Hey Everyone!
Quick blog post. PASS HQ sent an e-mail to some of us past PASS Speakers asking us to share our thoughts on what we had to gain from speaking at the Summit. They asked for a video or blog post. I figured I’d do both. I love encouraging people to speak or blog about technology.
So first. The video. After the video I’ll share a link I referenced in here about reasons you should consider speaking (and I still stand by them even if I don’t love the look of my blogging style 7 years ago 😉 ), a link to some tips about speaking at events and then a few benefits you’ll get when you speak at the PASS Summit.
(One of the side effects of not using YouTube much for the Straight Path youtube channels and not having enough subscribers is I can’t customize my thumbnails, and the three choices all stunk for this one. If you don’t want to be scared so much, you should subscribe. Or at least subscribe to the Data Excursions channel Tim and I are doing)
I referenced this link I wrote in 2011 telling you why you should consider presenting at technical events. I also wrote a companion post around that time giving you some suggestions on how you might present. While I didn’t have Grammarly installed then yelling at all my passive voice usages and irregular this’es and that’s I stand by my words. Even the “security blanky” I talked about in the “how” post.
So check those out.
And here are a few more reasons to consider when thinking about “should I submit to speak at the PASS Summit or not??!?!” in a couple months:
- You are paying back. Call it what you want. Karma. Golden Rule. You’ve benefited from all of the giants in the SQL Server community (I cannot tell you how many people inspired and taught me over the years through and around PASS. I listed a handful of names in the video description on YouTube, but as I type this I have an urge to just list more names. I’ll spare you.). They’ve given to you. Now give back. It feels great.
- Someone out there will learn it best from YOU. Everyone is different. Your style. Your approach? That’s exactly what someone in the audience needs to make it gel. You are literally depriving them of your teaching style!
- It’s a blast!! I hated public speaking. I failed communications class in High School because I literally refused to give speeches. I love speaking at events now. Watching lightbulb moments, answering questions after, knowing it gelled for people.
- You will learn even more! Prepartion should make you want to truly master the periphery and be ready for questions. You’ll learn as much as you teach.
- You join a club. Now I’m not saying I’ve arrived (or even know what that means) or this club is a secret society or anything totally rad – but it’s pretty neat to have that on your resume and to hang out in the speaker room that first time. It’s fun. It’s a family inside the SQL family of sorts. It’s not a clique or a snobby exclusive thing – but it’s a bond.
There are SO MANY MORE reasons. Just consider it for me, okay? Send me your abstracts if you want a review. Reach out in the comments or contact forms or you can find my e-mail address fairly easily. Happy to review and give one person’s feedback.
