The days of the shrinking violets are over. The world is changing, and there is no longer a future for people who are unable to promote themselves and sell their services and skills.

As the economy changes and hopefully eventually shakes off the current recession, one thing that is not going to come back will be jobs. 9.5 million unemployed in the USA alone or 10% of the work force.

What does that mean to the man in the street? It means that no longer will you be able to send in a resume, twiddle your thumbs through an interview and start work the next week.

What will you need to do? If you hope to find a job, you will need to be dynamic in your presentation of yourself and your skills. You will be competing with many applicants and you have to stand out.

If you can’t find a job because there are none, for instance in the motor manufacturing sector in the US, then you will need to offer your skills as a freelancer or consultant and your success will depend on how you can present yourself.

One thing is for sure. Shy and retiring isn’t going to do it for you. And it needn’t be so. Presenting yourself in public, or also known as public speaking, can be learnt. This is not a skill that you are born with and that only a rare number of people have. Nobody is born cowering in the corner too shy to speak up.

Do you know many kids who are not noisy, brash and in your face? Would you feel comfortable about presenting yourself in a job interview situation or talking to a group of people, where you wanted them to sit up and listen to you and take you seriously?

Public speaking is a skill that you can acquire.

This will be of huge importance to you. You need these skills applying for a job. You need them when trying to grow your business if there are no jobs available. If you are thinking of starting an internet marketing business, you should include video presentations and podcasts as part of your marketing mix.

In fact, there is really no situation in your life where you don’t present yourself and where you don’t need some strong public speaking skills. It’s a misunderstood discipline mostly, as people tend to think of public speaking involving a microphone, huge auditorium and loads of people.

Not so. Your public speaking skills are of great use in countless situations. And as formal employment goes out of the window, more and more people will have to rely on their public speaking skills to further their careers and businesses.