Presenting

If we asked a room full of 100 college students if they enjoyed presentations, how many would say yes? Realistically, maybe 10 students would say yes; I am one of those students. However, it wasn’t always that way. In high school, I had to do a speech in front of 150 people. It did not go well! I was shaking the entire time and wanted it to be over as soon as it started. College has changed that.

            College is packed full of awesome experiences which help a person grow. I am currently attending SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, NY, USA. Home is two hours away for me, and I knew exactly zero people when I started at Poly. All that meant for me was I had to make friends...and fast! I would consider myself an extrovert, but that doesn’t mean it was easy for me. I still had to work to find people that I wanted to be my friends. Having to make all new friends helped me more than you can imagine.

            Friends are great, but how did that make me better at presenting? Presenting is all about confidence, and, you know what they say: confidence is key! Having to approach so many new people and start a relationship from scratch built my confidence. I may not have succeeded every time, but that’s not important. What’s really important is to accomplish a goal. The more goals you set and accomplish, the higher your confidence will soar! For some more confidence tips, check out what Forbes has to say.

            Many of you might be thinking, "is being a good presenter really that important?" I like to think of presenting as a life skill. Granted, you may find a job where you don't have to present that often or even at all. However, what if you don’t have a job yet? That means interviews are ahead, and an interview is really just another presentation with a few people. If you want to standout and get the job, you need to know how to present yourself.

            Interviewing at Indium Corporation was an awesome experience, and, without confidence, I may not have been selected for the internship. Early on, I knew I would have to do at least one presentation during my time here. The mid-point presentation allowed us interns to showcase everything we had done. Not only were all of our supervisors there, but the CEO also attended. There were so many reasons to be nervous, but, thanks to my confidence, I was able to present my work and achievements with self-assurance. Presenting might not be fun at first, but it truly is a skill that, with enough hard work, can become enjoyable.