When I First Enrolled in Cambridge

I felt incredibly intimidated for the first time.
 
When I first enrolled in Cambridge in my youth, I had a big realisation:
 
Everyone around me were savvy communicators 🥲 
 
They were clear, persuasive and knew how to market themselves.
It was a skill I deeply lacked.
Most times, I kept silent in fear of embarrassing myself.
 
Growing up in Singapore, I followed the rules of a good student:
 
1. Be quiet 🤐 
2. Listen attentively
3. See rule 1.
 
This mindset didn’t serve me as I got deeper into my career.
 
I realized to be great in any field...
Becoming an excellent communicator was a must.
 
I’ve since spoken on many stages and interview platforms.
(Against the wishes of the butterflies in my stomach)
 
Here’s what I learned along the way: (might be useful for those starting careers) 👇🏻
 
❇️Embrace diverse conversations
 
-Seek out people from various backgrounds with different perspectives.
-Engage in conversations that challenge your views.
-That’s how you build a breadth of exposure and ‘general knowledge’.
-You’ll master how to interact with anyone and read others when you meet them.
 
❇️Get those reps in
 
-Communication and articulation is like a muscle.
-You need to work on it to improve and regularly use it to maintain your edge.
-There’s a concept that pro public speakers have, it’s called “Stage Time”
-The more time you can put yourselves in situations to interact well, the better you’ll get.
 
❇️Leverage the science of storytelling
 
-Start with why, appeal to emotion and use real life anecdotes.
-Find your unique voice and expression and lean in.
-Study speeches and stories from top orators
 
❇️Focus your attention on the audience
 
-I still get nervous before interviews and pitches. It's normal.
-Focus your attention on delivering value your audience and watch the anxiety dissipate.
-Prioritising your audience experience = less fear of looking bad
 
❇️Seek feedback
 
-Understand how others perceive your communication style.
-I had no shortage of peers that would point out my flaws, alongside advice to improve.
-Areas like pausing in speech and enunciation might not come naturally to most.
-Knowing that you’re doing it wrong is the first step.
 
Being a silent observer might get you through the exams.
 
But to thrive in the world of business, you need to master how to express yourself.