Presentation skills

[mvmvmvmv]

Hi

I work in a professional job full time. I would like to improve my presentation skills. My employer is unlikely to pay for training in this area but I think it would be a good investment in myself so I am happy to pay for it myself.

Does anyone have any recommendations for resources or training courses that have helped them with this?

For context I'm a young-ish woman (I'm in my early 30s but I have a baby face) and I work with mainly 45-60 year old men, and I think I sometimes lack confidence when I need to present to a room full of older, well qualified, well experienced men.

Assuming that you already have to present at work and are doing it I would suggest someone that can work with you on a 121 basis - maybe with a particular project or presentation in mind. It may not cost much more than a workshop but can be tailored to your needs whether that's voice, how you stand, structuring a presentation, body language...

Get someone to film you presenting, even if it’s a friend at home whilst you present something just for the film. You can then watch your body language and see if you use certain ‘comfort’ words like ‘um’ ‘absolutely’ ‘so’ etc. Also what are you doing with your hands and how are you standing?
I used to present a lot for work and had quite a lot of training in my 20s. I was filmed quite a lot in the early days and it helped me a lot.
I can’t recommend any courses but I agree about finding a mentor if you can and work with them on a one to one and get their feedback. Also watch people present and see what they do, when do they pause, how do they start and end and how do they engage with the audience etc. Watch TED talks and things like that.
Having a good opening to get people’s attention and having a good close so you end the presentation with confidence. Think about what to wear so you feel comfortable. I used to get a nervous red rash on my neck and chest in the early days so I wore polo necks whenever possible so I didn’t have to think about it. Good luck!