5 Ways Public Speaking Can Help You Level Up in Your Tech Career
Day 55 of the 30 days share something challenge. Still playing catch up, so this post is making up for missing posting on Friday.
Friday was one of the rare occasions I was actually looking forward to spending a Friday in the office.
After weeks of putting my new recruits through an intensive six week bootcamp to get a taste of some of the technologies they will use during their early software development career, this week was a chance for them to bring all that knowledge together.
I set up a challenge for them to work on projects to develop an MVP of an application with a minimum of 3 out of the 10 features to be implemented, using some of the technologies covered in the bootcamp so far, and the MVP will be presented and launched at the end of the week in front of Senior Leaders and an audience of their colleagues.
You could hear a pin drop at first when I dropped the news.
Apparently people fear public speaking more than death, so it was understandable there would be some anxiety over the challenge and final presentations.
Public speaking and tech may not seem like the most obvious combination, but from my experience, they go hand-in-hand. When I first entered the tech industry, I didn’t fully realise how valuable communication skills could be.
I now believe the earlier you tackle this beast in your tech career, the sooner you get comfortable with it and you can reap the benefits.
If you’re curious about how public speaking can boost your tech journey, here are five ways it can help you level up, along with some real-life experiences that might inspire you to give it a try and some tips to help you take action.
Build Confidence in Your Expertise
For many of us, confidence can be a big barrier. Public speaking is one of the fastest ways to break down those walls. Every time you step in front of a crowd, you’re reinforcing your own knowledge and becoming more comfortable sharing it.
I still remember my first talk at a tech meetup. I was nervous as hell! But when I saw how engaged the audience was and how much value they got from what I was sharing, I realised that I did have valuable insights. That talk transformed the way I viewed my expertise and helped me feel more comfortable voicing my ideas at work.
Tip: Start with smaller, internal meetings or team presentations to ease into it, then expand to bigger audiences.
Boost Your Visibility and Career Opportunities
In tech, it’s easy to become just another name on a screen, especially in remote and hybrid environments. Public speaking helps you stand out. When you speak at industry events, people remember you, and that recognition can lead to unexpected career opportunities, job offers, collaborations, even mentorship opportunities.
One of my coaching clients gave her first public talk on a coding project she built, and afterward, she was approached by a manager from another team. They were impressed by her work and invited her to apply for a new role they were creating. She got the position, and it led to her first official promotion.
Tip: Look for local meetups, online webinars, or even company events where you can start sharing your insights. You never know who might be in the audience!
Improve Your Technical Communication Skills
Public speaking forces you to break down complex topics and present them in ways that are clear and engaging. This skill is invaluable in tech, where explaining your work effectively can set you apart from the pack. It’s one thing to understand how a system works, but it’s another to communicate it in a way that a broader audience can grasp.
I remember a time when I had to present a complex data analysis to a team of non-technical stakeholders. My public speaking experience helped me simplify the tech jargon, making the data and its implications easy to understand. This skill led to me being invited to present on more strategic projects, which expanded my visibility within the company.
Tip: Start practising by explaining technical concepts to friends or family who aren’t in tech. If they understand, you’re on the right track!
Strengthen Your Leadership Skills
Leadership in tech often means guiding teams, solving problems, and communicating with clarity and conviction. Public speaking is a perfect training ground for these skills. When you’re presenting to a group, you’re practising the art of leading people through your ideas and creating a shared understanding.
After years as an individual contributor, I wanted to move into a leadership role. Public speaking helped me build the confidence to lead project meetings and even workshops. Those experiences equipped me with the skills I needed to move into a team lead role, where I now get to lead with clear communication.
Tip: If you’re interested in leadership, volunteer to lead a team presentation or propose a knowledge-sharing session on a project you’re working on. You’ll gain invaluable practice in guiding others.
Empower and Inspire Others in Tech
One of the most fulfilling aspects of public speaking is the ability to inspire others. The tech world needs diverse voices, and when you share your journey, challenges, and victories, you’re empowering others to believe they can succeed too. Representation matters, and your voice could be the one that motivates another woman to enter tech or persevere in her journey.
When I started speaking at tech events, I shared not just the technical aspects but also the personal challenges I faced as a woman in tech. After one of my talks, a young woman approached me and shared that my journey made her feel seen and motivated her to pursue a coding career. It was a powerful reminder of how sharing our stories makes a difference.
Tip: Speak about both your technical work and your personal experiences. The tech industry needs more people who aren’t afraid to be authentic and relatable.
It was brilliant to see my new recruits take on the challenge to develop something meaningful in less that 5 days, and also embrace the challenge of stepping up in front on an audience of people they didn't know, and especially a senior leader, and handling questions about their work and giving detailed answers back. They weren't afraid to share their successes and challengeThey did good, and I'm very proud of what they achieved.
If you’ve been hesitant to give public speaking a try, know that it doesn’t require you to be perfect or have all the answers. It’s about showing up, sharing your unique perspective, and growing with each experience. Public speaking has been a powerful tool in my career, and it can be for you too. So take a deep breath, and remember, you have valuable insights to share, and people want to hear them, even if you just share something you learned recently yourself.
What’s one tech topic you’re passionate about already or that you have recently learned?
That’s a great place to start.
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