Learning experience with Toastmasters is truly suitable for young professionals who seek global career. My experience shows how Toast Masters may help you to enhance your communication competencies useful in the International working environment.
I joined the Meridian Toastmasters Club in 2014 with one of my friends who took a training program on United Nation’s career development. One of the modules in communication and competency based interview was taught by a Distinct Toastmaster, who used to work at UN for long time. We got a two-day intensive training based on the Toast Masters’ manual, such as organization of short/long speech, vocal variety, tone and posture. The trainer also explained how these communication skills acquired from Toastmasters were useful for her career development. I was impressed her speaking and presentation skills and a set of practical exercise developed by Toastmasters, therefore I decided to join a club to continue my practice for UN competency based interview and public speaking.
I chose the Meridian Toastmasters Club for several reasons. First of all, the mission of this club is “Be a global leader”, which attracts young professionals who seek or already work in the International work environment. While members of this club are very motivated and competitive enough, atmosphere of this club is rather friendly. Secondly, members of this club are diverse in terms of gender, nationality, expertise and generation, thus I enjoyed diverse learning environment. Furthermore, this club is good mix of members, both very experienced (e.g. member of TM more than 30 years and leading international club activities) and new members. The experienced members helped me as a mentor to be good communicator. Thirdly, the size of this club is relatively small, so I had a lot of opportunities to practice in short period of time. I delivered a speech almost every meeting and received quite good feedbacks from members. The evaluation system of this club is unique. In addition to the formal evaluation done by an assigned evaluator, everyone can contribute to giving feedbacks. This allows us to bring different perspectives in evaluation, which may not be covered by just one person.
I used Toast Masters for my preparation to apply UN position, too. Table topic session was a very practical exercise to answer unexpected questions in job interviews as well as in the International meetings. It is not the matter of content, but the way to prepare and deliver a short speech in an appropriate matter. Some of you might be too anxious to give a presentation in the International conference, what if audience ask unexpected and difficult question to you? I believe that only enough practice can help you to overcome this kind of fear. Prepared speech was definitely useful to deliver powerful speeches in English. I always chose topics something directly related to my work or my career, so that I could secure a place to learn by mistake in advance of a formal speech. Thanks to the practical exercise with the Meridian Toastmasters Club members, I got an offer to work at World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Those who seek to be a global leader, the Meridian Toastmasters Club could help you to move forward your global career toward the next step. My journey to be a global leader just started and I would like to continue this journey with Toastmasters.
I joined the Meridian Toastmasters Club in 2014 with one of my friends who took a training program on United Nation’s career development. One of the modules in communication and competency based interview was taught by a Distinct Toastmaster, who used to work at UN for long time. We got a two-day intensive training based on the Toast Masters’ manual, such as organization of short/long speech, vocal variety, tone and posture. The trainer also explained how these communication skills acquired from Toastmasters were useful for her career development. I was impressed her speaking and presentation skills and a set of practical exercise developed by Toastmasters, therefore I decided to join a club to continue my practice for UN competency based interview and public speaking.
I chose the Meridian Toastmasters Club for several reasons. First of all, the mission of this club is “Be a global leader”, which attracts young professionals who seek or already work in the International work environment. While members of this club are very motivated and competitive enough, atmosphere of this club is rather friendly. Secondly, members of this club are diverse in terms of gender, nationality, expertise and generation, thus I enjoyed diverse learning environment. Furthermore, this club is good mix of members, both very experienced (e.g. member of TM more than 30 years and leading international club activities) and new members. The experienced members helped me as a mentor to be good communicator. Thirdly, the size of this club is relatively small, so I had a lot of opportunities to practice in short period of time. I delivered a speech almost every meeting and received quite good feedbacks from members. The evaluation system of this club is unique. In addition to the formal evaluation done by an assigned evaluator, everyone can contribute to giving feedbacks. This allows us to bring different perspectives in evaluation, which may not be covered by just one person.
I used Toast Masters for my preparation to apply UN position, too. Table topic session was a very practical exercise to answer unexpected questions in job interviews as well as in the International meetings. It is not the matter of content, but the way to prepare and deliver a short speech in an appropriate matter. Some of you might be too anxious to give a presentation in the International conference, what if audience ask unexpected and difficult question to you? I believe that only enough practice can help you to overcome this kind of fear. Prepared speech was definitely useful to deliver powerful speeches in English. I always chose topics something directly related to my work or my career, so that I could secure a place to learn by mistake in advance of a formal speech. Thanks to the practical exercise with the Meridian Toastmasters Club members, I got an offer to work at World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Those who seek to be a global leader, the Meridian Toastmasters Club could help you to move forward your global career toward the next step. My journey to be a global leader just started and I would like to continue this journey with Toastmasters.
Akihito Watabe is a graduate of Kitasato University’s Faculty of Medicine, Japan, and holds an MSc of Health Policy Planning and Financing from the London School of Heath and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics and Political Science (2013). Dr Watabe contributed to the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA) for four years as Publication Director, Regional Coordinator for Asia-Pacific and Supervising Council Member (2003-08). Dr Watabe has served as a junior and senior resident of General Medicine at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (2008-10); a public health physician at the Ministry of Health, Vanuatu (2011-12); a researcher on health promotion financing with the International Health Policy Program in Thailand (2013); and a health expert of the Global Health Policy Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, to implement Japan’s Strategy on Global Health Diplomacy including the advocacy of universal health coverage (UHC) in the post-2015 development agenda (2013-15). Dr Watabe is currently working for the WHO to drive further the global movement for UHC advocacy in the post-2015 development agenda and health financing capacity building of low-middle income countries.