Competition season is already here. With all your hard work, make sure it pays off when you show up to a conference. Here are some skills to enhance your competition experience!
Impress your Judge
As an organization with emerging leaders, it’s important to be professional before a judge. Make sure you are following the dress code at your event with appropriate shoes, blazers, tops and bottoms. Keep jewelry simple, and NEVER chew gum.
Speak loudly so the judge can hear all your amazing ideas in the noisy room. Keep eye contact, but don’t be afraid to look at your paper for reference. Use your hands to talk through the presentation, but avoid excessive gestures that may be distracting.
Most of all, be confident! The judges love to hear all that you bring to the table.
Read Ahead
Make sure you know all the information about your event before showing up. You should read and always follow the event guidelines found at deca.org/compete. Check out samples from previous years on DECA’s website to get a feel for what to expect or what stands out.
For those competing in a Role-play, make sure you’ve reviewed the Performance Indicators that will show up. Look up current trends about your career cluster and competitive events on the internet to incorporate into your presentation.
Practice, Practice, Practice
With any presentation, competition, speech or event, you must practice ahead to get the best results. Just 10 minutes a day reviewing material can improve your skills dramatically.
Get together with friends and take turns presenting or prop up a stuffed animal to be your judge at home. Have a full chapter event after school, inviting parents to judge and students to practice. If you’re in a team event, work out your balance for speaking so there is equal time to hear each of you. And keep time management in mind so the judge can ask questions before time runs out.
Check out this page for more resources, and best of luck in your competition!
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