Motivational Speaker Job Description, Career as a Motivational Speaker, Salary, Employment

Education and Training: Varies; training in public speaking is helpful

Average Salary: $44,000 Annually

Job Outlook: Good

Job Description

Though many people may think that they know exactly what a motivational speaker does, there is actually a lot more to the job than you may realize. Motivational speakers are those individuals that speak in front of a crowd for the purpose of getting them motivated or incentivized to do something more with their lives. They may serve a variety of purposes and work within a great number of specific environments, but they are responsible for delivering motivational words and speeches.
Motivational speakers may be celebrities who want to spread the word on a specific niche or topic. They may come from a religious type of environment, or they may be individuals who just happen to have a great power in their public speaking and message delivered. These speakers are different than others as they are often hired to bring attention to a specific topic or shed light on some type of issue. With the rise of self help types of issues, there is a growing number of applications and needs that motivational speakers must work to fulfill.
Oftentimes the speaker is responsible for setting up their own engagements. If they work on a contract basis or as part of a larger company or organization, then this may be handled for them. They are often responsible for promotion of their motivational speeches to ensure that they are well attended events. Motivational speakers may very well be involved in providing interviews, particularly if they are working for a well publicized topic. They may deliver their speeches in a wide array of different environments including schools, churches, community events, government agencies, special events, tradeshows, and conferences.
Motivational speakers must work hard at developing and maintaining their skills and speaking abilities, as this is often an integral part of the job. As this can be a competitive market, they must perform research to constantly keep up with current events and trends about the topics that they speak within. They must also have the ability to speak with interested parties after their speech and often have to answer questions or provide consultations. They are often considered to be experts in their field, and are therefore looked to when information and insight is required in that given area.

Education and Training Requirements

There is no one set educational requirement for the role of a motivational speaker. This is the type of role where personality and skills may play a big role in. It’s usually expected that an individual in this role has some sort of college education, but that is not often a requirement. The real training and education comes about within the job itself as there is always a need for research and improving upon public speaking skills. Having experience in public speaking, public relations, or any visible type of role like that may be of great help in terms of training requirements. Much of the necessary training will come through time as they work to become better within this career.

Getting the Job

One of the single best ways to get hired as a motivational speaker is to demonstrate the right personality and the right skills required for this job. Any previous experience in public speaking or motivational speaking directly can certainly help you to get the job as well. Though there is a great demand for motivational speakers, it may also be a competitive field as well. Since there is so much attention on this type of role, many people want to get involved in such a career. Therefore demonstrating an ability to speak freely and persuasively to large groups of people can help an individual to land the job. It’s also essential that an individual show interest and point to examples of ways that they have worked to motivate or mentor people in the past.

Job Prospects, Employment Outlook, and Career Development

There is a good demand for motivational speakers, but it can be a rather competitive field. Many people may show interest for this type of position, and since there is no set educational requirement, many may try their hand at obtaining such a job. As there continues to be more of a focus on the topic of self help, there continues to be a need for motivational speakers. This is good for the field, but it is therefore important for an individual to stand out from the crowd. In terms of growth, once in the field and working effectively as a motivational speaker, an individual can expect to grow and thrive within their career. Having any sort of background or experience working as a motivational speaker or a related role will certainly help an individual to grow and continue to evolve in this role.

Working Conditions and Environment

There are many different environments that a motivational speaker may work within. They may work in churches, schools, community organizations, government agencies, motivational companies, organizational development companies, conferences, tradeshows, or any other number of environments. No matter what type of specific environment a motivational speaker works within, there are usually some similarities. They may work on a stage delivering their speeches in front of large groups of people. They may expect to travel quite a bit as that is often the nature of the job, moving from city to city to deliver the speech and the message. They may often have a home office or an office within a specific company where they can perform research or work on their promotion.

Salary and Benefits

Though the average salary for a motivational speaker is around $44,000 annually, there are a number of factors that can cause that range to vary. Not only can the experience that the speaker brings play a role in their salary, but so too can their focus and background. A celebrity who turns into a motivational speaker can expect to earn far more in this role. The geographical location and company that the speaker works for may also cause a rather wide range in the salary earned. Most motivational speakers work on their own or on a contract basis, and are therefore required to supply their own benefits. If they do work for a company directly, they may expect to earn typical benefits such as health insurance and paid time off, but this is not usually the case for this type of role.

Where to Go for More Information

American Speakers Bureau Corporation
10151 University Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32817
http://www.speakersbureau.com/