forever.”

Kathryn Schulz, Don’t Regret, Regret. 

  Saying unexpected things or challenging assumptions can get a speech started off right. A herd of wildebeests, a shoal of fish, a flock of birds. Many animals gather in large groups that are among the most wonderful spectacles in the natural world. But why do these groups form? The common answers include things like seeking safety in numbers or hunting in packs or gathering to mate or breed, and all of these explanations, while often true, make a huge assumption about animal behavior, that the animals are in control of their own actions, that they are in charge of their bodies. And that is often not the case. Ed Yong. Zombie Roaches and Other Parasite Tales. TED Talk

 Keys to Success

Memorize your first sentence so you can deliver it with impact. Memorize your whole speech opening if possible. Make sure your first three words have an impact.

Typical Patterns for Speech Openings

• Get the audience’s attention–called a hook or a grabber.
• Establish rapport and tell the audience why you care about the topic of why you are credible to speak on the topic.
• Introduce the speech thesis/preview/good idea.
• Tell the audience why they should care about this topic.
• Give a transition statement to the body of the speech.

Step Two: Credibility

First, you hook the audience with your powerful grabber, then you tell them why you are credible to speak on the topic and why the topic is important. If they know your credentials, you would not need to tell them your credibility but you may still want to tell them why you are interested in the topic. Here are a few examples of how some speakers included credibility.

Tell Why You Are Credible

I’m a doctor, but I kind of slipped sideways into research, and now I’m an epidemiologist. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science.  I started studying resilience research a decade ago at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It was an amazing time to be there because the professors who trained me had just picked up the contract to train all 1.1 million American soldiers to be as mentally fit as they always have been physically fit. Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People.  What I’m going to do is to just give a few notes,   and this is from a book I’m preparing called   “Letters to a Young Scientist.”   I’d thought it’d be appropriate to   present it, on the basis that I have had extensive experience   in teaching, counseling scientists across a broad array of fields.   And you might like to hear some of the principles that I’ve developed in doing   that teaching and counseling. EO Wilson: Advice to a Young Scientist. 

Step Three: Tell Why it is Important

Early on in your speech, you should tell the audience why they should care. You should connect the speech to things they care about. This is where you answer, so what, who cares?

You know, I didn’t set out to be a parenting expert. In fact, I’m not very interested in parenting, per se. It’s just that there’s a certain style of parenting these days that is kind of messing up kids, impeding their chances to develop.  Julie Lythcott-Haims, How to Raise Successful Kids – Without Over-Parenting

Step Four: Tell the Purpose of the Talk (aka Preview/ Thesis)

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” – Harvey Diamond, author

Tell the audience your purpose, clearly give them an overview of the main points.  MIT professor, Patrick Winston says one of the best things to add to your speech is an empowerment promise. You want to tell people what they will know at the end of your speech that they didn’t know at the beginning. It’s their reason for being here.  His empowerment promise was, “Today you will see some examples of what you can put in your armory of speaking techniques and it will be the case that one of those examples–some heuristic, some technique, maybe only one will be the one that will get you the job. By the end of the next 60 minutes, you will have been exposed to a lot of ideas, some of which you will incorporate into your own repertoire, and they will ensure that you get the maximum opportunity to have your ideas valued and accepted by the people you speak with.” Notice that this statement told you what to expect and why it mattered.

Here are examples of how various speakers accomplished this.

For years, I’ve been telling people, stress makes you sick. It increases the risk of everything from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. Basically, I’ve turned stress into the enemy. But I have changed my mind about stress, and today, I want to change yours. Kelly McGonigal, How to Make Stress Your Friend.   We’ve been sold the lie that disability is a Bad Thing, capital B, capital T. It’s a bad thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional. It’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t make you exceptional. Stella Young, I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much

What I’m going to show you is all of the main things, all of the main features of my discipline, evidence-based medicine. And I will talk you through all of these and demonstrate how they work, exclusively using examples of people getting stuff wrong. Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science.  I would like to think that we (Arab women) poor, oppressed women actually have some useful, certainly hard-earned lessons to share, lessons that might turn out useful for anyone wishing to thrive in the modern world. Here are three of mine. Leila Hoteit, Three Lessons on Success from an Arab businesswoman We are often terrified and fascinated by the power hackers now have. They scare us. But the choices they make have dramatic outcomes that influence us all. So I am here today because I think we need hackers, and in fact, they just might be the immune system for the information age. Sometimes they make us sick, but they also find those hidden threats in our world, and they make us fix it. Keren Elazari. Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System Try This — Inspired by TED Master Class After you write your thesis, send it to three people with the question, “Based on what you read here, what do you think my speech will be about?”  

Putting It All Together

At this point, you know you need to have a grabber, a preview, a credibility statement, and a so-what-who-cares statement.  Let’s take a look at one of the top TED talks of all time by Jamie Oliver. This speech is a good illustration of everything we’ve been talking about so far and how all this works together.

“Everybody close your eyes.”

I don’t want to close my eyes; it makes me feel awkward and exposed to be in a group of people with my eyes closed. Because of that, I keep my eyes open. The problem is  when I keep my eyes open, I feel like some sort of horrible nonconformist rebel. I feel awkward with my eyes closed and I feel guilty if they are open. Either way, I just feel bad. Besides, half of the time when speakers tell audience members to close their eyes, they forget to tell us when we can open them. If you are wanting me to imagine a story, just tell me to imagine it, don’t make me close my eyes (rant over).

“Can everybody hear me?”

You should plan your opening to be intentional and with power. “Can everybody hear me” is a weak and uncertain statement and this is not the first impression you want to leave. Do a microphone check before the audience members arrive and have someone stand in different corners of the room to make sure you can be heard. Don’t waste your valuable speech time with questions that you should already know the answer to.

“How long do I have to speak?”

You should know that before you begin. Even if the presentations for the day are running over and you are the last speaker, you should ask the MC before you begin. Always plan your first words with power.

“Can you read this?”

You should make your slides big, really big. Test out your slides in advance of your speech, walk all around the room and make sure you can read them. Have a friend check them out as well. You should know they are big enough because you planned for it and tested it.

“Turn off your cell phones and laptops.”

People really hate having things taken away, not to mention that your audience may want to take notes on their devices. Chances are you are speaking to adults, let them determine if it is appropriate to have out their technology.

“I’m sorry, I’m losing my voice.” “I’m stopped up.” “I’m under the weather.”

Stop apologizing! Stop making excuses!  While these lines may be true, they just come of as excuses and can make the audience either feel like you don’t want to be there, or they just feel sorry for you.

“I’m so nervous right now.”

Talking about your nervousness will make you more nervous and will make them look for signs of your nervousness. Just start your speech.

“So, Um, Ok.”

Do not start with hesitation. Plan the first words, memorize the first words, practice the first words.  Do not start with “Ok, so um, now I’d like…” Plan strong and start strong.

Do Not Discuss Your Business with People Watching…Really! I Mean It! Many of us are giving and listening to presentations in an online format.  I have attended numerous presentations this year through Zoom where I have to sit and watch while the organizers engage in personal small talk or deal with the details of the presentation. This is how the speech I recently attended began. “Donna, you are going to share your screen, right?” “Yes. I have my PowerPoint ready to go. Will you push “record” when I give the signal?” “Sure. Where did you say that button is again? Do you think we should wait five more minutes, I think we had more who were coming? Dave, what was the total we were expecting?” “Yeah, we had 116 sign up, but the reminders went out late so this may be all we have. We can give them a few more minutes to log on.” “Donna, How is your dog? Is she still struggling with her cone since her spay surgery? My dog never would wear the cone –she tore her stitches out and broke her wound open. It was terrible. Well, it looks like it is about time to begin, thank you everyone for coming.” If you are organizing an event online, hosting a speech online, giving a presentation online–please keep it professional. Most platforms will allow you to keep the audience in a waiting room until it is time to start. If you have a business to deal with, keep the audience out until you have everything ready to go. Once the audience is in the meeting, you should engage the audience in group-type small talk or you should just start the presentation. In professional settings, you should start the meeting on time. Why punish those who showed up on time to wait for those who aren’t there yet?

A Conversation Over Coffee with Bill Rogers

I asked my long-time friend, Bill Rogers, to write an excerpt to add to the book.  I met Bill when he was the Chief Development Officer for a hospital in Northwest Arkansas and I met him again when he was reinventing himself as a college student getting a Master’s Degree in the theater.  He would love to share a symbolic cup of coffee with you and give you advice about public speaking. 

Perfect morning for a walk, isn’t it? Join me for a cup of coffee? Wonderful. Find us a table and I’ll get our coffee.

There you go; just like you like it. There’s nothing like a great cup of coffee on the patio of your neighborhood coffee shop, is there?

Now that you’re settled in your favorite chair, take a sip, and let that glorious caffeine kick in and do its stuff. Okay, let’s talk.

So, you were asking me about public speaking.

Well, let’s see. Where do we begin?

One of the first pieces of advice I ever received was to imagine that every member of your audience is sitting there in their underwear! Yeah, right. That never worked for me. I tried it once with a local civic group of community leaders both male and female. If the intent of that tidbit is to make you relax, it certainly didn’t work for me. It just made me more self-conscious…and more nervous. I not only got distracted, but I also lost my train of thought, I started sweating, and, of course, imagined myself standing there without clothes. Needless to say, that speech was a disaster and I’ve never used it again. I suggest you don’t either.

In the early days, I also relied very heavily on my typed-up speech. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that unless you find yourself reading it word for word as I did. Nothing is more boring nor puts an audience to sleep quicker than a speaker with their nose down reading a speech. There’s no connection and connection with your audience is key.

