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Posted Feb. 26, 2014

Why Postgrads Should Study Public Speaking

For many people, public speaking is a source of great anxiety and the mere thought of having to give a presentation to an audience fills them with dread. Unfortunately, for postgraduates, public speaking is an important element of almost all Masters and PhD courses. In addition, presentations often form a large part of many careers that postgrads will be looking to get into.

If you are one of those who struggles with such situations, it can be easy to simply write it off as something you are unable to do. However, there are ways in which you can improve your ability to talk to groups and to improve your presentation skills . One method of doing so is through studying a short-length public speaking course, and even if you feel you are good at public speaking, it may still pay dividends.

Improve Your Skills First of all, it is important to understand that even though some people appear to be naturally good at public speaking and comfortable in such situations, there is a skill behind it, there are techniques which can be developed, and many aspects of effective public speaking can simply be learned.

In addition, for most people, practice plays an important part in developing those skills and the more you stand in front of a group and speak to them, the easier it becomes to do so in the future.

Public speaking courses are offered for free by many universities and are extremely helpful for highlighting some of the techniques used by the best public speakers and for creating a supportive environment, where people can practice and develop their speaking skills.

Ensure Good Grades While public speaking courses can be useful for those trying to overcome anxiety or nerves, they can also help people who already feel comfortable in that environment. If you are one of these people, the courses can highlight common mistakes people make or teach you new tricks to make sure your public speaking is as good as it can possibly be.

Whether you are comfortable or nervous about public speaking, it is still important to know how to deliver an effective presentation, and people can continue to improve their speaking skills throughout life.

In most postgraduate courses, and especially with a PhD course, presentations play a huge role and the difference between delivering a good presentation and a bad presentation could have significant repercussions. Therefore, postgrads should consider getting as much practice as they possibly can, in order to ensure they end up with the best degree possible.

Future Employment Moreover, the skills learned from a public speaking course do not cease to be useful when your degree has finished and can continue to be useful when it comes time to turn your Masters degree into a career .

Many jobs will require an element of public speaking and it is worthwhile, therefore, to try and develop those skills as much as possible. Furthermore, employers may look upon it favourably if they see you have completed a public speaking course, as it demonstrates an ability to cope with such situations.

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