Quora Answer: How Does Toastmasters Help Your Career?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “How does Toastmasters help your career?” 

Toastmasters is a programme for leadership and effective communication.  One of the skills that built civilisation is rhetoric.  The moment one man could convince others towards a common vision and a common cause, we built things like the Pyramids, and the Great Wall of China.  Leadership does not exist without effective communication. 

In every interaction of our lives, we need to exercise personal and group leadership.  We need to stand for things, and we need to be able to articulate our position for or against a cause well, so that people can understand us.  If you can speak well impromptu, it might get you that meeting with your investor, or pass that job interview, or impress someone who matters in the food chain.  That is what the table topics is about.  If you are able to present your case well, it helps you control difficult shareholders in a meeting, address a board of directors, or simply propose something at a company meeting that others can subscribe to.  That is what prepared speeches are.  If you are able to evaluate what others say, you can discern the speaker intent, and understand what they mean, and not just what they say.  That is speech evaluation. 

Aside from airtime, Toastmasters is a place for networking.  People who join this programme tend to be those who are on the management track, or intend to be on it.  Having a direct relationship with these people opens doors.  Business is built on networking.  It does not matter how good you are if nobody knows that.  Toastmasters is also a place that allows you to build your credibility as a leader and speaker, and articulator of the ideas and vision of a group.  How much you get out of it depends on how much you put in.