An interview with Lauren Schaefer, Speaker and Developer Advocate at MongoDB
I have been talking to successful women in tech who have built on their work by nurturing a career in public speaking. Recently I interviewed international speaker, Lauren Schaefer. You can read her story and many others as part of our Aspiring Women Speakers series, sponsored by Turntabl.io and my company RecWorks.
Here is my interview with Lauren:
What was the defining moment that made you do your first conference presentation? How did it go?
Waaaay back in 2013, I was working as a software engineer on a product for developers. My manager told us we needed to get out in front of developers. She emailed us a list of developer conferences and told us to start applying.
I skimmed the list and found a conference focused on Agile software development (which I’ve always enjoyed discussing) in London (I had never been to Europe) and decided this was the conference where I was going to apply.
I was a bit clueless about the conference process, but the Call for Proposals encouraged new speakers to apply.
I submitted something (I don’t even remember what it was), and the organizers got back to me. They didn’t like the topic, but they were willing to work with me. We arranged a call where they helped me brainstorm topics. We landed on something we were both interested in (my experience as a remote employee), and they approved me to speak.
I couldn’t believe it! I was going to London, and my company was going to pay for it!
I created a presentation and practiced it over and over.
I was assigned a joint timeslot with an experienced speaker who had the wisdom to know I would turn into a ball of nerves if I presented after her, so she suggested I go first.
My presentation wasn’t pretty, but I survived. The room was small and packed with people. I could clearly see the facial expressions of every attendee, which made me even more nervous.
I stood behind the podium and spoke a little too quickly. I remember thinking, “I should really move from behind this podium,” but I couldn’t will myself to do it. So I stood there like a statue behind the podium the entire time.
I finished the talk, and the attendees were incredibly encouraging to me.
I knew I had lots of room to improve, but, overall, it was a positive experience that made me want to keep going and strive to be better.
Do you feel that getting involved in conference speaking has helped your career?
Yes! Without a doubt!
I was a full-time software engineer when I gave my first conference talk. The software engineering ladder at my company required me to demonstrate scope and influence. Speaking at conferences was a way to do that — it demonstrated that I had a voice that people in the wider developer community wanted to hear. At performance review time, conference speaking also served as a differentiator between me and my teammates as most chose not to speak at conferences.
My love for speaking at conferences is one of the many reasons why I chose to transition from software engineering to developer advocacy. Part of my role as a developer advocate is to speak at conferences. Developer advocacy is a fantastic match for my skills and interests. I’m grateful that I have a career I enjoy so much.
Over the last eight years, I’ve developed a speaker’s resume that has allowed me to speak at larger and more prestigious conferences. Earlier this year, I gave my first keynote, which was a huge goal of mine. After giving that keynote, I started receiving invitations to speak at other events.
By building my speaking experience little by little, year by year, I’ve been able to demonstrate influence, cultivate an enjoyable career path that fits my skill set, and speak at prestigious events.
Do you have any tips or advice for someone about choosing what to talk about?
Everyone can find something to speak about. If you’re brand new to your career, you can share your story of getting started in a new technology. If you’re an expert, you can do a deep dive on your favorite technology.
Start by browsing recent conference schedules. Look for trends. What topics interest you? What topics appear consistently? Consider both technical talks and soft skills talks.
Then brainstorm what interests you — both from a technology perspective and a career or soft skills perspective. What excites you? What has surprised you? What mistakes have you made that others can learn from?
Get together with a friend or colleague to brainstorm. They can help you identify topics you might not even realize you’re an expert in.
I typically have a set of two or three talks that I submit to multiple conferences: One or two are technical and another is a career-related or soft skills talk. This gives the conference organizers options as they work to build a diverse set of sessions.
Do you have any tips for anyone thinking about doing their first presentation but a bit unsure or nervous?
I still get nervous. It’s normal. Don’t let the nerves stop you from trying.
Preparation is key. Most speaking coaches will encourage you to write short bullet points to remind you what you want to say. I ignore this advice and write a full script. I find that writing down what I want to say helps me find the words and express myself better. Then I go back and write bullet points if I need to.
Once I have my talk together, I’ll do a dry run for someone. I HATE doing this. I’m fortunate that MongoDB hires professional speaking coaches I can work with as I finalize my presentation. They give me all sorts of feedback on things like the structure, the content, and even the way I position my body. I strongly dislike this dry run while it is happening, but I’m always super appreciative of the feedback I receive. I know my talks are better because of it. If you don’t have access to a speaking coach, ask a friend or a colleague to listen to your talk. Or practice your talk at a meetup or a livestream on Twitch. It might feel horrible, but you’ll be better for it.
After I’ve suffered through a dry run in front of someone else, I practice. A lot. I typically do a full rehearsal (standing up and holding my slide remote) on each of the five days preceding a talk. This helps me feel comfortable that I will be able to find my words even when I’m nervous.
Then it’s finally time to present. My voice used to shake when I presented. I think I’ve finally gotten past that, but we’ll find out once I get back in front of a live audience again after the pandemic ends. If your voice shakes or your throat goes dry or you drop your remote, it’s fine. You’ll get through it. The audience is rooting for you to succeed. They’re on your side.
My least favorite part of conference sessions is the live Q&A after. Transitioning from a well-rehearsed talk to answering questions I haven’t prepared for is terrifying. Many conferences do not require Q&A after a talk. If you aren’t comfortable doing live Q&A, ask the organizers if you can skip it. Taking up your full time allotment with your prepared talk is a sneaky way to get around the live Q&A, but most organizers really won’t care if you just decline the Q&A.
If you want to give the live Q&A a try, brainstorm what questions people are likely to ask. Get a friend or colleague to help you. And then practice answering the questions. You’ll feel more prepared and confident.
Any great resources you’d recommend on the subject?
Sven Peters and I gave a talk about how to get started speaking. We shared all of our tips and tricks in a webinar on how to become a conference speaker. Sven also put together a set of resources on the same topics.
If you’re interested in speaking about MongoDB technologies, check out the MongoDB Community Speakers Program. If selected, MongoDB will provide you with access to a professional speaking coach and pay for your travel expenses.
I’m also a big fan of the resources Mary Thengvall curated.
If you’re looking for a one-stop overview of how to get started speaking at conferences, check out this article from The Relicans.
Any final thoughts?
Conference rejections are normal. Don’t be discouraged if your talk proposal is rejected. Keep applying. Get feedback from your friends, colleagues, and even the conference organizers so you can improve your submissions.
Build your speaker’s resume over time. You can incrementally move from online video to meetups to small events to large events to keynoting. Every step you take, every event you add to your resume, will make it easier to take the next step. You’ve got this!
About Lauren
Lauren Hayward Schaefer is a staff developer advocate at MongoDB. She began her career as a software engineer for IBM where she held a variety of roles including full-stack developer, test automation specialist, social media lead, and growth hacking engineer. She is a keynote speaker who is skilled in taking hard-to-understand topics and making them seem simple. Lauren holds a BS and MS in Computer Science from North Carolina State University and is the co-inventor of fourteen issued United States patents.
