Have an open mind, and admit it when you are wrong. You can’t expand your horizons unless you stretch yourself out.
Growing up, I was very anxious about public speaking. I believed that public speaking was not a must-have skill under my belt to pursue a career as a software engineer. But the moment I stepped into the industry, I figured that I was all wrong. Most importantly, I started to notice the opportunities I was letting go of due to my fear of public speaking, and that’s when I promised myself that I was going to say yes to whatever the next opportunity that was coming my way.
Through a university-industry collaboration program, I got the opportunity to deliver a module for a batch of 30+ Software Engineering undergraduates, and this time I didn’t let my fear win.
I was supposed to deliver one hour of sessions each week for three months. It wasn’t the module content I was worried about, but speaking in front of people. I spent around 20+ hours each week practicing at home just to deliver a one-hour lecture, and in the end, to my surprise, I was offered another module to continue as a visiting lecturer, and I continued doing this for about 5+ years.
In the process, my fear of public speaking faded away, and I found myself speaking at international tech events, delivering keynote speeches, conducting open tech talks for hundreds of people, and playing key roles in corporate sales discussions.
Key takeaway: It’s amazing how time and consistency can magnify the margin between failure and success. Taking on new opportunities can be intimidating, but the potential for personal and professional development often far outweighs the cost of the initial investment and discomfort. Keep grinding!
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Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
