Public speaking — it is as much about theatre as it is about using words well. But if you are a great public speaker, you know that already. And you probably love the stage, and the mic. And the sea of faces looking eagerly at you as you enthrall them, make them sit up and make them laugh. The sound of their applause still fills your ears and forms some of your happiest memories. As Deepak Menon, International First Vice President, Toasmasters International puts it, “We are all in the business of marketing or selling. Either we are selling a product or service or we are selling ourselves and what we represent. And selling involves public speaking. Often, what differentiates two professionals of equal skill is the confidence to project one’s ideas — whether you are addressing an audience of five or 5000 people.”
What could be better for you than to have a job that uses and rewards you for your great speaking skills? Here are a few options:
Trainers
They run workshops for organisations. Workshops could be for teaching skills as diverse as:
Language and culture for professionals preparing to work abroad.
Behaviour and soft skills such as motivation, leadership, conflict resolution, and communication
Technical skills like sales, financial analysis, project management or quality handling
Teaching skills for educators in specific subjects like maths and English, or general teaching skills like classroom handling
The challenges of training adults are manifold — for one, many of them may believe that they know more about the subject than you and really, many of them may actually know more than you. Trainers need to arm themselves with deep knowledge of the subject as well as engaging modules with exercises and audio-visual aids. Trainers could be HR professionals with degrees in industrial psychology or organisational behaviour, or experts in any industry.
Three colleges running HR courses in India:
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
Xaviers Labour Relations Institue, Jamshedpur
Delhi School of Economics, University of
Litigators
They are lawyers who represent criminal or civil cases in court. Litigators need to be persuasive and assertive, prepared yet spontaneous, loud but dignified, empathetic at times and aggressive at others. Public speaking is as fundamental to law as drawing is to a designer.
Three law colleges in India:
National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
The W.B. National University Of Juricial Science, Kolkata
Educators
Remember your favourite teacher or professor? Chances are they were mesmerising speakers who created stories and images with their words and twinkling eyes. Great educators are performers in their own right and the thrill of a great class with awed kids staring at you with stars in their eyes is reportedly as big a thrill as any award!
Three institutes for education courses in India:
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi
Department of Educational studies (Jamia Millia Islamia University), Delhi
Department of Education (Banasthali University), Jaipur
Television anchors
There are all kinds — some who shout others down and some who engage in high-level analysis and debate. The usual route you follow is that of being a reporter and then a news bulletin broadcaster, or perhaps a host for features shows.
Three institutes for mass communication courses in the country:
Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Pune
Lady Shri Ram College For Women, New Delhi
Department of Media Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru
Hosts
Think event hosts, radio jockeys or video jockeys. Of course, it takes some experience to get here. You can go via the event management or public relations route for hosting events, or the reporter/journalist route for talk shows. RJs or VJs typically go through auditions first, and must possess a deep knowledge of the genre of music they are presenting. Often, producers, models and musicians audition and land these most delightful jobs.
Three institutes for radio jockeying and video jockeying courses in the country:
Radio City School of Broadcasting, Mumbai
The Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai
Stand-up comedians
This one is still an emerging artform in India. Also, it takes a lot for stand-up comedians to get regular paid shows. But the growth in interest has been so fast that several comedians have been able to launch profitable YouTube channels, diversify into film, or simply get popular enough to demand a decent income through regular shows. To get there, like every art form, it takes passion and tremendous hard work — not just to practice your art but also to sell yourself and land shows. India has yet to come up with courses that hone the art of comedy.
There are other areas, of course, that require public speaking skills like politics or acting. It is tough to think of a great politician or actor who cannot deliver a moving soliloquy!
The author leads the India office of a California-based career guidance firm, Stoodnt, and is the author of The Ultimate Guide to 21st Century Careers.
