Dizz the Conquerer

Years and years ago I went for a job in libraryland where I had to do a presentation as part of the interview process. I'd never done a presentation before in my life and I was literally terrified. I remember standing in front of the panel, gripped by fear, with my script rattling in my shaking hands, and wobbling my way through the whole thing, stuttering and nervous gasps included. Needless to say it wasn't entirely a successful interview, or experience for that matter. And cue my total fear of presentations. To the point where I actually stopped going for jobs that required a presentation as I knew I would muck it up all over again. 

Fast forward to almost present day. I've left libraryland and am back in school. I'm at the beginning of a module and I find out that I will have to give not one but two presentations. In front of the whole class. Like at the front of the class. Oh my golly gosh (or words to that effect). We were in groups so I knew I wouldn't be talking for the whole 10 minutes but I also knew that I had to kick this presentation fear in the butt once and for all. 

And slowly but surely that's what I did. I prepared. Like a whole lot. I planned out what I was going to say and I went over and over those slides until I knew them off by heart. We weren't being marked on the content of the presentation but for how we presented, our skills in presenting. I was determined to not let my team down and wanted to do so well, not just for their sake but for me. I think it's fair to say there were sweaty palms, and other sweaty bits that it's not polite to talk about. But we did it, and we got a whopping 4 out of 5 marks. I felt pretty good. The hardest thing for me was figuring out what to do with my hands. We were recorded during each presentation so that we could watch ourselves back (cringe!) and be self-critical. 

One small battle for mankind, but a huge achievement for me. Yip yip.

Fast forward again to last Friday. My first interview in this whole changing my career pathway and another presentation. Even though I was nervous, obviously, I did what all the books say and embraced my nerves to be bright and open to the audience. I started, script in hand, and didn't refer to it once. All those times reading it over and over again had totally worked and I was away. My slides were pretty basic, but I talked around the content and was positive that I was relaying the right message. 

That first interview/presentation scenario, after I'd finished the presentation I just wanted to lie down on the floor and recover from the horror, but this time round I calmly took my seat in front of the panel and did what I'm best at - being myself. My Pops had sent me this text message before my interview that said "fortune favours the brave - be confident and yourself and that will be enough" (total dude, completely and utterly) and all the way through I kept this message in my head. And clearly it was enough as I'm delighted to say I got the job. When they gave me my feedback later that day they said my enthusiasm shone through. Words can't describe how delighted I was when I got that phone call, I think I might have squealed down the phone - oops. 

So, summing up: presentation fear - 0, Dizz the Conquerer - 1. 

Oh and also, this outfit? Totally my lucky outfit! Even works with giant out of control hair.