What do you do if you're a computer engineer lacking confidence in public speaking?

What I did: 1. Start from smaller audience: give KT, presentation to your juniors/ team members. Low stakes, boost your your confidence. 2. Then across few teams within the same department. I spoke(gave demo) to around 20 people including managers, team leads about new feature releases. 3. Finally spoke to even a larger audience including senior managers, director of some departments. Note: for each stage, do a lots of home works, take suggestions from your seniors. Watch past recordings if possible. Always think about possible questions that will be thrown at you and prepare them. Before going cross-organization, do demo in your own team. Last but not the least its a continuous process, it takes time.

First step is to start interacting with team mates of your organization and start communication with them more often. Second step is to organize an event or to volunteer in some social activities. Third step practice talking to yourself in mirror. Fourth step, try speaking up in front of team member gatherings at company. Eventually you will become good at communication as well as your public speaking fear will go away.

After I understood that my fear was from not feeling prepared enough, things got better. Now, every time I have a presentation, I study and read a lot about the topic until I have a feeling to understand everything I need to know. I usually ask one or two friends to hear me and tell how I am doing, this helps me to feel more confident.

Self reflection is very important. The most important thing to remember is we are all humans and all are the same. Confidence can be developed in small stages. Start with a mirror, do small workshops and presentations for your ideas, it doesn’t have to be ideas too, it can just be a technology you are passionate about and help others understand the world of it. Eventually the confidence to engage with a bigger audience will spark within.

As a computer engineer lacking confidence in public speaking, Practice: The more you practice, the better you'll get. Start with small presentations and gradually move to larger audiences. Join a Public Speaking Group: Organizations like Toastmasters International provide a supportive environment to practice public speaking and receive constructive feedback. Leverage Your Expertise: Speak on topics you are knowledgeable about. Your expertise will give you confidence and your passion will engage your audience. Visual Aids: Use slides or other visual aids to support your points. This can also take some of the focus off you. Professional Training: Consider taking a public speaking class or hiring a coach to improve your skills.

As a computer engineer lacking confidence in public speaking, start small by practicing in low-pressure environments. For instance, begin by presenting to a small group of colleagues or friends. Personal example: As a soft skill trainer, I encourage my engineering students to join group discussions or workshops where they can practice speaking regularly. Gradually increase the audience size as confidence grows, and seek feedback for improvement.

In my experience, offer to present updates and share insights during team meetings and seek feedback from colleagues. These settings typically involve familiar faces and a supportive environment, making it easier to practice public speaking in a low-pressure situation

After I prepare my speech, I usually ask some friends (it can be 1 or 2) if the presentation and my topics are good. It is a chance to practice with people you trust and to get some feedbacks and confidence.

Take a topic of your interest, research points online and make notes. Read those notes atleast 4-5 times. Form a small group, initially those can be your roommates, team mates. Present your points to them. Take their feedback, go back to drawing board and refine your points. Keep doing this 3-4 times with same topic and those research points will be in your memory forever. This strategy was suggested by one of my manager when I had to do an application demo to end customer. Keep your script short, write your points and with practice, you will be confident to speak in big forums.

Initiate your public speaking journey by addressing smaller, less daunting groups like team meetings or casual gatherings. These offer low-risk environments for practice and feedback. Prioritize clear communication over perfection. As confidence grows, expand to larger audiences and more formal settings.

Practicing same topic again & again will give your confident, and you will not miss any important areas. To gain confidence, always present or speak your points in internal meetings, whether small or big. If you are not the one speaking, try to give feedback or your perspective to the speaker. Attend or online rewatch public events like developer conferences, technical or business community events. Observe other speakers and how they present topics, how they interact with crowd, how they manage their time on multiple areas. On similar lines, rehearse your topic and first present it to internal team to get their feedback.

A well-organized presentation with a logical flow will boost your confidence and make it easier for the audience to follow your train of thought, practice regularly.

Regular practice is essential for enhancing public speaking skills. Seize all chances to present your work, formal or informal. Aim to know your material thoroughly to speak conversationally, easing anxiety and enhancing engagement.

Utilize technology to enrich your public speaking abilities. Employ presentation software for captivating slides that bolster your message. Incorporate videos, simulations, or live demos to highlight your computer engineering projects, diverting attention from yourself and alleviating pressure.

Old school techniques can push you enough to public speaking like Use your smartphone or computer to record yourself practicing your speech. Advanced Speech analysis apps can then provide feedback on pacing, filler words, and vocal variety, helping you identify areas for improvement in your improvisation,be confident.

Using your camera to record when you are practicing can help you understand the points where you need to improve, maybe filler words, too long pauses, a poorly formulated sentence and you can check how your pronunciation is.

Whatever you are presenting, always make a habit of taking feedback, questions after short intervals. People tend to loose interest, if your presentations are long and you are doing monologue. Take break, ask audience if your points are making sense, if they have any feedback or example they want to share.

Connect complex concepts to real-life scenarios using analogies and stories. Encourage dialogue by welcoming questions, fostering a dynamic conversation. This approach keeps presentations interesting and makes you feel more engaged.

When seeking feedback, identify specific areas you'd like to improve on. This allows the person providing feedback to focus their observations and offer more targeted suggestions, be open minded and focus on the areas to improve.

Actively solicit constructive feedback from peers and mentors. Inquire about specific areas for improvement, from body language to clarity of explanations. Utilize feedback to refine your approach and capitalize on strengths. Each piece of advice propels you towards becoming a more confident and effective speaker.