As you know, I love theatre and I’ve done a bit of acting over the years. Early on, I learned that the quicker I learned my lines, the more I could play, experiment, and shape my character. It relaxed me and gave me enormous freedom. It led me to find a mantra for myself: “With discipline comes freedom.” This freedom will allow you to improvise as your audience or situation dictates while still conveying the core message of your presentation. That discipline and its resulting freedom apply to public speaking of any kind and, I think, will serve you well.

Another old adage we’ve all heard is Aristotle’s advice. You know the one. No? Well, roughly, it’s to tell your audience what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you just said. That’s the basic formula for public speaking. And it works as a good place to start.

However, effective speaking is much more and, to me, it starts with a story or even a simple sentence.

You know the feeling you get when you read the first sentence of a good book and it just reaches out and grabs you? That should be your goal with every presentation. One sentence to capture your audience’s attention. Something that causes them to lean forward. Something that sparks their imagination.

It doesn’t have to be all that profound either. It can be something very simple. A personal story that relates to your topic. A relevant fact or statistic that defines or illustrates the issue or subject matter at hand.

A couple of classics come to mind. The first is Alice Walker’s, “The Color of Purple.”

“You better not tell nobody but God.”

And the second one is from my favorite novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken at the elbow.”

Both sentences hook you immediately. A few simple words speak volumes. After reading or hearing those words, you naturally lean in. You want to learn more. You want to find out what happens next. Every effective speech or presentation does the same thing.

Of course, make sure that the first and last thing you say to your audience is both relevant and appropriate. I share this out of an abundance of caution. I once worked for an internationally recognized and well-respected children’s research hospital and I was given the privilege to speak at a national educational convention. The room was filled wall to wall with teachers. I thought I’d be cute and add a little levity. I opened my presentation with this line, “You know, I’ve had nightmares like this…” Instead of the roars of laughter, I was expecting, a wave of silence ensued. Not only was the line not funny, but it was also wholly inappropriate and I immediately lost my audience. Not my best day. Learn from my mistakes.

Finally, let’s touch on the importance of approaching a speech as a conversation. You and I are sitting here enjoying our coffee and having a friendly, relaxed conversation. Strive for that every chance you get. You may not always have that luxury. Some speeches and presentations simply demand formality. But even in those cases, you can usually make it somewhat conversational. I always try to write my speeches in a conversational style. Like I’m talking to a friend…or trying to make a new one.

So, to recap: tell a story, learn your lines, hook your audience with a simple sentence, close with a question or call to action, use repetition, keep it conversational, treat your audience as a friend, and give yourself permission to relax.

Above all, be yourself. Allow yourself to be as relaxed as you are with those closest to you. If you’re relaxed, if you try to think of your audience as a friend, then, in most cases, they too will relax and they will root for you. Even if they disagree with what you are telling them, they will respect you and they will listen.

How about another cup?

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• The most important part of your speech is the introduction because if you don’t get their attention, they are not listening to the rest of what you have to say.
• To get attention, tell a story, use humor, share a quote, tell a startling fact, show a prop, ask a question, reference the occasion.
• In addition to the grabber, a good introduction should establish rapport and tell the audience why you are credible.
• An introduction often includes a “so what who cares statement” to tell the audience why this should matter to them.
• The thesis/preview should be clear enough that someone could read just that sentence or couple of sentences and know what the speech is about.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

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Wilson, E.O. (2012). Advice to a young scientist. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/e_o_wilson_advice_to_a_young_scientist?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare Standard YouTube License.

Winston, P. (2019). How to speak by Patrick Winston.[Video] YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unzc731iCUY Standard YouTube License.

Yong, E. (2014).  Zombie roaches and other parasite tales. TED Talk  [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/ed_yong_zombie_roaches_and_other_parasite_tales?language=en Standard YouTube License.

Young, S. (2014). I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much. [Video] YouTube.  https://www.ted.com/talks/stella_young_i_m_not_your_inspiration_thank_you_very_much?language=en Standard YouTube License.

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How to Give a Speech: 10 Tips for Powerful Public Speaking

When we start preparing to give a speech, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s completely normal—most of us feel a combination of excitement and nerves when we’re about to take the stage.

However, with some strategic planning and practical advice, you can make sure your speech is powerful and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to give a speech that will leave your audience engaged and inspired.

We’ll examine 10 tips to help you build a powerful speech, from outlining your points methodically to crafting captivating introductions . Whether you’re a beginner or experienced public speaker, these nuggets of wisdom will help you take your next speech to the next level. Let’s get started!

Quick Review of Key Points

Preparing ahead of time is the key to giving an effective speech. Make sure to structure your speaking points, rehearse your delivery, and be aware of the needs of your audience for maximum impact.

How to Prepare for a Speech

Preparing for a speech is an essential step to public speaking success. It can help to build your confidence, create content that reaches the audience, and reduce performance anxiety.

Although it can be time-consuming in the beginning, preparation will ensure less stress and more comfort during delivery. Here are some tips to consider when preparing for a speech:

Practice : Before delivering a speech, practice it out loud several times. This will allow you to gain experience in speaking without an audience and increase your confidence when you do have one.

Practicing also helps to identify awkward moments in the speech or any difficult phrases which then can be changed or removed altogether. Additionally, it helps you determine where to pause for effect. Research : Depending on the topic of the speech , research should be done beforehand to gather information that is relevant and interesting for the audience. It is important to get acquainted with the language typically used by audiences to ensure a clear understanding of what is being said.

Additionally, relevant statistics and stories concerning the topic are a great way to draw in listeners and make the presentation more engaging .

Know Your Audience : When preparing your speech, be sure to consider who will be listening. For instance, if giving a presentation at work, include industry jargon that members would understand and include relevant topics from publications that might be familiar to the employees.

On the other hand, if consulting business professionals in their field then technical language may be easier for them to comprehend than laypeople or students.

By gathering valuable information about the topic and getting comfortable with a speech’s content and delivery through practice, speakers will gain more assurance during their talk as well as respect from their audience.

Preparing beforehand not only gives insight into how to engage listeners but also encourages more meaningful conversations after the event. Now that we have discussed how to prepare for a speech let us move on to creating an outline which will provide structure during delivery.

Create an Outline

After determining the audience and purpose of your speech, the next step to effective public speaking is to create an outline .

An outline serves as a roadmap to ensure that your speech has a logical flow and contains all important points. It also can help keep you on track during the speech itself, allowing you to stay focused and organized.

When constructing an outline, consider drawing up both a main point and sub-points for each portion of the speech. Both should be relevant to the goal of the presentation and backed up by facts and research.

Brainstorming can help in this process; try grouping your ideas together in clusters to make sure you cover all possible angles.

Furthermore, writing out exact quotations or figures can prove beneficial in forming a cohesive argument. At this stage, it is also wise to decide where transitions, humor, stories, or other engaging techniques will be included.

While there are differing opinions as to whether outlines should be memorized or simply used as a reference while speaking, many agree that they should serve their purpose – not only articulate the main thoughts of the speech but also assist the speaker with maintaining focus and preventing distractions.

The debate between those who advocate for memorization versus casual consulting touches upon issues such as rehearsal time, risk of errors in delivery, ease of practice versus actual performance and more.

Each side has valid arguments that should be weighed prior to deciding what type of approach best suits your needs.

Having a firmly constructed outline acts as a valuable tool when it comes time to deliver a powerful public speech. By actively utilizing this tactic, speakers may not only enhance their clarity and coherence, but also add structure and vibrance to their presentations.

Now that we have explored what goes into crafting an effective outline, let’s dive deeper into how we can best collect resources and research our topics for maximum impact.

Collect Sources and Research

Collecting sources and research is a crucial step for any public speaking engagement. It ensures that you have the necessary information to make strong points and back up your statements.

Before writing your speech, take time to research your topic to gain familiarity with different perspectives, facts, and counterpoints. This will help you to craft an argument that can stand up to scrutiny while also adding a breadth of knowledge to your speech.

Interviews can be a powerful source of evidence and anecdotes, so try to include one or two relevant interviews in your research process. Relying solely on secondary sources such as books and articles can lead to a narrow scope of understanding.

Interviews provide an opportunity to hear directly from an expert and create an interesting dynamic in your speech by adding personal experiences as well as commentary from a professional.

In research it is important to stay objective. Gather a variety of perspectives and be open-minded about their merits. Don’t forget to consider both sides of the argument when researching for your speech.

Doing this allows you to understand the opposing perspective and enables you to anticipate potential counter arguments from your audience.

By acknowledging them beforehand, you may increase the persuasive power of your speech by showing confidence in the points you make.

Once you have collected all sources, review them carefully and separate the most pertinent information from the less useful material.

Synthesising this information into concise yet impactful points is a critical part in delivering powerful talks without overloading your audience with too much data or going off track during your speech delivery.

Organizing Your Speech

Before you start putting your words together, it’s important to consider how the different parts of a speech fit together. By taking the time to organize the ideas in your speech , you’ll be able to deliver a presentation that is well-constructed and easy to understand.

One way to help with organizing your speech is to write an outline . An outline is like a map or plan that will provide you with a framework for each section of your speech.

Start by writing out your main points and then include additional details underneath each one. This will help keep your speech focused and provide direction for where you are going next.

Another approach for organizing your speech is known as the “inverted pyramid” method. This structure starts with your conclusion at the beginning of the speech, and then works backward by providing more explanation and detail as it moves toward the introduction.

This method can be helpful when speaking about topics that are unfamiliar to the audience since it doesn’t require them to wait until near the end of the presentation to learn what you’ve been talking about.

No matter which organization approach you choose, make sure to practice it before giving your speech so that you are comfortable with its flow. Lastly, remember that it’s ok to adjust things while you speak if they don’t seem or feel quite right.

