How Should I Prepare a Professional to Speak at an IGNITE Presentation?

During a Presentation, each speaker tells her story for approximately 10 minutes, explaining:

• Her background (starting with the teenage years)
• How she got where she is today (education, various jobs, likes/dislikes)
• What she does now
• The struggles, obstacles, and mistakes made along the way and how she learned from each of those

To help prepare each speaker for her presentation, you need to call them and ask them a few questions. These questions will reassure the speaker that she does have a story to tell and help her identify parts of her story that she wants to share with the girls. You may want to e-mail the questions to the speaker before the phone conversation, if that makes them more comfortable. But definitely send them afterwards, to serve as reminders or guidelines for the speaker’s story.

During any pre-Presentation conversation, let the speaker know that telling her story honestly—not hiding the difficulties and not exaggerating the benefits—will make the stories most compelling. Teenagers appreciate honesty and are more willing to respond when they know the story is genuine. Also, when asking questions, make sure you ask about challenges in general before asking specifically about gender-related challenges. This helps the speaker understand that you are looking for both a general overview of the technology field as well as the specifics of her own personal story.

Questions to Consider in Planning a Presentation Story

• What were you like in high school?
• How did you decide what you would study in college?
• What obstacles did you face along the way? How did you overcome them?
• What is your career now?
• What is exciting to you about that career?
• What advice would you like to share with the girls that you wish you knew when you were in high school?