EPISODE 12 - Career: How to become a Tech Speaker?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit Done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidel and today the question is how to become a tech speaker. So I do a lot of speaking since I think 10 years. And of course at the beginning it was very, very nervous to go on the stage to speak before a lot of people afraid of if the demo is correct. Does the demo god be pleasant with me and so on? So I want to share some, not insights, some recommendations. you want to start as a tech speaker, what I would do, how I would start today. So first of all is, are you willing to do speaking in front of people? It is absolutely okay in my opinion if you don't want to do speaking, if you don't want to do presentations, then don't do it. We are talking about people who maybe think about it, they want to try it, they want to see how it works out. For those people, this podcast is made for. The first step I would recommend is to do a remote session. So not an onsite, not before real people. So I would do a small conference or a small session and of course do it remote. So there is an advantage for newbies, but I see that as disadvantage, but let's start with the advantages. So if you do a remote session, there is no audience in front of you. So usually you do it mainly Teams because we are heavily Microsoft related. So usually you do a team session. All cameras are down. The audience is muted. So you do your conference, you do your speech, you do your screen share, and usually nobody interrupts you. Nobody gives a reaction. So you can do your stuff and tip your toe into that topic. Michael Seidl (02:24.) and see how it goes. For me, I do not prefer that kind of session because I want to interact with the audience. I want to see their reaction. I want to have eye contact with the audience. So I prefer an on -prem session mainly. But for beginning, I think it's definitely better than going directly on stage to have a remote session, of course. So you can try this and see how it goes. And if you prefer that, if you like it to do presentation, then of course you can go ahead and find maybe a small community. In Austria or Europe, have, it's called cafes. So there are usually, I don't know, 10 people around, but not sitting on desks and on the stage, but just sitting on the conference table or just in an office space. And everyone sits on the table and do a session. So you don't have to stand before the audience. So you can sit on your table, look in your notebook. So I think it's the next step from the remote session to an on -site, but on a smaller audience. So typically, there two or three sessions. So you can train how everything goes with an audience in front of you. And the next. The next step, the last step is to do it on stage. You will get a session or you try to get a session which is on -site, which is on stage, which is mainly a one -day conference or more. So then there are multiple rooms, the audience in it and you on the stage in front of everyone, maybe recorded, maybe with a microphone. So that's the top. So that's the three steps I would recommend to start with if you want to get a tech speaker. And of course, see how it goes. If you like it, go to the next step and so on. So maybe the fourth step is do it in a foreign language. So I remember I did a lot of sessions in German, course, my mother language.

Michael Seidl: Then I had my first English session on Experts Life Europe 2019 and I was nervous as hell. It was in English, it was about a topic I loved, so everything was fine, but I had to speak in English. I was planned to do it, so it was on purpose, but I was still nervous on the first try. Everything was good and now doing all the podcasts in English and it's definitely not perfect, let's see. give it a try and don't be afraid to just do it. And of course, the next thing is so step by step, bigger conferences. And of course, what is very important is get some feedback, but please be aware who is giving that feedback. Of course, ask the audience. Most of the conferences have a rating for the sessions, so they can rate the sessions and comment the session. Or you can ask the audience, how was the session? Some people give feedback, they're happy to give feedback, but be aware if the feedback is from the right person. So for example, I did Sessions or text sessions are normally categorized in how complicated the topic is. So there's a level 100, 200, 300, 400. 100 is, okay, I can turn on a computer and 400 is very, very deep and specific topic. Okay. So a knowledge is needed for the audience to follow. So, and I did a 400 about Graph API and PowerShell, I think half a year ago, the first time. So it was a really deep session and the feedback was good, but I couldn't follow because I haven't used PowerShell and Graph API before. So that feedback isn't very useful because the session declaration and the session description was very clear that it was a 400 session,

Michael Seidl: deep, very specific. And if you then get a feedback of, oh, never had done that, it was a request that we do a better introduction of the topic. But that's completely useless for a 400 session. If a 400 session, you directly dive into that topic without any introduction, without anything to, oh, it maybe goes like this or that. No, you go directly to the topic. And the feedback, it was to too tough is not a good one. So get feedback, but make sure the feedback comes from a person who is legal to give you a good feedback, wealthful feedback. Also ask some other speakers maybe at the conference. Maybe you have a friend or you know someone, hey, can you watch my session and give me feedback on the session? you can ask them, of course. The next one Go to other sessions at that conferences and see other speakers, how they do their session, their speech. it is one thing is to explain a technical topic, but the other thing is to entertain a little bit. Okay. So you don't have to do dancing or something like this, but interact with the audience, ask some questions. What I do in the last sessions, I bring some Austrian chocolate so that the feeling is a bit more friendlier. They're not sitting and hiding, so they're more interactive. See other speakers and see what they do and learn and do it with your touch. The next thing is how to find those conferences. There are a lot of websites like Sessionize or other things. can Google or Bing for them. You can make your proposal for a session and then maybe you're taking or you're out, approved or denied, whatever. You can also find the type of session. Is it a remote session? Is it an on -site session? Is it a small audience? Is it a big audience? And so on.

Michael Seidl: Go to sessionize or meetup or whatever and find your sessions off your topic and then propose and wait if you approved or denied. And one last very important thing in my opinion is don't be afraid. You don't have to be a hundred percent professional in that topic. So myself, I'm talking a lot PowerShell and Graph API and I'm sure I don't know everything. But what I know is that's the topic of my sessions. So what I know, what my experience is, that's what is included in my session. And if someone is telling me this is shit or this maybe works also in a different way, then we discuss during the session. I'm fine with And then I get a feedback and I can improve my session for later instance. So don't be afraid. You don't have to be a bro. You don't have to be the almighty of that topic. It is absolutely okay that someone gives you a hint. Someone gives you a feedback about, this works also this way. That's good. In the IT there is not always only one way. Everything works in different ways. So that's okay. But don't be afraid that someone gives you a feedback. also possible that someone gives you a feedback and that's shit. You're open to tell them. So what I prefer is an open discussion in my session. So if someone has something to say, say it. I don't like sessions on site. There is no word from the audience. If the audience is interacting with me, then for me it's a successful session. If you want to be a tech speaker, don't be afraid. You don't have to be the almighty. You don't have to know everything. Just make sure you are prepared for your session. You know what you're talking about. But if you get feedback that this works that way, this works this way, don't be afraid. That is okay. And use it to improve your session. Okay. So how to become a tech speaker? Start small with remote sessions, go to smaller on -site conferences, and then go to the

Michael Seidl: big shows, get some feedback, but valuable feedback and from people who are in charge or who know how to give feedback and the correct feedback, listen to other speakers and learn from them. Find some conferences on sessionized meetup, whatever. And don't be afraid. You don't have to know everything. You don't have to be the pro, the almighty. That's okay. Okay. It's absolutely fine that you get feedback myself. not going with

Michael Seidl: For myself, I do not have the expectation that I know everything. I'm just telling my experience, what I figured out, what I see, what I do. And that's completely okay if someone is doing it in a different way. Then we chat, we hear each other, and then maybe I can improve my session. So thanks for listening. I wish you a good week. If you have any questions for this podcast, would be happy to get your questions. So send me a text message on LinkedIn or send me a voice message on LinkedIn with your question and maybe your question will be answered shortly in the next or one of the next episodes of this podcast. So thanks again for listening. Have a good week. Stay productive. Bye bye.