Now let’s take a look at how we can use these organizing techniques to actually put our speeches together – starting with structuring our speech.

Structure Your Speech

Creating a strong structure for your speech will ensure that the audience stays engaged and understands your main points. As you are developing an outline, map out how you want to begin and end your speech.

Break up the information into smaller sections with either verbal or visual cues so that your audience can clearly see how you are transitioning between topics . Consider adding humor judiciously throughout your presentation as this could help engage the audience and lighten any tension.

The length of your presentation is also important. You will want to make sure that you include all of the necessary information without going over time.

Oftentimes less is more; if you can say it in five minutes why use ten? Make sure that you practice timed rehearsals so that you can gauge how long you’re actually speaking.

In contrast, avoid trying to pack too much content into one presentation as this could overwhelm both you and the audience. If needed, offer supplemental reading materials for those who may be interested in delving further into the subject matter.

Paragraphs can also be helpful when organizing large amounts of content within the body of your presentation. Utilizing paragraph breaks gives your audience a break and helps to highlight key ideas or summaries before moving onto a new topic area.

Finally, it is crucial to remember what your desired outcome is from the presentation; plan accordingly by ensuring that the beginning, middle, and end serve their respective purposes and adhere to that goal.

With careful deliberations, structuring a successful presentation can be achieved with relative ease.

Having established a solid structure for your speech, it’s important to focus on another key element: rehearsal. The next section will discuss the benefits of practicing before delivering a powerful public speaking performance.

Rehearse Your Speech

Rehearsing is integral to giving a successful speech. When you rehearse your presentation, you give your mind an opportunity to become familiar with the notes and concepts that you are presenting. It also increases your confidence and reduces anxiety or self-doubt.

In fact, studies have found that those who rehearsed their presentation had higher scores in public speaking performance and language proficiency evaluations.

When it comes to how much rehearsal is enough, opinions are divided. Some people believe that over-rehearsing can lead to a more robotic speech with less natural emotion and connection with the audience .

On the other hand, others argue that no matter how well-versed someone is on the topic, additional rehearsal time improves both the delivery of the speech and memorization of key points and facts.

Ultimately, it’s important to practice until you personally find the most comfortable level for yourself, as this will ultimately result in a more engaging delivery.

Finally, if at all possible, try to practice in front of a friend or colleague for honest feedback on any elements that need improvement before the big day. Rehearsal dedication may be tedious, but it results in big rewards on stage–enabling you to deliver your content with clarity, confidence, and poise.

With thoughtful preparation complete, it’s now time to step into the spotlight and give your speech!

Giving Your Speech

The key to success when giving a speech is to be well prepared and confident. Every individual’s preparation process will vary, but the basics should stay the same.

Start by studying your content, understanding the material and being able to repeat it in your own words. Clarify any potentially difficult points. Create visual aids like PowerPoint slides or handouts that supplement the key ideas in your speech.

Practice your public speaking skills with informal conversations with friends and family or rehearse it alone in front of a mirror. Use visualization; imagine yourself confidently delivering your speech. Consider addressing a practice audience if possible to become more accustomed to a live size group.

On the day of the event, arrive early and plan for any potential obstacles: What if my computer doesn’t work? What if I forget something? Allow sufficient time for setup and check-in.

When you are ready to give your speech, take some deep breaths, focus on the positives, and distract yourself from any anxious thoughts with positive affirmations. Remember you have prepared diligently for this moment, you are well prepared and you will succeed!

Start strong by engaging the audience immediately with an attention grabbing opening statement. Speak clearly and make sure that everyone can hear and understand your message.

Slow down and emphasize points as needed throughout your presentation. Be aware of pace, volume, and tone of voice: too fast/monotone can confuse/bore listeners while pauses add a dramatic effect that keeps their interest piqued.

Ultimately, giving a successful speech will depend on knowing your material well enough to speak confidently in front of your audience without hesitation or missteps.

When you do make a mistake (and they happen!) don’t panic – know that mistakes are inevitable but don’t be discouraged; get back on track as soon as possible and continue at the same energy level you had before the mistake occurred.

Having successfully given your speech, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon for next time before transitioning into the next step: mastering delivery.

Master Your Delivery

Mastering your delivery is the key to an effective speech. Without purposeful body language and careful emphasis on certain words , your speech may lack wow-factor and prevent listeners from tuning in. Following these simple tips can help you get started with delivering an engaging and memorable speech:

The most important part of delivery is practice. Rehearse and perfect your speech ahead of time – this allows for more natural flow and confidence during your presentation. It also helps to create pauses between sentences for clarity, emphasize key points, and not be too casual or stiff.

Practicing inflections and varying tones adds interest to your speech by keeping listeners’ attention.

Additionally, it’s important to project your voic e so everyone in the room can hear you; make sure you’re speaking loud enough but don’t feel pressure to shout or yell at any point unless that’s part of the atmosphere of the event.

It’s also crucial to maintain good posture while speaking – stand tall with both feet on the ground, keep your back straight, hold yourself up without gesturing too much or leaning against a podium if applicable.

To further engage listeners, use purposeful hand gestures as they help emphasize certain points and add visual interest – however, avoid overusing them as it can hinders communication.

Make meaningful eye contact with audience members throughout the presentation – otherwise you might come across as unenthusiastic or bored with what you’re saying which deters attention away from the content itself.

By mastering your delivery, you can boost the impact of your presentation considerably – providing a memorable experience for your audience that stands out from others’. As such, it’s worth investing time into practicing ahead of time until delivery feels comfortable and second nature.

Having said this, making use of visual aids such as PowerPoint slides can greatly improve the impact of a speech once delivery has been mastered – let’s look into that next.

Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help presenters express concepts more clearly and engage the audience.

Visuals are particularly useful when conveying complex information, such as data, trends, or statistics — they impart meaning at a glance. But some public speakers may wonder if visual aids can be distracting or unnecessary.

Even though visuals can attract attention away from a presenter’s verbal delivery, carefully designed visuals can actually support the speech and help provide clarity. If done well, visuals are effective for capturing an audience’s interest and helping them to better understand the content being presented.

For example, a graph or chart should relate to the points made in the speech and should be discussed in more detail during its appearance onscreen. The presentation can also include larger images that effectively reinforce the ideas conveyed in the speech.

Videos and sound clips are other powerful forms of multimedia that could be employed to make the speech more meaningful.

To ensure that visuals enhance the message of the presentation, key factors to consider include relevancy to topic, good graphic design or aesthetics, accurate size to prevent distortion or blurriness, and seamless integration into the keynote slides or printed handouts .

In this way, visuals offer an opportunity for presenters to demonstrate their creativity and keep their audiences interested in what is being said. Thus, used wisely and aptly, visuals can add tremendous value to speeches by presenting arguments more efficiently and driving home important points. Now let’s explore effective techniques for speech giving that will allow you to craft and deliver your speeches with confidence.

Effective Techniques for Speech Giving

There are a number of effective techniques for giving a speech that will help you deliver it with confidence and poise.

First, practice your delivery in advance. You should practice both in front of a mirror or recording device to check for any distracting habits such as talking too quickly or mispronouncing words.

Second, use simple, clear language and short, concise sentences. Avoid overly technical terms and jargon that may leave your audience confused.

Third, work to establish a connection with your audience by using appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures while speaking.

Fourth, utilize effective persuasive techniques such as presenting evidence, strong arguments supported by facts, personal anecdotes and vivid metaphors.

Finally, articulate an organized structure for your speech. Your speech should have an introduction, body and conclusion to clearly communicate the main point and provide the audience with the necessary context to understand it better.

While these techniques may sound intimidating at first, they can be learned over time with practice and will make all the difference in how successful your speech delivery is received by your audience.

To build on these skills further , the next section will provide tips on how to build confidence when giving a speech.

Building Confidence

Building confidence is key when giving a powerful speech, as it will enable you to deliver the speech in a more poised and credible manner.

To create this confidence , start by understanding that any hesitation or butterflies prior to your speech are completely normal and should not be feared. Instead, view them as natural states of anticipation for something exciting, knowing that you are about to give an amazing speech.

Next, understanding who your audience is and tailoring your speech to meet their expectations will help build your confidence.

Familiarizing yourself with their interests and knowledge on the subject matter ahead of time can equip you with the understanding needed to respond appropriately if questions arise or objections surface during the speech.

Further, practice is key when building confidence for a public speaking engagement . Rehearsing with friends or colleagues before hand will give you an opportunity to learn where problem areas are within the content of your speech, as well as help solidify your delivery by becoming more comfortable with each step.

Checking sound levels in the room you’re presenting in coupled with learning where exits/emergency locations are located within that space can also help alleviate stress levels and boost self-assurance while delivering the speech.

Finally, wearing comfortable clothing and dressing professionally adds an extra layer of confidence when speaking in public.

If possible, bring an additional outfit on hand during the presentation in case of spills or accidents that would require a quick change between sections of the talk. Having this back-up plan in place can aid in keeping peace of mind at ease throughout the speech.

In conclusion, building confidence prior to a public speaking event can mean the difference between a good and great delivery of your message.

By taking into account each of these tips you can ensure that this part of your preparation runs smoothly and sets you up for success when delivering powerful speeches.

With a well-crafted note card of talking points and strong sense of self-assurance, it’s time to start speaking with passion!

Speaking with Passion

As a public speaker, your audience expects you to engage not only with your words but also with your emotions. To share the most impactful message, it is important to speak passionately about your subject.

Doing so will make your speech more memorable and thereby more effective in convincing your audience of its legitimacy.

The power of speaking authentically with emotion lies in its relatability and connection. Showing feelings allows people to connect with you as a person rather than just a speaker. It opens the door to understanding through empathy and active listening .

