94: Improving Your Technical Communication and Public Speaking Skills (ft. Neil Thompson)

According to research, what you say to an audience isn’t nearly as important as how you say it. Studies suggest that effective presentations are 38% your voice, 55% non-verbal communication, and only 7% your content. That means that you should spend even more time preparing your delivery than you do developing awesome content.   In today’s episode, we welcome Neil Thompson. Since earning his Master’s in Bioengineering and his Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from Clemson University and Columbia University, Neil has held various roles in biomedical engineering, technical communication, and with patent law. He is the founder of Teach the Geek, an educational network centered around enhancing the technical communication skills of STEM professionals. With him, we discuss:    🔹️ What audience does Neil primarily work with (i.e., students, 1-on-1 coaching, corporate seminars, etc.)?  🔹️Ideas on coaching strategy for this particular audience and these particular skills. 🔹Tips or common issues for students and early-career professionals to look out for while trying to improve their technical communication.  🔹 And much more!  Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice. https://www.mseacademy.com/courses/students-tier-2   Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.  https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN   Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science! https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop   For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at [email protected]. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpUXt6ui8iC5npSizlfIJ2A  https://www.instagram.com/itsamaterialworldpodcast/  http://linkedin.com/company/it-s-a-material-world-podcast/  https://twitter.com/ItsAMatWorldPod    Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.   #materialsscience #communication #publicspeaking #technical #presentation