Anna van Oers
On the way back from my first official interview, I knew I had found my passion.
I can still remember that feeling. It was a mixture of incredible joy, recognition and the feeling that everything was now falling into place; I had found my calling. Finally I was able to combine my broad interest in people and different subjects with my origins and upbringing, living abroad, my experiences as a flight attendant and the different languages I speak into a profession. A profession that I had not yet thought of, but now came my way.
I lived in Curacao where a new television channel nos pais television was launched. After intensive in-house training, I presented a daily talk show there. The main aim was to cover educational, informative and socially engaged topics. My language skills came in handy because the program was done in four different languages. The Caribbean has different languages and the conversations were conducted depending on the language of the guest.
When I returned to the Netherlands, I could start from scratch again, except that I had gained a lot of experience and found my passion. I wasn’t going to let that be taken away just like that! One thing led to another and I found myself presenting events. It is difficult to describe what my work as a moderator actually entails. An important aspect is preparation. Then, of course, it’s about the moment itself and ensuring that you strike the right chord during the event.
If you could take a picture of the inside of my head during a presentation, you would see a lot of structured chaos. Yet I know exactly what to do. For me, presenting means making a series of quick choices and there is no way back. These choices ultimately determine the course of the event. Choices that are determined by my personality, knowledge, experience and feelings. It also makes me see a different side of myself.
Alter ego
it seems like my alter ego takes over as soon as a program or event starts. It is a powerful part of me that does not hesitate and knows how to make exactly the right choices. I am often asked if I am ever nervous before a presentation and I always answer honestly: yes! It’s hard to imagine after so many events and live TV programs that this phenomenon still happens to me. The pressure I put on myself to put on the best event ensures this. This means I am at my sharpest at the same time.
I think I have the coolest profession! !
The excitement and variety keep it lively and interesting for me. I love that this is a profession where you are always learning and where you can continue to grow. I think that’s a great prospect!
The collaboration with speakers academy brings me a lot. First of all, it makes me feel: I have a real profession and there is an agency that represents this profession. In addition, I no longer have to worry about the business side. That part is taken over by them, wonderful! The fact that I mainly work alone, in front of the camera or on stage, but still belong to a team, feels very nice. I notice that the team has confidence in my abilities. That strengthens me enormously. During the speakers’ lunch, I met fellow speakers and it made me feel good and proud to be part of this.
