Tuesday 28 January 2014

Preparing a Conference Presentation: Notes from Angela Gucwa

Giving your first conference presentation can be very stressful, but for Angela Gucwa, these presentations have become second nature. Angela Gucwa has been regularly giving conference presentations since 2008, and has given at least nineteen presentations at various conferences and on a wide range of topics. Angela Gucwa offers some tips for conference presentations that can help you feel confident and prepared.


ª  Dress the part. Angela Gucwa emphasizes that you should always wear business dress to a conference. Looking like a professional will help you feel like a professional. Keep professional outfits simple – you don’t want to be worrying about whether the pattern on your shirt is too loud while talking to a colleague, explains Angela Gucwa.
ª  Write notes, but not a speech. Many conference presenters simply read straight from a paper as though there is no audience there. As long as you feel comfortable, you are better off sketching broad notes and an order of discussion. This will make your presentation much more dynamic and keep listeners engaged throughout the presentation, says Angela Gucwa.
Time yourself. At any conference you will be given a time limit for your talk. Practice your speech several times at home to make sure it stays within the limit, says Angela Gucwa. It is unprofessional and disrespectful to take up other people’s time by going over the limit. Angela Gucwa also notes that you should pay attention to the speed at which you give your talk – it will probably be faster on the day of your speech because of your nerves.

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