Examples might include adding personal stories , telling jokes, or displaying your feelings openly during the delivery of your message.

However, not all topics lend themselves easily to expressing emotion. If the subject matter is overly complex or technical there may be less opportunity for emotional expression—but this doesn’t mean those conversations can’t incorporate emotion.

Even if faced with a difficult situation such as death or financial turmoil, emotions can still be conveyed in a respectful way that keeps audiences engaged.

Remember that how much emotion you show depends on the type of audience you’re sharing it with—using sensitivity when delivering passionate speeches helps avoid awkwardness or embarrassment for any attendees who may find opinionated language uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Striking the right balance between being straightforward and showing compassion takes practice, so take the time to develop a style that works best for you and improves upon each performance.

Finally, incorporating passion into a speech gives it life and makes it relatable and engaging—which are essential elements to speaking effectively.

Having passion means giving ourselves permission to take ownership over our stories, making them deeply personal in order to reach our goals and touch people’s hearts in meaningful ways. With that said, let’s move on to discussing how we should tackle dealing with challenges while giving a speech.

Dealing with Challenges

The process of delivering a speech can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. Difficulties can arise during the process that may threaten to derail your success. To ensure you are adequately prepared for these possible pitfalls it is important to consider strategies for proactively mitigating the risk of encountering these challenges. 1. Public Speaking Anxiety: Many people experience some form of anxiety when asked to speak in public. There are a number of techniques available to combat this fear and increase confidence, such as deep breathing exercises, mental rehearsal, positive self-talk and visualization of success.

Learning about the audience, creating an engaging presentation and using props or visual aids can also help reduce anxiety levels and create a better overall experience for both the speaker and the audience. 2. Unfamiliar Topics or Audiences: When presenting on unfamiliar topics or to an unknown audience it can be difficult to prepare effectively.

In this situation it is important to conduct research on the topic and familiarize yourself with the needs of your audience so that the content is tailored accordingly. It is also helpful to use humor or stories related to the topic in order to engage your audience and make them more receptive to your message. 3. Lack of Support: If you lack support from family, friends, colleagues or mentors, it can be difficult to push through difficult conversations or speeches without any additional motivation.

To overcome this challenge, seek out peer mentorship opportunities or find compatible online communities where people discuss similar topics or objectives. Here you can share ideas, provide feedback and learn from others who have experienced similar issues. 4. Time Constraints: One of the biggest challenges when giving a speech is managing your time effectively in order to deliver an effective message without going over allotted timeslots and boring your audience .

To successfully address this challenge try setting manageable goals for each section of your speech and practice regularly. Replicating real-time conditions as closely as possible will help you stay within time constraints when delivering your speech on the day itself. In conclusion, there are many potential challenges you may face when giving a speech or taking part in a public speaking event – but with proper preparation and practice they are easily managed if approached correctly.

With knowledge of techniques for dealing with such scenarios comes increased confidence when stepping up to the podium – further improving your chances of delivering an effective speech that resonates with your audience members.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

How should i end my speech to leave a lasting impression.

The best way to end your speech is by reinforcing your main point and summarizing the key takeaways. You should also encourage the audience to take action, whether it be to sign up for a newsletter, make a donation, or visit your website for more information. This final call to action will not only leave a lasting impression on the audience but will also help you achieve any goals you might have had when making your speech in the first place.

What techniques can I use to keep my audience engaged during my speech?

One of the best techniques for keeping an audience engaged during a speech is to keep it interactive . Ask questions throughout the presentation, as well as allowing for audience input and discussion. This can help to keep people’s attention and create a more engaging experience.

Another great tip is to use humor. Even if you don’t consider yourself a natural comedian, sprinkling in a few jokes here and there can break up the monotony of long speeches and keep people interested. Humor can also help to make points stick in people’s minds, making them easier to remember.

Finally, try to be enthusiastic about the content of your speech. If you show too much indifference or lethargic behavior, it will discourage your audience from paying attention and taking your message seriously.

Instead, be passionate about what you are saying so that the energy of your words carries into the room and engages your audience with excitement.

How can I use storytelling to make my speech more interesting?

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to make any speech more interesting. Telling stories in your speech will help engage the audience and make your message stick. Here are some tips for using storytelling in your speech:

1. Choose stories that are relevant to your message and audience. Think about stories that will best illustrate the point you are trying to convey, or evoke emotions in your listeners. 2. Use vivid descriptions and visuals when telling your story. Be sure to include details such as setting, character descriptions, dialogue and plot points. This will help to bring the story to life for your audience. 3. Make sure the story you are telling has a strong conclusion or moral at the end. This will help add emphasis to your message and make it memorable. 4. Practice telling stories out loud before delivering a speech with them. Rehearsing will help you deliver your story more effectively and with more confidence in front of an audience. By using these tips, storytelling can be an effective tool to make any speech more interesting, engaging, and persuasive!

How can I prepare for my speech effectively?

Preparing for a speech effectively is essential to delivering an impactful and memorable presentation. Here are some tips: 1. Have a clear goal in mind. Before starting to prepare, ask yourself what the purpose of giving the speech is: what message do you want to convey? Defining this will help to structure your content and focus your research. 2. Research thoroughly. Make sure you understand the subject matter well, so that your delivery sounds confident and inspiring. Using facts and data will strengthen your arguments and make your talk more convincing. 3. Outline your speech. Make a rough outline of how you want it to go – from beginning to end – well in advance of the actual presentation. This will give you a strong foundation upon which you can craft an engaging talk with an effective narrative arc that keeps audiences interested and engaged. 4. Practice regularly. Rehearsing your speech out loud several times is key to ensuring that you know it well enough to feel comfortable when delivering it live in front of an audience.

5. Time yourself. Record how long it takes for you to go through your entire speech, so that you can adjust the length as needed before delivering it live – remember that most speeches should last no more than 10-15 minutes. 6. Identify potential questions from the audience and prepare answers before hand. Knowing ahead of time what kind of questions people may ask can help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what comes next, enabling you to stay confident when speaking in public. 7. Work on building up confidence levels before delivering a speech. Visualize yourself succeeding in delivering a great presentation; practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or positive self-talk; or use props during practice sessions such as water bottles or stress balls if needed to remain calm during the real thing!

What strategies can I use to reduce my anxiety when giving a speech?

1. Plan Ahead: Create an outline of your speech beforehand and practice it multiple times to become familiar with the content. Doing a trial run with the audience can also help you get used to speaking in front of people.

2. Visualize Success: Positive visualization is a great way to reduce anxiety before giving a speech. Imagine yourself confidently delivering the speech while feeling relaxed and composed.

3. Get Organized: Make sure you have all the materials necessary for your presentation, including notes, slides, etc., to reduce any additional stress that may come from not having what you need when you speak.

4. Take Deep Breaths: Before and during the speech, take a few deep breaths as this will help calm nerves and make sure your breathing is regulated throughout the duration of your presentation.

5. Speak Slowly: It is common to feel anxious while giving a speech and try to rush through it too quickly. Speaking slowly helps maintain composure while delivering your message effectively and clearly.

6. Pay Attention to Your Body: Your posture, stance, movements , facial expressions can all influence how confident you appear to your audience and how nervous you may be feeling inside. Check in with yourself frequently throughout the presentation and correct any tense body language or physical actions if needed.

7. Focus on the Audience: If you notice that your anxiety levels are growing as you present, shift your focus onto the audience instead of yourself as this will help refocus your attention away from negative thoughts that may arise from fear or insecurity.

8. Make Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact with your audience is a key confidence-builder for public speakers—it shows that you’re strong, engaged with them, and receptive to feedback or questions they might have regarding your speech topic .

9. Practice Positive Affirmations: Positive thoughts will boost your self-confidence as well as your mood which can help increase performance quality significantly during speeches or presentations in general—so don’t forget to tell yourself “you can do it!” several times throughout the day leading up to the event!

10. Seek Support of Friends & Family: Many experienced public speakers suggest seeking support of close friends & family members prior and during their speeches—not only does it allow helpful critique regarding content but it also creates a more comfortable atmosphere while speaking which can reduce pre-speech jitters drastically.

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Faculty - August 13, 2018

Five Tips to Give a Great Speech

• Strategic Communication

Anybody can learn to give a great speech, says  Jane Praeger , a faculty member for the  Programs in Strategic Communication  at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. She offers five tips on how to keep speeches both simple and authentic.

1. Practice Beforehand

Practice replacing filler words like "um," "so," and "like" with silence. If you can rehearse in the space where you’ll be speaking, that’s a real plus. Go to the back of the room, imagine that you’re hard of hearing or distracted, and you’ll know how to reach those people.

2. Work the Room

Try to speak to audience members before your speech, so that you can focus on a few friendly faces, particularly if you get nervous. If you’re making eye contact with a friendly person in one quadrant, those nearby will think that you’re talking to them. Then do the same thing in another quadrant. You want to see your talk as a series of conversations with different people throughout the room.

3. Prepare with Relaxation Techniques

If you’re nervous before approaching the stage, take a few deep breaths. Picture yourself delivering a successful speech. Most people will be nervous for the first few minutes, but you want to channel that adrenaline into positive energy.

4. Don’t Read Your Speech

Tell your speech from heart or use a notecard with bullet points as a cheat sheet. Bring the card with you and place it on the lectern. If you freeze up mid-speech, you can take a deep breath, look at your card, and know exactly which story you’re going to tell next.

5. Stand Up Straight

Whether you walk across the stage or stand behind a lectern, try to maintain good posture. Imagine that your head is being held up by a string. Standing up straight shows that you have confidence in what you’re talking about and your audience will feel more inclined to listen.

Read the full story for five more tips at  Forbes  and learn more about the  Programs in Strategic Communication  at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies.

