Blog # 3 - Oral Presentation Skills

As a long-time student, I have given many oral presentations, on diverse topics, and have come to think of my oral presentation skills as a strong suit and an essential asset to my future career. It would, however, be dishonest of me to suggest that I have not been nervous before or during an oral presentation before. It is just that my discomfort with oral presentations has improved greatly since I was younger and is now manageable. Indeed, when I feel prepared for a presentation, I even feel at ease before and during the presentation. In the below, section I will outline some of the oral presentation skills I consider to be my best, and some that need improvement.

My Best Skills:

Poise (calm, confident, no distracting behavior) 

When I feel prepared for an oral presentation, I tend to feel calm, confident, and fully aware of myself during the presentation. This enables me to focus on the materials I have practiced and making sure my body language and eye contact are appropriate.

Eye contact

During the presentation, I feel like my eye contact is evenly divided amongst the room without moving my head from side-to-side too frequently. Making eye contact with the audience allows me to gauge their reactions to the content of my presentation and to the way in which I am delivering it.

Planning 

I am proficient at planning the format and layout of an oral presentation and structuring it in a logical and ease to understand way. I also attempt to factor in who will be listening (my audience) and their previous knowledge or understand of my presentation topic.

Good at PP

Although not as perfectly accepted during oral presentations as it used to be, but PowerPoint is a convenient and useful addition when used correctly.[1][2] Indeed, I have lots of experience using the program and am able to provide a good balancing  of information on-screen vs. in the PowerPoint (it should not be the main focus of the presentation). In addition, the PowerPoint should provide useful visualizations for the things which are best seen and not heard.

Needs Improvement:

·         Preparation

My preparation and subsequently time-management skills both have room for improvement. Due to a poor sense of time-management I can tend to leave preparation of the presentation until last minute, which means that I do not receive the necessary amount of time to get ready to memorize and subsequently practice. In addition, if I am over-confident in the presentation I will be giving I may not prepare enough to be fully ready for the presentation. 

References

1. Armstrong, P. (2019). Stop Using PowerPoint, Harvard University Says It's Damaging Your Brand And Your Company. Retrieved 1 November 2019, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/paularmstrongtech/2017/07/05/stop-using-powerpoint-harvard-university-says-its-damaging-your-brand-and-your-company/#31ba43563e65

2. Gallo, C. (2019). Jeff Bezos Banned PowerPoint in Meetings. His Replacement Is Brilliant. Retrieved 1 November 2019, from https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/jeff-bezos-bans-powerpoint-in-meetings-his-replacement-is-brilliant.html