CAREER ADVICE
Blair: Speaking of public speaking, out loud
I鈥檝e watched many professionals pour their energy into learning the latest artificial intelligence tools.
For most positions, you don鈥檛 need to master it, just understand it.
But after four decades of watching people build careers, I keep coming back to one skill that gets you noticed the fastest, and it鈥檚 not the skill everybody鈥檚 rushing to master right now.
It鈥檚 public speaking.
Yes, AI can draft your slides. It can even coach your delivery.
But when you鈥檙e standing in front of a room or on a Zoom call with a client, nobody鈥檚 evaluating your software.
They鈥檙e evaluating you 鈥� your ideas, your presence, your poise 鈥� and whether they trust what you鈥檙e telling them.
Every project update, every client pitch, every meeting you lead is public speaking, whether you鈥檇 call it that or not.
Our company has hired thousands of people over the years for our clients. The ones who move up the ladder aren鈥檛 always the most technically skilled. Instead, they鈥檙e the ones who can stand up and explain why their work matters.
People who can stand up and communicate 鈥� persuade a room, calm a nervous client, rally a team 鈥� are becoming more valuable, not less. And the rise of AI has made those human skills even more valuable.
The ultimate test
Maybe the hardest public speaking event during a job search 鈥� and the ultimate test of impromptu speaking 鈥� is the dreaded 30-second elevator speech.
It鈥檚 all about you, and it should be a smooth, persuasive 30-second pitch describing yourself and explaining your career goals. As a networking tool, it will open doors for you.
Whether you鈥檙e in a job search or considering a job change, public speaking is your leading edge.
When I taught classes at the University of San Diego and at the Honor Foundation, training Navy SEALs to transition into the private sector, it was the most feared part of the class.
It was also fun to watch how competitive the students became.
We鈥檇 pretend I was in the elevator when it opened on their floor. They had 30 seconds to introduce themselves and get into their pitch before the elevator reached my floor.
They kept begging for do-overs 鈥� 鈥淕ive me another chance!鈥� 鈥� and each time, they got noticeably better.
Why does this matter so much?
I can鈥檛 tell you how many times I鈥檝e run into an acquaintance I knew was in a job search.
I鈥檒l ask, 鈥淗ow are you doing?鈥� And they鈥檒l say, 鈥淔ine.鈥� Then we part ways, or drift into small talk about something else entirely.
It鈥檚 no secret I鈥檓 with a company that hires thousands of people a year. If you were networking about a job search, wouldn鈥檛 I be a pretty good person to talk to?
What should happen is they tell me they鈥檙e in the middle of a job search.
Then I take the bait and ask, 鈥淲hat kind of job are you looking for?鈥�
What often follows is a few minutes of rambling, unfocused chatter about how they鈥檙e not sure what they want to do.
Looking for a position
A far more effective 30-second pitch sounds like this:
鈥淭hanks for asking. I鈥檓 looking for a position in the international telecommunications industry, where I can put my MBA and 10 years of experience at Nokia to work at a company like Qualcomm, AT&T or Verizon.
鈥淗ere鈥檚 my contact information. In fact, I鈥檇 love to meet with you. Can we arrange that?鈥�
Notice what happened there: degree, years of experience, target companies and a clear ask. That鈥檚 enough for me to actually help.
Keep learning the AI tools if they鈥檙e useful to you. But don鈥檛 let stage fright talk you out of the very thing that sets you apart.
The organizations changing the fastest right now need people who can lead them 鈥� out loud, in the room, with poise and confidence. The elevator speech is the first test of whether a candidate can communicate their own story effectively.
Pass that test, and the rest gets a whole lot easier.
Phil Blair is co-founder of Manpower West, specializing in job placement and career transitions from entry-level to C-level. With staffing offices in Albuquerque, Spokane, San Diego and Las Vegas, Nevada, he welcomes your questions and comments at pblair@manpowerwest.com.
