Can Toastmasters Help You Get Your Next Job?
- pbtoastmasters
- Apr 12
- 6 min read
It’s an uncomfortable time in the job market: the future effects of AI on the types and number of jobs available is deeply uncertain. However, we know that while Large Language Models are excellent at synthesizing vast amounts of data, they are ultimately frequency prediction machines that can only simulate actual human judgment and discernment.
It’s notable that according to the Novoresumé website, 59% of hiring managers regard public speaking skills as important for job candidates, 60% of employers consider them a key workforce competency, and employees confident in public speaking were 70% more likely to be promoted to management positions. This non-replicable skills is not only important, but it’s important to convince potential employers that you’re good at it!
Now more than ever, employers are looking for applicants who can also demonstrate “soft skills.” Soft skills are non-technical, interpersonal, and behavioral traits—such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and emotional intelligence—that dictate how you work and interact with others. These skills are worth developing, because they transfer across jobs and industries.
This understanding leads to two questions, which will be addressed separately here.
1. Does Toastmasters help members develop soft skills?
2. How can applicants utilize Toastmasters membership in both CVs and interviews to improve their chances? (Note: “CV” and “resumé” are used interchangeably here although some people define them differently.)
How Toastmasters Develops Soft Skills
It’s a cliché that happens to be true: first impressions are formed in seconds, mostly nonverbally, and are difficult to change afterwards. That’s why our practice of warmly greeting each person who comes up to the lectern by looking into their eyes and shaking hands is not just a quaint practice of this 102-year-old organization; it’s developing muscle memory of the way you should greet an interviewer in a face-to-face setting, or any business colleague when meeting them. This is especially important in the age of ubiquitous screens, when many studies are documenting increasing discomfort with in-person encounters.
Here are some other ways that you can use Toastmasters to help grow your soft skills.
Adaptability to change and uncertainty.
· Serve as a Toastmaster when there are last minute changes or no-shows.
· Volunteer at the beginning of meetings to do a role or give an impromptu speech when there are holes in the agenda.
· Do real-time evaluations of speeches or the entire meeting as a speech or general evaluator.
· Participate in Table Topics.
Development of Emotional Intelligence (EQ), which involves four key domains: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness (empathy), and relationship management.
· Consistently practice receiving feedback well, utilizing it to improve while maintaining a healthy self-image. That is, understand that constructive feedback is about your skills, not about you as a person.
· Learn how to lead with grace:
o Project “benevolent authority” in every meeting role – guiding and occasionally correcting while continuing to be a source of friendly encouragement.
o Advanced level leadership opportunities abound: be a mentor or a club officer. In addition, higher level Pathways projects all involve leadership roles, which may be at the club, your workplace, or in a social or volunteer setting.
· Participate in networking and social opportunities.
· Serve as a club ambassador by regularly initiating contact with guests to help them feel welcomed.
Citing Toastmasters Membership in Your CV and Interviews
Will adding your Toastmasters membership to your CV help you get through the AI filters that comb through online applications? The answer: it’s complicated and depends on how you list it.
Beyond the initial filter, it may spark the interest of any human reviewer looking at your CV (or LinkedIn profile), as it shows your commitment to ongoing development in communication and leadership skills.
First, a few don’ts:
· Don’t assume that your interviewer knows what Toastmasters is. Put into your own words a short sentence that describes it, which can be derived from the mission statement of Toastmasters: “We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.” It’s also helpful to remember the core values of Toastmasters: Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence (R.I.S.E.).
o Avoid using any unexplained acronyms, like DTM.
· Don’t list Toastmasters if your participation is minimal. This makes you look inauthentic. If asked, be prepared to concisely discuss discrete milestones that you achieved, for example:
o Number of speeches and speech evaluations given.
o Number of times served as Toastmaster, with an explanation of the role as one that develops meeting- and time-management capacity.
o Mentorship roles taken, being ready to discuss your philosophy of mentoring another member and the outcomes it achieved.
o Pathways completed, with a brief explanation of the focus of that Pathway and the work involved to complete it.
o Any club officer roles performed and the responsibilities of each role.
o Any speech contests entered and outcomes.
o Higher level leadership roles if served, such as Division Director.
o Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) status if achieved and the steps it required.
· Don’t list Toastmasters achievements in isolation. Make sure you relate them to your performance in the “real world” of your profession. For example, “My Toastmasters experience helped me pull together a diverse team, conduct well-managed meetings, and exceed our production deadlines.” Or, “My ability to cold-call potential clients and convert them to clients increased by about 25% after practicing short, memorable sales pitches at Toastmasters.”
o Another way to say this: highlight the skills and accomplishments, with Toastmasters serving as the background context, since some interviewers will have no familiarity with the organization.
o A corollary to this is: don’t let your Toastmasters activities overshadow your professional achievements. Toastmasters is almost always plays a secondary, supportive role. The further you go in your career, the less important it will likely be.
Where to list Toastmasters in your CV
· This is a bit of a trick heading, because the best place to introduce and explain Toastmasters is in your cover letter. In the CV, where space is tight, simply refer to it and mention specific achievements as noted above.
· See the link to the PDF below (prepared with Claude.AI) for detailed advice on how to customize your CV for newer AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that scan not just for key words but also their practical application, relationship to other key skills, and recency to optimize fit to the position.
The Interview
Again, mentioning Toastmasters should not lead, as your professional experience is more important, but there are points that may come up where mentioning it could make you stand out. Prepare short answers to the following questions ahead of time (if relevant), which may involve talking about your Toastmasters participation:
· How comfortable are you with public speaking/presenting to clients?
· This position requires great leadership skills. What experience do you have in leading a team or a project, what difficulties did you encounter, and what was achieved?
· How do you respond when receiving feedback? Describe a time when you received difficult feedback and tell me how you modified your behavior.
· Give me an example of when you had to deliver constructive criticism and what was the outcome?
· This job requires managing relationships, both internal and external. How skilled are you at responding to the needs of others in a positive yet professional way?
· What would you assess as your weaknesses? What are you doing to improve in those areas?
· What recreational or extracurricular activities do you enjoy?
· Are you (or have you been) involved in any community service or volunteer activities?
Here’s a bonus article from Toastmasters. An important point is to take what you are learning about the employer’s needs during the interview and incorporate this information into your responses as you sum up towards the end. You are demonstrating emotional intelligence in real time, part of the adaptability skillset that we all practice at Toastmasters. https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2018/july2018/what-to-do-at-the-interview-part-3
References:
How Many Seconds to a First Impression? By Eric Wargo. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/how-many-seconds-to-a-first-impression
60+ Eye-Opening Public Speaking Statistics You Should Know by Andrei Kurtuy
Ten Ways BSN Toastmasters Can Boost Your Career by Katharine Hansen, PhD. https://bsnmba.org/10-ways-bsn-toastmasters-can-boost-career/
Revamp Your Resumé by Victoria Salem https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2021/august/revamp-your-resume?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Three Benefits of a Comprehensive Resumé by Jannifer Blanck, DTM. https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2025/november/3-benefits-of-a-comprehensive-resume
A 4-Step Formula to Acing Your Job Interview: How to prepare to impress by Jennifer Blanck, DTM (discusses how to demonstrate EQ in an interview).
Elaine P.
Here’s the link to Claude.AI document:
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