Public speaking and presenting is one of the most vital skills for any successful career. I have always enjoyed public speaking and have never had too much of a problem doing it. I don’t get too nervous and I’m usually able to keep my cool. One area I consider a main strength is my ability to be comfortable speaking without reading off the slides. I find it is a tremendous asset because I can have an intelligent dialogue without coming across as requiring a script.
One area in which I tend to struggle is that I speak too quickly and sometimes stutter. Overall, I like to include a lot of information when I present, which isn’t always a bad thing. But this definitely contributes to how fast I speak, and when I speak about complicated topics, it can be difficult for the audience to understand.
If I could improve my public speaking ability in one area, it would be in speaking less quickly and being more light hearted during my presentations. I like to make jokes and keep things casual but in a professional presentation that can be frowned upon. However, when people stick to just raw information without a shred of personality in how they speak, the audience can get lost and bored. My goal is to find a perfect balance of keeping my professionalism, while at the same time injecting humor and personality into my presentations.
My final presentation for the Plus3 Ireland Transfer was a perfect reflection of my strengths, weaknesses, and goals regarding public speaking. Overall, I feel I spoke well and articulated my points clearly. At the same time, I tried to include a lot of information and because of this, found myself speaking very quickly and sometimes tripping over my words. I also felt as though I could have done a better job engaging the audience to ensure that they were able to keep focus and absorb the content of our final presentation. 
