You want to hear me talk?

Last Wednesday I hold a short talk at the Max Planck Institut in Munich. It was a career day for the PhDs, and I think I have never been so nervous for a talk. My nervousness started when I heard how the other presentations were going. They had very shiny consultancy presentations with facts and figures. I had also prepared a presentation, but it was far too short and very personal. I had not practised, of course, as my total lack of fear is my normal state. But last Wednesday it was different, I felt weird. And there I was representing such a big company as BMW.

They gave me a plastic brain I could squeeze as stress control. Poor brain, it got really squeezed during my talk. After the 4-5 slides I was ready and I begged for questions. And they came, and came, and came. After the longest Q&A I have ever experienced, it felt as if I had done something right. During the break, the PhDs continued asking questions, and after the event I got messages. The organizer hoped to see me next year. Pretty good results after the probably worst presentation I have ever done. The comments I got was wonderful. They liked my attitude, they said it was much better motivation than any company presentation I could have presented.

So, that makes me want more. Is somebody interested to hear me talk? I want to talk about important topics such as diversity and inclusion. If somebody does not know what inclusion is, which often the case is in Germany, I think it is time to spread some light on that. Otherwise, I think it is difficult to compete with Google. Or other challenges for finding new employees. Or the use of stereotypes. Or just some other aspect of my life. And hopefully some event in Munich.

I would like to end this text with a video from Simone Giertz, as she explains her preparation for her TED talk. Inspiring!