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Skill in public speaking will give you an unmistakable edge in life, leading to greater confidence and satisfaction. Now, more than ever, public speaking has become both a vital life skill and a potent weapon in career development.1 Recruiters of top graduate school students report that what distinguishes the most sought-after candidates is not their “hard” knowledge of their areas of expertise, which employers take for granted, but the “soft skills” of communication, which fewer candidates display.2 Similarly, dozens of surveys of managers and executives reveal that ability in oral and written communication is among the most important skills they look for in hiring new college graduates. In an annual survey of employers, for example, oral communication skills consistently rank in the top three among such critical areas as leadership, strong work ethic, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
| 1. Ability to work in a team |
| 2. Leadership |
| 3. Communication skills |
| 4. Problem-solving skills |
| 5. Strong work ethic |
Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, “Attributes Employers Seek on Candidate’s Resume,” Job Outlook 2012, November 2011, www.naceweb.org.
Enhance Your Career as a Student
Preparing speeches calls upon numerous skills that you can apply in other college courses. As in the speech class, many courses also require that you research and write about topics, analyze audiences, outline and organize ideas, and support claims. These and other skill sets covered in this pocket guide, such as working with visual aids and controlling voice and body during delivery, are valuable in any course that includes an oral-presentation component, from English composition to nursing or engineering.
Find New Opportunities for Civic Engagement
While skill in public speaking contributes to both career and academic advancement, it also offers you ways to enter the public conversation about social concerns and become a more engaged citizen. Public speaking gives you a voice that can be heard and can be counted.
Climate change, energy, government debt, immigration reform—such large civic issues require our considered judgment and action. Yet today too many of us leave it up to politicians, journalists, and other “experts” to make decisions about critical issues such as these. Not including presidential elections, only about 37 percent of people in the United States regularly vote. Of these, only 24 percent are 18 to 29 years old.3 When we as citizens speak up in sufficient numbers, change occurs. Leaving pressing social issues to others, on the other hand, is an invitation to special interest groups who may or may not act with our best interests in mind.
As you study public speaking, you will have the opportunity to research topics that are meaningful to you, consider alternate viewpoints, and choose a course of action.4 You will learn to distinguish between argument that advances constructive goals and uncivil speech that serves merely to inflame and demean others. You will learn, in short, the “rules of engagement” for effective public discourse.5 As you do, you will gain confidence in your ability to join your voice with others in pursuit of issues you care about.