By Luke DeZee and Briana Weitzel
What made you become an OCC consultant?
I became a consultant at the OCC because of my experience at my former university, Towson University. At Towson, we had the PCC, the Public Communication Center. For our COMM133 Class, Public Speaking (the equivalent to COMM107), we had to visit the PCC for credit, just like the University of Maryland. After visiting, I enjoyed the help I got and was interested in joining; however, I transferred the semester after. When I came to UMD, my advisor told me it's an option for my degree, and the rest followed through.
What would you say to students thinking about enrolling in 311 for next semester?
Definitely look into taking 311! My experience changed my college career forever, and I had the best time meeting new people, helping students, and overall being a part of a supportive group. Sometimes I forgot I was taking it for class credit, and really thought it was more of a club, which I liked.
Would you recommend joining the OCC to non-comm majors?
Yes!! We would love to have every major possible, but the more non-majors that come into the OCC, the more new experiences and things everyone can use to sharpen their skill set.
What from the OCC has been most beneficial to you?
The teamwork dynamic everybody has as consultants. I feel like I could confidently approach anyone, including our instructor, and ask any question. This was important to me as I was scared of asking for help before the OCC, but it really made me branch out and forced me to rely on my other coworkers.
How have your own communication skills improved since joining the OCC?
Oh definitely. I think I have learned a lot from even giving advice on appointments. I would consider myself a decent public speaker prior to the OCC, as I really enjoy the experience; however, I have learned so much from 311 that it makes me feel extremely confident in the future. I especially feel that this helps me heavily in a competitive job market, as I am way ahead in my communication skills when comparing myself to other candidates.
How has joining the OCC prepared you for the workforce/ life postgrad?
Having this on my resume, being able to draw examples in interviews, and showing real improvement have all helped me in post-grad and current student activities. On job interviews, they have really valued that portion of my resume and have asked multiple encouraging follow-up questions.
What is an issue you see most commonly in people coming in for consultations?
“I don't feel confident”, more or less thinking they are going to forget words. The best advice I have is to always trust yourself and know that you are prepared. When preparing for your speech, always try to practice it until you feel comfortable, and not to overdo it, as you will start over preparing and forgetting parts.
What is one piece of advice you would give to improve presentation skills?
Always dedicate free time to the speech! Even 5-10 minutes a day leading up to it can help dramatically.