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Speeches > James L. Slaughter > The Blessings of Choice

The Blessings of Choice

James l. slaughter.

July 1, 2014

We are and will be faced with all types of choices throughout our lives. Each choice we make or action we take carries some type of consequence. The consequence can be positive or negative. A consequence does not always have to be negative; I think we are conditioned to think of consequences as negative. Sometimes consequences appear to be both negative and positive, depending on your point of view.

Sometimes we make choices thinking we are doing good, only to have our good intentions and deeds backfire and make a bad situation worse. Sometimes we immediately regret a decision or choice. Sometimes regret comes later and with someone saying to us, “I told you so.” Other times we may say or do something that we later find out actually inspired or uplifted someone. Sometimes we choose not to make a choice and instead let nature or circumstances unfold as they will. This reminds me of several lines from one of my favorite songs by Rush called “Freewill”:

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that’s clear; I will choose freewill.

Choosing Your Path

One of the great blessings we enjoy in this life is the blessing of choice—choosing the path our life will take and, maybe more important, the type of person we want to become.

We have a huge number of directions we can steer our lives in. You can allow others to steer for you and guide you on the path. There are plenty of people who will be more than happy to tell you what you should and should not do. They may even let you pay them for their advice. You can also decide to do whatever you fancy—it is your life, after all, and God has blessed you with agency. Or you can let life happen and just roll with the changes. Or maybe, best yet, you can be proactive and make the choices that best suit you and the direction you want your life to take.

Let me caution you that simply making certain decisions does not guarantee that you will end up exactly where you expect to be. The choice I am talking about is the type of person you want to be, regardless of where your life and vocation take you.

When I was in junior high and high school I was interested in several careers. The first and foremost was to play professional football. The second was to coach football and be a PE teacher. The third and most fleeting was to be a lead singer for an epic hard rock band.

The lead singer career was the first to fade as I realized three facts about myself: (1) I am not a good singer or screamer, (2) I really don’t enjoy being on stage in front of people, and (3) I wasn’t really ready for the superstar lifestyle and all that comes with it.

My poor singing ability was reconfirmed to me some years ago when my ward choir pleaded for male voices. They said any male voice was welcome. I decided to test how serious they were by sitting right behind the ward choir director during sacrament meeting and singing loud enough for her to hear me. This was my way of trying out for the choir. I did this for three straight weeks. The only response I got was a pained smile as the choir director turned to look and see who was making the strange sounds behind her. I received no personal invitation to join the choir.

I haven’t given up singing. I just limit the venues I perform in. My current singing venue is in my old Chevy pickup truck when I crank up the stereo, roll the windows down, and sing along with one of my favorite bands on what you would call the classic rock station.

What happened to my pro football dream? Well, I will be honest: I wasn’t really willing to put in the work and make the necessary sacrifices—plus, in reality, I probably wasn’t ever as good as I thought I was. I did try coaching and teaching PE, and I enjoyed it, but that wasn’t how I would make my living.

All of my vocational dreams fell apart before I left on my mission or soon after I returned from my mission. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my life was destined to lead me through several twists and turns before I found a vocation and a career that suited me.

I struggled to find a major that suited me and later a career that would allow me to be the person I wanted to be and still provide for my family. I am very aware of what it feels like to be unemployed, wondering why no one wants to hire you. I am also aware of how it feels to be underemployed, wondering, “Why is this the only place that wants me?” Was I afraid my life would never get any better than it was? Sure, at times I was.

I want to share with you some of what I believe blessed my life and helped me find my way in this world and continues to help me find my way. At the ripe old age of fifty-one I am still finding my way—mostly because I have not achieved perfection yet and don’t expect to anytime soon. I am just happy to know I am headed in the right direction.

Those Who Have Enriched and Blessed My Life

First, I must acknowledge my parents. Larry and Catherine were good parents and did their best to teach me all the things they thought I should know: how to share, love, work hard, be honest, love God and my Savior, treat others the way I want to be treated, endure hard things, be optimistic, look forward to marriage and a family of my own, stand up for the underdog, appreciate God’s creations, treat a woman, think for myself, serve, clean, cook, do laundry, drive, and not be wasteful—among many other things. My mom was always very good at helping me face consequences. She helped me understand the importance of repenting, apologizing, and asking for forgiveness. She accompanied me to several homes in our neighborhood, where I got to practice repenting.

Next I have to thank and acknowledge my wife. Even though I was taught how to behave, it has been my wife—my soul mate, if you will—who has helped refine me the most. It is through our relationship and her patience and support that I have begun to understand what it means to love someone. I was in love when we first got married—no doubt about that—but now it is so much more. True love and friendship have blossomed through all the struggles we have been through together. I hate to think about where we would be had we quit on each other. When I think of my woman I like to think of a song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Here Comes My Girl”:

And then she looks me in the eye, says, “We gonna last forever.” And man, you know I can’t begin to doubt it, No, because this feels so good and so free and so right. I know we ain’t never goin’ change our minds about it.

Her patience and faith in me have been a great blessing. Having a wife who knows the value of sacrificing wants for what is really important has been key to our family’s well-being.

We were blessed to be able to be involved with our kids through church, school, and sports. My wife had this habit of signing me up to coach when she went to the recreation center to sign the kids up for one of the many sports they played. She signed me up to coach every season, even though I had announced my official retirement from coaching the previous season. She knew better, and now our children are all grown up and I have all these great memories of the extra time I got to spend with my sons and daughters and their friends. I still have young adults stop me occasionally and ask me if I remember them from one of the teams I was able to coach.

I also have to acknowledge my faith and my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love being a Mormon. I have learned so much through my association with this faith. It has helped refine me and guide me and has helped me find a purpose bigger than myself that is eternal in nature. It has taught me to endure to the end and that to love God is to love my fellow beings, that salvation is through the Savior, and that salvation is possible. The plan of salvation, or great plan of happiness, brings me great comfort. I think of all those who have gone on before and who wait on the other side. I love the eternal nature of families. It all comes down to the importance of family. I love my family. They are my greatest inspiration and motivation. I also love how my church has taught me to find strength in the midst of trials and to draw spiritual strength from the trials of our ancestors.

There are many people and experiences that have enriched and blessed my life. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to have an eternal family. I have always instinctively known that the plan of salvation is true doctrine. It is my belief that most people, whether LDS or not, believe they will see their loved ones again after this life. It is my faith and belief in God’s plan of salvation that has helped guide me and will continue to guide my life and the choices I make.

Learning from Life’s Difficult Experiences

I would like to share a few experiences from my early life that helped me develop my testimony and character. When I was about nine years old I suffered from the extreme fear of nothingness. The nothingness I feared was that there is nothing after and outside of this life. I had been taught to pray, so I put prayer into practice. We were living in Crow Agency, Montana, at the time, and it seemed I spent a large part of my time in the back of our family’s Chrysler station wagon (Larry was a Chrysler/Dodge man and loved the big engines in those wagons). In rural Montana a short trip was anywhere between ten and 100 miles. Needless to say, I had lots of time to ponder the great mysteries of life while facing backward in the backseat of the old Safari classic station wagon.

On one particularly dark and ominous night the fear of nothingness got so bad that I felt sick inside. I prayed a silent prayer just to know that God was there and that life after death is real. I felt an almost instant feeling of warmth and assurance that God is there and that His plan of salvation is real. It is hard to describe even now how good I felt then and how good I feel now when I remember that experience.

I grew up on the Crow Indian Reservation and attended a small branch off the reservation in Hardin, Montana. I had always looked forward to becoming a deacon; passing the sacrament seemed like a big deal and a worthy goal. I made it to age twelve and passed off the Articles of Faith, which someone had led me to believe I had to do or I would be stuck in Primary until I did.

I then needed the outfit of a deacon—the white shirt, tie, slacks, and shiny shoes. My parents, especially my mother, were very frugal, and I was growing at rates they found hard to gauge. Often I was outfitted in clothes they predicted I would grow into. So my first Sunday as a deacon I was outfitted in a white shirt with one of my dad’s clip-on ties—Larry loved the convenience of clip-on ties and hadn’t yet had time to teach me to tie a real tie—black shiny shoes, and a pair of black slacks about four sizes too big. I found a belt and strapped those big pants on nice and high, well above my waist, so the cuffs didn’t drag in the snow and ice.

As I was marching up to take my place on the bench in front of the sacrament table, several different members of the branch made jokes about my attire, especially the size of my slacks. By the time I reached the deacon bench, I had lost most of my self-confidence and desire to pass the sacrament. I soldiered up anyway and self-consciously did my deacon duty and passed the sacrament. After sacrament meeting I had just about decided to quit and not come back the next Sunday. What happened next is not miraculous. (And I eventually grew into the pants.) I decided that I couldn’t and wouldn’t let what other people think and say about me keep me from doing what is right for me. I also learned I needed to be a little less sensitive. I know the jokesters who had made fun of me and my big, oversized pants probably thought they were funny and did not mean any harm and would have felt bad had they known how their comments affected me. Now when there is something I know I should do or want to do, I think of that kid in the oversized pants, and I hike my pants up and move ahead.

I probably spent more time as an undergraduate student than I needed to. My wife was very patient with my academic endeavors. I changed my major at least twice before I found something I truly excelled at. I remember that as I was closing in on graduation I was informed that if I wanted to graduate that coming April, I needed to complete a basic math class that was worth zero credits. I had avoided math as much as possible and had thought I was done with it. But I signed up for the class my final semester as an undergraduate at BYU.

I knew I was in trouble as soon as I picked up the textbook at the Bookstore. This class turned out to be one of the most academically challenging experiences I have ever had. I spent many hours in the math lab trying to learn algebra. I wore out one poor tutor. She must have thought there was something seriously wrong with my memory. I faithfully worked with her every week up until the final exam. She was very kind and patient.

