How to List Speaking Engagements on Your Resume
Every professional and academic position now requires excellent speaking and communication skills. Being a great communicator is an asset that many employers look for. It allows you to propel your career, confidently convey ideas, and inspire others. However, many find it difficult to portray their communication skills and experience in writing.
If you are unsure about how to list your speaking engagements on your resume, this article is for you. This article teaches you how to captivate a recruiter’s attention. You can also explore how to portray your brand, and showcase your past speaking experiences. Read on to find out how to craft the perfect resume highlighting your communication skills.
Formatting and Placement of Speaking Experience on Your Resume
When crafting your resume, it is crucial to format it in a particular manner. Moreover, focusing on strategic placement allows you to capture the attention of the reader. Sometimes it is wiser to request assistance from professionals to assist you in creating the ideal resume. You should check professional resume writers ratings to consider accessing expert help. That allows you to optimize your efforts.
If you do take on this task yourself, you should consider dedicating an entire section to your “Public Speaking Experience” to highlight its impact on your life. Typically, this section comes after a section detailing your professional experience, but before certifications.
Moreover, you should refrain from over-formatting your speaking section. While recruiters love to see excellent communication skills, it should not be the sole focus. Aim to strike a balance between this section and others. Ensure you prioritize accomplishments relevant to the position you are applying for. For instance, if you apply for a leadership role, you should highlight your speaking section. You can even place it before the education part to showcase your ability to inspire and influence others.
Grammatical and Writing Rules to Focus on
When constructing your resume, it is essential to follow grammar and writing rules. The focus is on clear, professional, and easily readable text. While using grammar-checking tools to proofread your text is an excellent idea, you should also manually review your text. Aim to avoid common grammatical errors. Whether you are a student or an employee, you should check your essays for errors that have fallen through the cracks. It is always important to review your work yourself to ensure all mistakes are eliminated.
Consider the following writing tips and examples for your resume:
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Use decisive action verbs when listing your accomplishments. For instance, use “initiated” or “implemented” instead of “was responsible for.”
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Use parallel structure when listing additional information on the resume. For example, if you use bullet points, ensure the formatting is consistent across the entire resume.
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Avoid using personal pronouns such as “I” or “me” when describing your activities.
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Avoid using the passive voice in your text. Using the active voice establishes dominance and confidence, e.g., “improved performance” rather than “performance was improved”.
Choose the Right Speaking Engagements to Include
According to Glamour, including individual speaking experiences is a smart move. Yet, not all experiences are equal. For instance, if someone were to choose you to lead an event, consider why they would do that. The person choosing you must see excellent qualities in you that they admire. It is essential to focus on the reasons you would be chosen for this role. As for knowing which engagements to include, consider the steps below:
1. Identify relevant and impactful opportunities
When writing about your public speaking skills in your resume, focus on those that align with your future goals. The items you mention should be relevant to your desired position. Moreover, if the event you took part in is high-profile, make sure to state that.
2. Prioritize conferences, seminars, and industry events
Listing speaking abilities is essential as it highlights your ability to be a leader. Hence, focus on meetings and workshops demonstrating your knowledge and leadership skills. You should also highlight any panel discussions or keynote speeches you delivered.
3. Select a diverse range of speaking engagements
If your desired position requires excellent communication skills, list varied events. This allows you to highlight multiple skills.
Display the Impact and Relevance of Your Speaking Engagements
Focus on the education and skills you equipped yourself with. To do so, follow these three tips:
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Demonstrate how they align with your target job. You may want to highlight the themes or issues addressed during these events and how they are relevant to the reader’s requirements.
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Emphasize the impact an engagement had on you. You can mention any measurable results you got from the event.
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Connect the experiences to your personal growth. Highlight your network victories, their impact on your character, or any other unique benefits gained.
Conclusion
Stating your speaking engagements on your resume is an excellent choice. It allows you to portray your communication and leadership skills. However, focus on events that granted you the most personal benefit and experience related to your desired position. Stating your best qualities allows you to shine through. You should also portray characteristics recruiters look for. Refer to this article when writing, to ensure you abide by all the necessary rules for creating an effective resume!
