Public Speaking: Your fastpass to career success

Higher education websites often list public speaking as

the most feared course in colleges and university today

yet training in speech is vital to a student's college

experience and future career. Some college students say

they would rather die than take a course in communication

skill development. Over the years of teaching communication

courses, I have yet to hear of a student who passed away due

to learning about speech. National experts agree that oral

communication training has tremendous value.

One of the top universities in the Nation, the University of

Colorado completed a survey of faculty and students across

the curriculum. Both groups agreed that students are deficient

in the following: expressing ideas clearly, organizing messages,

expressing ideas concisely, using evidence, using a speaking

voice, controlling anxiety, and listening effectively. College

training in oral communication will is a remedy for each of these

deficiencies.

Leaders of several college admit that students are increasingly

deficient in the about to present an organized and coherent

presentation. Yet this skill has become steadily more important

in a world which requires collaboration between specialists in

widely varying fields. Requiring an oral presentation course is a

great way to help students who are deficient in their presentation

efforts. The highest unemployment rate is among new college

graduates. I am sure that many of these graduates found a way to

avoid taking a speech class in college and now realize that

confident public speaking skills can be their ticket to a successful

job interview.

According to many job forecasting websites, verbal

communication is ranked as one of the most sought after skills.

In today's highly competitive job market, strong public speaking

skills will help our students get that first job and later advance

in the workplace. Public speaking course can teach college students

how to be successful speakers.

It was reported this year that Warren Buffet's net worth is 87 billion

dollars. Buffet has repeatedly shared with college students that

you can substantially boost your value as a business professional

by improving your speaking skills. Buffett once told a class of

business students that he would pay anyone in the audience

$100,000 for 10 percent of their future earnings. If they were strong

public speakers, he would raise his bid by 50 percent. He recognized

the value of public speaking skills in the workplace. Students who

successfully complete an oral presentation course raise

their value in America's very competitive work environment.

National survey have found that only a fraction of today's college

graduates possess the speech skills they need to succeed in the

workplace. Strong oral communication skills are often cited as the

quality employers look for in a new employee. I remember attending

a professional conference that brought together CEOs of several

companies, college presidents and faculty. The convention focused

on the problems in higher education together. Every company

leader identified a lack of communication skills as a major problem

with new college graduates. Millennials struggle with communication

skills. I imagine a lack of communication skills is a reason why many

millennials have difficulty keeping a job and why many are getting

fired from positions. With our continuing technological advancement,

it's likely that the need for strong communication skills instruction

will become even more vital in colleges and in the workplace. There is

a reason why public speaking is a required course in America's leading

college preparatory schools.

Reed Markham teaches public speaking courses at Daytona State

College. Daytona State College has one of the leading online business

programs in the Nation.