I remember leaving the math lab for the last time and heading to the testing center before I lost the knowledge I had gained that day. Amazingly, I did pass the final test and the class. I had such a feeling of relief and jubilation erupt in me that I could hardly stand it. I was going to graduate! I was so grateful I did not have to go home and disappoint my wife. Instead we got to celebrate this achievement together. My grade in the class was not good, but I am probably as proud of that grade as I am of any I have ever earned because I truly earned it.

These experiences are far from the most difficult of my life; however, from these experiences I have learned whom I can trust and lean on when I have difficult situations to endure. I know I can always rely on my Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the influence of the Comforter. I have learned that if you work hard and have faith, God puts people in your life (like a math tutor) to help you accomplish what may seem improbable. I also have learned that it is important to forgive and be grateful and that when things are tough, I can hike up my pants and move forward, whether I look good doing it or not.

Deciding Who You Will Be

I began my remarks talking about choices. As important as choices are—such as what to major in, what career path to take, where to live, and where to send the kids to school—the choices you make regarding the type of person you want to be are, in my opinion, more important and will help you make those very important decisions regarding the direction you choose for your life and your family. As you stay close to the Lord, it may at times seem that as much as you want one path, you will feel inspired and guided—pushed—in another direction.

If you would like, you can take some time and think about the type of person you want to be from now through eternity. Deciding what kind of person you want to be does not eliminate difficult decisions or make you perfect, but I believe it will help you to make better choices and find peace of mind. What characteristics and attributes are important to you? Personal integrity, honesty, time with family, kindness, patience, perseverance, work ethic, frugality, service, respect for others, charity?

Anything good or worthwhile takes time, practice, and perseverance. The temptation to be less than you know you can be is always lurking and ready to present itself to you as an opportunity for personal gain or pleasure. Walking away from temptation—even when no one would know—and being true to yourself and God is a test passed. You and I will continue to take on many tests of our character and resolve. Often the pressure to be less will come from unexpected sources, such as desperate friends and family unwilling to accept consequences. Failing a test is not the end of the world. Failing to learn from that test could be.

When I am dealing with things that are physically, mentally, or spiritually hard, I like to recite scriptures in my mind to help remind me that God is mindful of me. Here are three of my favorite scriptures that I like to recite during difficult or challenging times:

And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. [D&C 14:7]

Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. [Mosiah 26:30]

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. [Philippians 4:13]

Our ability to endure and continue to repent and improve is a blessing that is within each of our abilities and our grasp. We have so many great promises from God in the scriptures—promises we can count on if we are willing to reach out to God. I hope we can all be happy with who we are and who we are becoming. I like “me,” and I hope to like myself even better as I become a better version of me.

Life is a journey, and I hope you enjoy it. May God bless you in all you do. God does live, and He is mindful of each of us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

© Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.

James L. Slaughter was BYU chaplain and assistant dean of students when this devotional address was given on 1 July 2014.

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9 Tips to Consider While Choosing a Career

Pick a career using both mind and heart..

Posted April 6, 2024 | Reviewed by Ray Parker

• What Is a Career
• Find a career counselor near me
• A career or vocation should feel right and make intellectual sense.
• Maintain a balance between the demands of your job and other important aspects of your life.
• Ideally, your job should encourage you to grow, be creative, and remain involved.

Many of the teens I counsel wonder how they can go about making a good choice when considering a career or vocation. We discuss several considerations in this regard.

Take a Broad-Based Educational Curriculum

Before choosing a life path it is important to be exposed to many different areas of potential interest, including while in high school. This can involve becoming involved in varied extracurricular activities such as jobs, sports, and internships.

When a teen ’s path leads through college , it can be advantageous to start undergraduate education without a declared major. In this way, teens are more apt to explore different courses.

Look at Other People in That Field

When you narrow down your career choices, take a close look at the people who work in that field. Are they happy? Do they have similar personality characteristics to you?

For example, when I chose pediatrics as a career, I noted that pediatricians like to get on the floor and play with young children. At the same time, physicians who specialize in working with adults would never think of doing such a thing. Since I was playful, I felt pediatrics was a better choice for me.

Also, you could ask practitioners of the field in which you are interested for tips regarding what steps they had taken to get into that job.

Listen to Your Mind and Heart

A career or vocation should feel right and make intellectual sense to maximize happiness throughout life.

For instance, when I completed my training as a physician, my first job involved doing laboratory research at a prestigious institution, which I thought was a good choice given its reputation. However, I quickly found out that research was not as meaningful to me as patient care, and therefore, I ended up switching jobs after a year.

One way to figure out if a career path is meaningful to you is to consider whether you can envision yourself being happy working in that field in 5-10 years.

Be Flexible and Go With the Flow

During several instances during life, the universe will open a door for us, including with work and career opportunities. When such options arise, it is advantageous to examine them closely and be flexible enough to go with the flow toward a new direction in appropriate circumstances.

For example, one of my career shifts occurred after I encountered a patient who showed me that the power of his mind could control his breathing symptoms related to his asthma and allergies. This encounter prompted me to learn about how psychology could affect respiratory symptoms, which later led me to shift my career focus from pediatric pulmonology to pediatric hypnosis and counseling.

It's Not About the Money

Even if a job offer can lead to making a lot of money, if the job does not provide you with ongoing satisfaction, it would not be a good choice for a long-term career. Being unhappy with a long-term job can lead to less productivity on the job and psychological complications such as anxiety and depression .

Few People Become Superstars

Young people often set their goals on becoming star athletes, successful YouTubers, or famous video game creators. It’s great to shoot for the stars, and everyone who rises to the top starts off with a big dream of success. But it is important to recognize that few people reach superstar status in their careers, in part because this can involve luck.

Fortunately, there are many ways to be happy with your job. Important elements to help achieve satisfaction with a career include willingness to work hard and the ability to persevere in the face of difficulties that arise in any life path.

Your First Job Is Not Your Last

The average person changes jobs five times in a lifetime. Keep this in mind when thinking about your first job. Pick one that makes sense to you, but let go of worries regarding whether it’s the right one for you in the long term. If not, you will become enriched by dealing with the circumstances of the first job and then switch jobs.

Find a Career That Keeps You Learning and Stimulated

Lifelong learning is one key to good mental and physical health. As a lot of time is spent in pursuit of your career or vocation, it is ideal for your job to involve activities that encourage you to grow, be creative, and remain involved.

Maintain Balance

The ideal career or vocation will allow you to balance the demands of your job with other important aspects of your life, including raising a family, engaging in hobbies, participating in regular physical activity, and developing your spirituality .

Choosing a career is a process. It’s normal to have doubts and uncertainties along the way. Be open to learning about and exploring different alternatives, being flexible, and listening to your heart and mind as you navigate your career journey.

Ran D. Anbar, M.D., FAAP, is board-certified in both pediatric pulmonology and general pediatrics. He is the author of the new book Changing Children’s Lives with Hypnosis: A Journey to the Center .

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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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2 Minute Speech On Career In English

A person’s life goals typically center on the person they hope to become. The career path we choose becomes a part of who we are as people. Good morning to the teachers and students present today. A person’s life is significantly impacted by their career. We begin investing extensively in our future jobs at a very young age, whether consciously or unconsciously.

A career is typically a journey that a person takes via education and employment and constitutes a significant portion of their life. In this perspective, the profession is merely a subset of a career, which is a broader concept that includes an individual’s personal progress.

Careers play a significant part in our lives. Beyond providing us with the means to survive, occupations give us meaning and direction in life. Work is worship, and it is where we find satisfaction. Our lives will therefore be more complete and meaningful if we choose a career that allows us to enjoy it. It aids in the structuring of our viewpoint and our positioning across ideological divides.

As a key message from this speech, I want to emphasize how crucial it is for students to make the right career decisions. A career should be able to give us the financial security we need, as well as the personal fulfillment that gives life meaning and purpose. We must carefully weigh our options in order to select the one that best fulfills our needs and makes us happy. Thank you.

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Student Essays

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13 Speeches on Career [ Career Choice, Development, Goals-2024 ]

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Career is the filed that we choose in our life to make living and stay contented with it. Choosing a career is one of the most critical choice we had to make during our struggles in Life.

List of Topics

Speech on Career | My Career Choice

Greetings! Ladies and Gentlemen!

Hope you all are doing good. So, today I would like to talk about “Career”. It is one of the most important aspects in our life. Let’s explore it here. A career can be defined as an occupation or a profession that someone chooses to pursue for the rest of his life. It is a lifelong journey that has to be taken with utmost dedication and passion.

There are many important careers in these days-

1) Engineering- It is one of the most popular and highly respected professions in the world. It involves the application of science and technology to solve problems in the real world.

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2) medicine- It is a noble profession that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It is a career that saves lives and makes a difference in the world.

3) teaching- It is a very important profession that helps to shape the future of our children. It is a career that provides knowledge and wisdom to the young minds.

4) business- It is a very exciting and challenging career that requires good strategic thinking and leadership skills. It is a career that provides opportunities to make a lot of money.

5) law- It is a career that deals with the enforcement of laws and the protection of rights. It is a noble profession that helps to maintain justice in the society.

Career choice is the process of choosing a particular career or profession to pursue. It is a very important decision that has to be made with great care and consideration. There are many factors that need to be taken into account while making a career choice. Some of the important factors include- interest, ability, skills, values, personality, goals, and lifestyle.

In making our career choice, there is greater influence of family and friends. The family is the most important source of support and guidance in career choice. They play a very crucial role in helping us to make the right decision. They provide us with information about different careers and help us to understand our interest and ability. Friends also play an important role in career choice. They provide us with different perspectives and help us to make an informed decision.

