Public Speaking

Conduct a Personal Inventory

The first way to find a good topic is to conduct what we call a personal inventory. A personal inventory is a detailed and descriptive list about an individual. In this case, we want you to think about you. Here are some basic questions to get you started:

• What’s your major?
• What are your hobbies?
• What jobs have you had?
• What extracurricular activities have you engaged in?
• What clubs or groups do you belong to?
• What political issues interest you?
• Where have you traveled in life?
• What type of volunteer work have you done?
• What goals do you have in life?
• What social problems interest you?
• What books do you read?
• What movies do you watch?
• What games do you play?
• What unique skills do you possess?

Answer each of the questions posed for the Personal Inventory. Then, suggest a possible topic you could cover for a Technical Speech, an Informative Speech, and a Persuasive Speech.