Live it. Love it. Work it.

Public relations is more than a profession, it’s a promotion intended to create good will for a person or institution. It may seem apparent, but I find it difficult explaining to friends and family what I do, without them repeating, “so what do you do?”

If my father had a computer or a TV without rabbit ears, it would be easier to show him what I do, but what kind of communicator would I be if I relied on visuals to explain?

Over the last nine months, I have received honours in communications, presented to groups of 30 or more people, attended and organized elite events and have written many blogs, articles, media kits and publication materials, I’m starting to feel my resume can be transcribed into a novel. So how hard can it be to explain in words what I’ve been doing for the last nine months?

About a month ago, I felt honoured to speak as an alumnus to first-year public relation students. I feel excited when these opportunities come around, especially when given a chance to knock some sense into young minds. If only my 17 year-old sister was present.

As exciting as it was to accept this great opportunity, I was back to square one and thinking, “how do I explain what I do?”

Thankfully I was given tips on what to talk about, for example, a typical work day, bits of advice for succeeding in the program and on placement, and anything I have learned and are passionate about in this industry.

Feeling back in school again and researching presentation dos and donts, I began crafting the “Life Before, During and After the Diploma” presentation. Clearly I’ve been out of the groove, as I crafted this so-called presentation the night before the big day. I also didn’t consider my “real world” work due the next morning. What point am I trying to make? Between five hours of sleep, four hours of client work, an hour bus ride and 15 minutes to settle an empty stomach and practice the notes I barely remember writing, I was clearly unprepared to coach first-year students on what they should achieve in the next two years. Have I fallen so far down the learning curve I forgot two years of education in nine months?

I may be beating myself up right now, as we all know we’re our own worst critics, but it was definitely a kick in the butt and a major reality check. I love presenting and know it won’t be my last, so what can I take away from this spontaneous experience?

If you have been or don’t want to be in the position where you doubt yourself presenting to a group of people, you may or may not agree with the following suggestions:

• Prepare, plan and practice. That’s a given.
• Make your audience laugh. Feel free to throw in some anecdotes or joke about the little things. DON’T joke about your boss, but do I need to explain?
• Be yourself. Talk about personal experiences. Be ‘one’ with the crowd.
• Ask questions. Don’t just wait for the QandA. Engage with the audience during your presentation. It will keep them alert, increase interest and help you connect with them.
• Move with the wind. A figure of speech, it also means don’t stand in one spot and put your hands where they can see them. Italians are known for talking with their hands. Emphasis on the “known.”
• Refrain from “uh” and “um.” You and I are guilty of this, no matter what language we speak or which country we derived from. To help prevent fluency disruptions or “disfluencies,” don’t speak fast, remember to breath and listen to yourself. Rambling will only leave your thoughts behind.

These are only a handful of presentation tips, but like I said, I’m new at this. What else is new? Me on camera. I asked a colleague to tape my presentation. If you thought presenting was hard, try watching yourself. A month later I did, but I’m not brave enough to make it permanent on the Internet. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to share details and possibly a sneak peak and I’m always open for feedback/storytelling. I double dare you.