Though career choice is one of the critical choice that we all had to make. Following are my proven tricks that are widely experienced rules for an effective career choice.

1) Do some research- It is very important to do some research before making a career choice. We should gather information about different careers and try to understand our interest and ability.

2) Take your time- We should not rush into a decision while choosing a career. We should take our time and consider all the important factors before making a final decision.

3) Get some advice- It is always helpful to get some advice from professionals or family and friends while making a career choice. They can provide us with valuable insights and help us to make the right decision.

4) Be confident- We should be confident while making a career choice. We should trust our instincts and go for the option that we feel is best for us.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”- Steve Jobs

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Making a career choice is a very important decision that has to be made with great care and consideration. There are many factors that need to be taken into account while making a career choice. We should do some research, take our time, and get some advice before making a final decision. We should be confident while making a career choice and go for the option that we feel is best for us.

Speech on Career Day:

Hello everyone, it’s a pleasure to be here with all of you today on Career Day. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences and insights about careers with you.

Importance of Choosing the Right Career

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions we make in our lives. It not only determines our future job prospects but also plays a significant role in our personal life satisfaction and fulfillment. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider our interests, strengths, and values before deciding on a career path.

My Career Journey

I am often asked about my own career journey, so let me share it with you. As a child, I was always curious about how things worked and had a strong interest in science. This led me to pursue a degree in engineering, which I enjoyed immensely. However, after working in the industry for a few years, I realized that it was not my true passion. After much reflection and exploration, I discovered my love for public speaking and pursued a career as a motivational speaker.

The Importance of Passion

My journey taught me an important lesson – the importance of passion in our career choices. When we are passionate about what we do, work doesn’t feel like a chore, and we are more likely to excel in our chosen field. So, I encourage you all to follow your passions and not be afraid to change course if needed.

Overcoming Challenges

Of course, no career journey is without its challenges. There will be times when things don’t go as planned, and we face obstacles. In those moments, it’s essential to stay resilient and persevere. Remember that every challenge is an opportunity for growth and learning.

Continuous Learning

Speaking of learning, I cannot stress enough the importance of continuous learning in our careers. The world is constantly evolving, and so are job requirements. To stay relevant and advance in our careers, we must be open to learning new skills and upgrading our knowledge.

In conclusion, I want to leave you all with one piece of advice – choose a career that aligns with your interests and values, and always be open to exploring new opportunities. Your career is a journey, not a destination.

2 Minutes Speech on Career:

Good morning everyone! Today, I want to talk about something that affects every single one of us – career. We all have different paths and experiences when it comes to our careers, but one thing is for sure – it’s an ever-evolving adventure.

For some of us, our career journey starts in high school or college when we are asked to choose a major or decide what we want to do for the rest of our lives. For others, it starts after graduation, when we enter the workforce and begin climbing the corporate ladder.

But no matter where or when it begins, our career journey is never linear. It’s full of twists and turns, ups and downs, surprises, and challenges. And that’s what makes it exciting.

Think about it – how many of you are currently working in a field or position that you thought you would be in when you were younger? I’m willing to bet not many. Our interests, passions, and goals change as we grow and gain new experiences. And that’s perfectly okay.

I remember starting my career in marketing, thinking it was my dream job. But after a few years, I realized it wasn’t for me. And that’s when I decided to make a change and explore other industries. Now, I’m a content writer and couldn’t be happier.

But my journey doesn’t end here. Like many of you, I am constantly learning and evolving in my career. I take on new projects, attend workshops and conferences, and seek out mentors to help me grow. And that’s what makes our career journey so exciting – there is always room for growth and improvement.

But it’s also important to remember that our career is not the only defining factor in our lives. It’s a significant part of who we are, but it doesn’t define our worth or value as individuals. We should strive for a fulfilling and meaningful career, but also make time for our personal lives and passions.

As we go through our career journey, it’s crucial to stay true to ourselves and not be swayed by societal expectations or pressures. Our paths may look different from others, but that’s what makes us unique and brings diversity to the workforce.

In conclusion, our career journey is an ever-evolving adventure. It may not be a straight path, but it’s full of opportunities to learn, grow, and discover new passions. So embrace the journey and don’t be afraid to take risks and make changes along the way. Thank you for listening.

Short Speech on Career:

A career is more than just a job. It is an opportunity to grow, to learn and to achieve your full potential. As individuals, we spend a major part of our lives working, so it is important that we choose a career path that not only interests us but also aligns with our skills and goals.

In today’s fast-paced world, the options for careers are endless. From traditional fields like medicine, engineering and law to newer ones like digital marketing, data science and content creation, there is something for everyone. With the rise of technology, many new career opportunities have emerged that were not even heard of a few decades ago.

To build a successful career, it is important to have a clear vision and set goals. This will help you stay focused and motivated on your journey. Additionally, it is crucial to continuously upgrade your skills and knowledge through learning and training programs. With the ever-changing job market, adaptability and continuous learning are key aspects of a successful career.

Furthermore, networking plays a significant role in building a successful career. Interacting with professionals in your field can provide valuable insights, open doors to new opportunities and help you stay updated on industry trends.

Lastly, it is important to remember that a career is not just about earning money or climbing the corporate ladder. It should also bring personal satisfaction and fulfillment. Finding a balance between your professional and personal life is essential for overall well-being.

In conclusion, we must choose our career paths wisely, constantly strive for growth and never stop learning. Success in a career is not just about achieving professional milestones, but also finding happiness and purpose in what we do. So, take charge of your career journey and make the most out of it!

Essay My Dream Career:

In my opinion, choosing a career is one of the most important decisions one has to make in their life. The career path that we choose not only determines our lifestyle but also shapes our future. Hence, it is crucial to carefully consider various factors before making this decision.

My dream career is to become a successful entrepreneur. I have always been fascinated by the idea of starting my own business and being my own boss. I strongly believe that entrepreneurship not only offers financial freedom but also provides opportunities for personal and professional growth.

To pursue my dream career, I have taken up a management course in college. I am learning about various aspects of running a business such as marketing, finance, human resources, etc. Apart from academics, I am also gaining practical experience by interning at a startup company. This has helped me understand the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

In addition, I am constantly reading books and attending workshops on business and leadership to enhance my knowledge and skills. I have also joined various clubs and organizations in college that focus on entrepreneurship, where I can network with like-minded individuals and learn from their experiences.

My ultimate goal is to establish a successful and sustainable business that not only generates profits but also positively impacts society. I want to create job opportunities for people and contribute towards the growth of the economy.

Although my dream career requires hard work, determination, and risk-taking, I am willing to put in all the effort and overcome any obstacles in order to achieve my goals. With the right mindset, I am confident that one day I will turn my dream into reality and make a difference in the world through entrepreneurship.

Moreover, I believe that continuous learning is crucial for success in any career. As an entrepreneur, it is important to stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in the business world. Therefore, I plan to never stop learning and constantly upgrade my skills through various courses and workshops.

Additionally, I strongly believe in giving back to the community and making a positive impact. Once I have established my business and achieved success, I aim to use my platform and resources to support and uplift others, especially aspiring entrepreneurs.

In conclusion, my dream career as an entrepreneur is not just about financial success but also about personal fulfillment and contributing towards society. I am determined to work hard, learn continuously, and make a positive impact in the world through my business.

Essay on Career Choice:

Career choice is one of the most important decisions that an individual makes in their life. It not only affects their personal and professional growth but also has a significant impact on their overall well-being and satisfaction. Choosing a career path is a daunting task as it requires careful consideration of various factors such as interests, skills, values, market demand, and future prospects.

Factors to consider:

When making a career choice, it is crucial to consider one’s interests and passions. This ensures that an individual enjoys their work and feels fulfilled in their role. Another important factor is skills assessment. Identifying one’s strengths and weaknesses can help in finding a suitable career path that aligns with their abilities.

Moreover, considering personal values is essential as it allows individuals to choose a career that aligns with their belief system and moral code. It also leads to a sense of purpose and meaning in the work they do.

Market demand and future prospects are also crucial factors to consider. A career with high demand and growth potential offers stability, job security, and opportunities for advancement.

Exploring options:

To make an informed decision, it is essential to explore various career options. This includes conducting research, job shadowing, internships, and talking to professionals in different fields. It helps in gaining a better understanding of the industry and its demands.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, choosing a career should not be taken lightly as it has long-term implications. Considering one’s interests, skills, values, market demand, and exploring different options are essential steps in making an informed decision. It is crucial to remember that a career choice is not set in stone and can be changed at any point in life with determination and hard work.

Essay on Choosing a Career:

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions in a person’s life. It determines our daily routine, financial stability, and overall satisfaction with our lives. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider all factors when making this decision.

The first step towards choosing a career is self-reflection. One must understand their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values. This will help narrow down the potential career options and find the best fit.

Another important factor to consider is the job market. It is essential to research the demand for a particular profession, as well as its growth potential in the future. This will ensure that one does not end up with limited job opportunities or an oversaturated market.

Furthermore, it is crucial to assess one’s financial goals and lifestyle expectations. Some careers may offer high salaries, but they may also require long working hours or extensive travel, which may not be suitable for everyone.

Additionally, it is important to explore different career options by speaking to professionals in various fields, attending job fairs, and doing internships. This will provide valuable insights into the daily tasks and responsibilities of a particular career.

Lastly, it is crucial to keep an open mind and be willing to adapt. With the rapid advancement of technology, new careers are emerging every day. It is essential to be flexible and ready to learn new skills to stay relevant in the job market.

In conclusion, choosing a career requires careful consideration and self-reflection. It is important to explore various options, research the job market, and be open to new opportunities. By making an informed decision, one can find a fulfilling career that aligns with their interests, values, and goals.

