Great Jobs for Public Speaking



Posted: Sunday, December 13, 2009

by Tim Ackerman
Public Speaking Insider

Some of the highest paying and most prestigious jobs go hand-in-hand with good public speaking skills. While you may not find these advertised specifically as public speaking jobs, you can be sure that if you can't speak confidently and effectively, you won't land the position. This means two things:

  1. If you have good public speaking skills, you should consider working in a business environment where you can use them.
  2. If you want a good job that does require some form of public speaking, you're going to have to go out there and learn the skills required.
Jobs that require some form of public speaking are remarkably varied and range from sales positions to legal appointments. In addition, there are, of course, also jobs that focus specifically on public speaking, including motivational speaking and hiring your services out as a master of ceremonies (MC).

People with strong public speaking skills and a good, vibrant personality can make an excellent living from MC positions, usually serving the function of an anchor position and introducing the various people or speakers involved in functions or events. There are so many different openings for MCs and anchors that a really good speaker might even specialize in a particular field. Possibilities include high society social occasions, fashion shows, charity fund raisers, general annual meetings, conferences and business launches.

Motivational speakers often find their niche because of some kind of life-changing experience they have been through. One example is the world-class swimmer who lost her leg in a motor cycle accident, and then went on to excel in the Para-Olympics and to compete in the able-bodied Olympics. Although a professional athlete, she also speaks to students at colleges and schools and to various organizations by invitation. Even though she didn't have previous public speaking training, and hadn't considered a job that would require these skills, her ability to tell her own story, and to inspire others to new personal heights through her story, has led to her success in the field.

At the other end of the scale, there are many people who have found that acquiring public speaking skills is life-changing in itself. By developing the ability to stand up and give an interesting and effective speech, without feeling weak at the knees or wanting to be sick, is something that can help people succeed where they never dreamt that they would.

Think about a person who has spent years studying law, excelling all the way through. Then there comes the moment to put the qualification to work. Generally a legally-qualified person will get more money from the jobs that require effective speaking skills.

The person who goes into sales will always do better as a smart talker. But if he or she improves those public speaking skills, they are likely to climb the company ladder much more quickly, for example taking on a management role that involves motivating other sales people.

Teaching is another field that benefits from public speaking skills, because effective speaking inevitably makes classes more interesting.

In fact, if you think about it, just about every job requires some form of what could be called public communication. At some stage or another employees have to present ideas, talk to committees, or simply speak to their peers. So if you improve your public speaking skills you'll be sure to open new doors.

My name is Tim Ackerman, and I've been a lifelong enthusiast about effective interpersonal communication. Want more insights on public speaking jobs? Visit my site PublicSpeakingInsider.com, where you'll get access to a trove of great tips and guidance to help you become the most powerful speaker and influential communicator you can be.

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