Public speaking can be very satisfying. Apart from the ability to boost your career finances, it is a source of self-actualisation and of building both confidence and self-esteem.

After maybe the second or third time I was asked to speak in public I began to enjoy it; being able to communicate ideas to a group or even influence that group is a powerful feeling. When people accept you and your ideas as a public speaker, it has a measurable impact on your feelings of achievement and as you build your public speaking confidence you can also measure the impact on your career finances.

As you develop your public speaking skills, you find that people ask for your views more often, you become more visible to decision-makers in your organization and you know how this can be massively important to your career. It can boost the apparent authority you have, especially when you are requested by senior, influential people.

If you want to advance your career and hence give your career finances a boost, you could do no better than by immediately brushing up your public speaking skills and volunteering to give a speech or lead a session in a seminar.

Perhaps you have tried it before and didn't enjoy it? There are a number of simple techniques to help you which do not take too much to master. Try 'The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Speakers' to see what I mean.

Many people think that the greatest measure of success is discerned by how long you have been in your job or what level of qualifications you hold. However research has shown that people who give more speeches tend to command higher salaries than those who give fewer or no speeches.

In some of the, lets say more 'practical' roles, such as engineer, the value of being able to give powerful presentations is often underestimated, yet notice how the one who can give a good speech, perhaps communicating some complex idea to laymen, is often the one who gets the promotion and the boost to their career finances.

In other jobs, say a client-facing role, you know you will have to give speeches so you better do what you can to be the best at them.

Whatever your role in employment or even in life, there will be instances when you simply have to talk in public. If you have opinions of any kind, the day will come when you have to speak to defend them or inform others publicly.