Essay on My Career Goals:

As a young individual, I have always been determined to achieve my career goals and make a positive impact in the world. My passion for [chosen field] has led me to set specific career goals that will help me turn my dreams into reality.

One of my main career goals is to become a successful [profession] and work at a renowned company where I can utilize my skills and knowledge to bring innovative ideas to life. I am working towards gaining valuable experience, honing my skills, and building a strong network of professionals in the field.

In addition, I also aspire to become an influential leader and mentor for other aspiring individuals. Through my career journey, I want to inspire others to pursue their passions and reach their full potential. This not only aligns with my personal values but also allows me to give back to the community by making a positive impact on others.

To achieve these goals, I have set short-term objectives such as completing relevant internships and attending industry conferences, as well as long-term objectives like obtaining advanced degrees and gaining leadership experience. I am also constantly seeking opportunities to learn and improve myself, whether it’s through professional development courses or volunteering in my field.

Moreover, I believe that continuous self-reflection and adaptability are crucial for achieving career goals. As the world is constantly evolving, it is essential to stay updated with industry trends and be open to new opportunities and challenges.

In conclusion, my career goals are not just about personal success but also about making a difference in the world. I am determined to work hard, stay focused, and overcome any obstacles that come my way in order to achieve success and make a positive impact in the field of [chosen field]. By setting clear goals and continuously working towards them, I am confident that I will be able to turn my career aspirations into reality.

Speech on Career of My Dreams:

As we all grow up, one thing that constantly lingers in our minds is the question – What do we want to become in life? It’s a daunting task to choose a career path and stick with it for the rest of our lives. But after careful consideration, I have come to realize that my ultimate career goal is to become a successful entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship has always fascinated me since a young age. The idea of being my own boss, taking risks, and creating something new excites me. I have always been an innovative thinker and a problem solver, which are essential qualities for a successful entrepreneur.

To achieve my goal, I plan to pursue higher education in business management and gain practical experience through internships and mentorship programs. I also aim to network with like-minded individuals and attend workshops and seminars to gain knowledge about the business world.

Moreover, I believe that being an entrepreneur will not only fulfill my personal goals but also allow me to contribute towards society by creating job opportunities for others. I am determined, motivated, and willing to put in the hard work required to make my dreams a reality.

In conclusion, I am confident that with dedication and determination, I will achieve my goal of becoming a successful entrepreneur. My journey may have its challenges, but I am ready to face them head-on and turn my passion into a successful career. As the saying goes, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” And I am determined to turn my dreams into a reality.

So, here’s to chasing our goals and making our mark in the world! Let us all strive towards achieving our career goals and creating a successful future for ourselves. Stay motivated, stay focused, and never give up on your dreams!

Career Speech for High School Students:

Hello high school students! As you’re approaching the end of your high school journey, it’s time to start thinking about your future and what career path you want to pursue. Choosing a career can be overwhelming, but don’t worry, I’m here to guide you through the process.

Choose a Career That Aligns With Your Passions

The first step in choosing a career is to identify what you’re passionate about. What are your interests? What subjects do you excel in? When you’re passionate about something, you’re more likely to be successful and fulfilled in your career.

Take some time to reflect on your interests and skills. Consider taking career aptitude tests or talking to a career counselor for guidance. Don’t feel pressured to choose a specific career just because it’s considered prestigious or high-paying. What matters is that you enjoy what you do and are good at it.

Explore Different Career Options

There are countless career options out there, and it’s important to explore as many as possible before making a decision. Attend career fairs, job shadow professionals, and conduct informational interviews with people in different industries to gain insights into their careers.

You can also utilize online resources such as career assessment tools and job search websites to learn about different careers and their requirements. Don’t limit yourself to just a few options, keep an open mind and be willing to try new things.

Prepare for Your Future Now

While it may seem like the future is far away, it’s never too early to start preparing for it. Take challenging courses in high school that align with your career interests, join extracurricular activities that build relevant skills, and consider volunteering or interning in a field you’re interested in.

Additionally, start thinking about your post-high school education. Research colleges and universities that offer programs related to your desired career and aim for good grades to increase your chances of getting accepted.

In conclusion, choosing a career is an important decision that requires self-reflection, exploration, and preparation. Don’t rush into a decision and remember to follow your passions and interests. With determination and hard work, you can turn your dream career into a reality. Good luck! Now go out there and start exploring your options for a bright future ahead!

Speech on Career Building is the Only Goal of Education:

Hello Everyone!

In this modern era, education has become an essential part of our lives. It is the foundation on which we build our future. Education enables us to acquire knowledge and skills that are essential for career growth. However, in today’s society, there is a prevailing belief that education solely aims at building one’s career. Many people argue that the main goal of education is to secure a well-paying job and attain financial stability. While this may be true to some extent, I strongly believe that the purpose of education goes beyond just career building.

Education is not just about acquiring knowledge and skills for a specific field. It also teaches us essential life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. These skills are crucial for personal growth and success in all aspects of life, not just in the professional world. Education also plays a vital role in shaping our personalities and perspectives. It broadens our horizons and exposes us to diverse cultures, ideas, and beliefs.

Furthermore, education is not limited to traditional classroom learning. With the advancement of technology, there are numerous opportunities for self-learning and skill development through online courses, workshops, and internships. Education provides us with the tools to adapt to an ever-changing world and continuously improve ourselves.

Moreover, education is not just limited to formal schooling. It includes learning from our experiences, mistakes, and interactions with others. These factors shape our character, values, and beliefs and play a significant role in our personal growth.

While building a successful career is undoubtedly a significant aspect of education, it should not be the sole purpose. Education should also focus on nurturing well-rounded individuals who are knowledgeable, compassionate, and responsible members of society. It is not just about securing a job; it is about making a positive impact in the world.

In conclusion, I believe that career building is an essential goal of education, but it is not the only one. Education is a lifelong process that goes beyond just acquiring knowledge and skills for a job. It shapes us into better individuals and prepares us to face the challenges of life.

So, let us not limit education to just career building but embrace its true purpose of personal growth and development. Thank you all for listening.

Speech on Career Planning:

Career planning is an essential step towards achieving your goals and aspirations. It involves setting short-term and long-term objectives, identifying career opportunities, and creating a roadmap to reach your desired destination. In today’s fast-paced world, where competition is fierce, having a career plan in place can give you an edge over others.

The first and foremost aspect of career planning is self-awareness. You need to understand your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values before choosing a career path. This self-analysis helps you identify the skills you possess and those that require development. It also enables you to select a profession that aligns with your passion and values, making it more fulfilling.

Once you have identified your areas of interest, the next step is to research different career options. With technological advancements, there are a plethora of opportunities available in various fields. Conduct thorough research to understand the job market, industry trends, and other relevant factors. This will help you make an informed decision while choosing a career.

After identifying your career path, it is crucial to set achievable goals that align with your long-term objectives. These goals serve as a roadmap and provide direction to help you stay focused on your career path. Be specific, measurable, and time-bound while setting your goals.

In addition to self-awareness and goal-setting, networking is also vital in career planning. Building professional relationships can open doors to new opportunities and provide valuable insights into the industry you wish to pursue. Attend career fairs, join professional organizations, and connect with people in your desired field to expand your network.

Career planning is an ongoing process that requires continuous evaluation and adaptation. As you progress in your career, your goals may evolve, and new opportunities may arise. It is essential to periodically assess your progress and make necessary adjustments to stay on track towards achieving your objectives.

In conclusion, career planning is a crucial aspect of personal and professional growth. With proper self-awareness, research, goal-setting, and networking, you can create a roadmap for success in your chosen field

Speech on Career Development:

As we all know, career development is an essential aspect of our lives. It refers to the process of managing and enhancing one’s career path over time. In today’s world, where competition is fierce, it has become crucial to focus on our careers and continuously strive for growth and development.

A successful career is not just about working hard; it also requires planning, preparation and a clear vision of our goals. It is important to identify our strengths and weaknesses and work towards improving them. In addition, we must keep ourselves updated with the latest skills and knowledge in our field of expertise.

Career development not only benefits us personally but also has a positive impact on society. A growth-oriented individual contributes to the overall progress of the community. They bring in new ideas and skills, leading to innovation and advancement.

In today’s fast-paced world, where technology is constantly evolving, traditional career paths are no longer relevant. We must be open to learning new things and adapting to change to stay ahead in our careers. Continuous learning and upskilling are crucial for professional growth and development.

So, let us all focus on our career development and strive to achieve our goals. Remember, the key to success is hard work, dedication and a positive attitude towards growth and learning. Let us not just chase success but also aim for personal and professional fulfillment in our careers. Thank you.

• How do you start a career speech? Start a career speech with a captivating introduction, possibly sharing a personal story or a compelling statistic related to the chosen career topic.
• What do you say in a career day speech? In a career day speech, you can discuss your career path, job experiences, industry insights, and offer advice to the audience, especially students interested in that field.
• What is a career short paragraph? A short paragraph about a career typically introduces the profession or field, highlights its significance, and may touch upon key skills or qualifications required.
• Why is a career so important in life? A career is important as it provides financial stability, personal fulfillment, opportunities for growth, and a sense of purpose, contributing to an individual’s overall well-being and quality of life

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How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam

A mexican drug cartel is targeting seniors and their timeshares..

Hosted by Katrin Bennhold

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Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

A massive scam targeting older Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Maria Abi-Habib, an investigative correspondent for The Times, tells the story of a victim who lost everything, and of the criminal group making the scam calls — Jalisco New Generation, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.

On today’s episode

Maria Abi-Habib , an investigative correspondent for The New York Times based in Mexico City.

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How a brutal Mexican drug cartel came to target seniors and their timeshares .

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