I was in the military for 23 years and based on the job positions I have held, I have done quite a bit of public speaking. During my time in the Army, I held several positions such as an Equal Opportunity Representative, an Operations Officer, Pre Deployment Briefer, Drill SGT/AIT Cadre and eventually First Sergeant. With those types of positions, I had to brief anywhere from 30 to sometimes 350 Soldiers at a time, sometimes right on the spot. The most formal speeches were to two star generals and when I was promoted to senior positions. I was so terrified the first time because it was a speech to my peers about fraternization amongst the ranks. I was not prepared but got through that first speech and made sure that next time I would be ready. Although I almost gave up that
…show more content…
The subject matter I had to brief about was my job in the Army and I had over 18 years of experience at the time, so it made it comfortable for me to flow through the briefs. They were from so many different backgrounds and families, but they all had one thing in common-to become a combat medic. I was able to apply life experiences as a medic to my speeches, which kept them interested. Even after all that, I was still a bit nervous years later, but a good nervous. I would sometimes talk to fast, rush through my speeches and use words like “um” and “yeah” as a defense mechanism but through practice, it has gotten better now. One technique I like to use before a speech, which helps to relieve some anxiety, is to put on my headphones and listen to music. This sometimes helps me clear my mind of the speech. A few other techniques are that I like to drink hot tea and I practice my speech right before the event. In addition, I try to remember that I am not perfect and a mistake is ok as long as it is not one that cannot be
The subject matter I had to brief about was my job in the Army and I had over 18 years of experience at the time, so it made it comfortable for me to flow through the briefs. They were from so many different backgrounds and families, but they all had one thing in common-to become a combat medic. I was able to apply life experiences as a medic to my speeches, which kept them interested. Even after all that, I was still a bit nervous years later, but a good nervous. I would sometimes talk to fast, rush through my speeches and use words like “um” and “yeah” as a defense mechanism but through practice, it has gotten better now. One technique I like to use before a speech, which helps to relieve some anxiety, is to put on my headphones and listen to music. This sometimes helps me clear my mind of the speech. A few other techniques are that I like to drink hot tea and I practice my speech right before the event. In addition, I try to remember that I am not perfect and a mistake is ok as long as it is not one that cannot be