Speaking isn’t as scary as you think, eventually

Dear new developer,

I remember one of the first times I spoke in public. I was talking about J2ME (which was a technology for building mobile apps, pre iphone) to the Boulder Java Users Group. I threw up some slides showing the flow of data across the system, and made a joke along the lines of “sorry if this is confusing, but at least it isn’t UML”. The audience all laughed, and I went on with my talk.

Guess who the next speaker was?

Grady Booch, inventor of UML.

Doh.

Public speaking is a great way to do a number of things for you as a developer.

• Raise your profile in your company and in the community. Standing in front of a crowd and talking about a topic will get you noticed. Even if it is a crowd of 10 at your local meetup.
• Teach you how to educate people. The way to help someone understand something is not intuitive. Speaking gives you a chance to practice it, and that will help you in your work life, since a large part of development depends on helping other people understand what you mean.
• Force you to really understand your topic. Trust me, the pressure of being up in front of a group of people will cause you to dive deeper than you otherwise would have. (Kinda like writing an ebook.)
• Let you learn something new. Related to the above point, you can learn something new when you are presenting. This can either be ancillary to the topic you are talking about, or, in some cases, can be the topic of your talk.

Some tips for getting started:

• Find something you are interested in. Brainstorm ideas around that. Think about cross sections: “Using javascript in marketing” or “what do SQL and devops have in common”. Both technical skills like javascript, SQL or design and “soft” skills like interviewing and communication can be good topics.
• Join a meetup. Go a few times as a regular member, learn who the organizers are. Then go to the organizer and say “I’m a new developer, but I’d love to speak sometime. Do you have any slots open?” (You can also join Toastmasters.)
• When you get a chance to talk, practice it multiple times, at least once in front of someone. Remember that you are likely the most expert person in the room. If possible, start off with a joke or self deprecating remark, and ask for audience participation. More tips.
• Look for local conferences. Then, look for Calls for Proposals (“CFPs”) at such conferences. Submit. Don’t spend too much time polishing a submission. Submit any proposal to multiple conferences. Papercall is good for that. (I confess, I’m not an expert at this process, so this is more based on advice I’ve read.)
• When you go to conferences or meetups, walk up to speakers and ask how they got started. I’d suggest avoiding the superstars. Regular speakers will still have useful advice, but fewer folks surrounding them.

By the way, it is terrifying, but many things are the first time you do it. I mean, do you remember learning to ride a bike?

Public speaking is a great way to stretch yourself, learn new skills and meet new people. Highly recommended.

Sincerely,

Dan