The Do’s and Don’ts of a Graduation Speech

Having the opportunity to deliver a graduation speech is an honour. Provided you keep a few important points in mind, you can be on your way to a speech that will move hearts and keep all eyes on you. Let’s take a look at some of the Do’s and Don’ts that will help you with your graduation speech ideas:

Do’s

• Let it come from the heart: There is nothing like a good graduation speech that comes straight from the heart. It instantly makes an impact and shows that you are serious. Therefore, be passionate about the speech and ensure that you know exactly who your target audience is. The speech should be relatable to them.
• Tell a short story: Nothing grabs attention like a good short story with an element of emotion. It is an easy and effective way to ensure you can retain your audience’s attention. For graduation speech ideas, the internet will prove to be a valuable resource.
• Structure the speech: Write a graduation speech that has been properly structured. This will help with the consistency and flow of your message. Ensure that you have good opening lines followed by the message that you aim to deliver. The closing lines of your speech should also leave a lasting impact on your audience.
• Smile more: This tip will keep you feeling relaxed and will have your audience focused and comfortable.
• Practice makes perfect: Draft up a few graduation speech ideas and practice them in front of someone. Be open to constructive criticism since it will help polish your finalised version.
• Be appreciative: Make the effort to be grateful and thank people as part of your speech. It will leave a good impression and will have people feeling valued.

Don’ts:

• Don’t apologize: Whilst being nervous comes natural to some, don’t apologize for it. Even though it’s polite, it will instantly weaken the impact of your message and may affect your confidence.

• Stay away from jokes: Yes jokes can be fun but it is hard to draw the line from being fun to being unprofessional. Your safest bet will be to keep the jokes aside.
• Avoid negativity: You should avoid negativity at all costs. Your impression makes a big impact; it should always be a positive one. When thinking of graduation speech ideas, skip topics that may get negative.
• Don’t read from a page: Nothing looks and sounds more unprofessional than reading a graduation speech from a page. Instead, keep notes. Short bullet points work best. Also ensure that you maintain eye-contact with your audience.

Keep these simple tips in mind and you’ll find that delivering that critical graduation speech could never have been easier!