Presentations and Oral Communication

What is Presenting?

Presenting can be any number of things. It may be speaking about your research results in front of a large or small crowd. It may be sharing your report on General Electric and Chemical Engineering with your class. It may also be when talking one-on-one with a classmate. Presenting is any time when you must communicate, orally or otherwise, information between yourself and someone else.

Why do Chemical Engineers need to be good at it?

As an engineer, you will often be placed in the position of presenting technical results to audiences with different backgrounds (other engineers, chemists, biochemists, management and business professionals, etc.). The sooner you develop these skills, the more successful and competitive you will be, whatever career path you choose.

General Guidelines for Presenting

Everyone has heard the phrase KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid; or Keep It Simple and Stupid. This is one of the most useful things to remember while presenting. The simpler you keep your presentation, the more likely others will understand what you're trying to get across.

Another common phrase is "A picture is worth a thousand words." Make sure to use graphics, charts, tables, photographs, and other visual aids whenever you're making a presentation. These are more likely to get your information across than plain words.

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