Talks on something not used at my job?

This is a great pursuit. I've found that those kinds of talks are often my favorite! I just gave a talk at NoVA Code Camp on ElasticSearch because I hadn't used it in a few years and didn't want my knowledge to get too stale.

Giving a talk is a great way to dive deeper into a topic -- you learn how to articulate concepts, make it fun for others, answer questions, share why it matters, etc. So, it's by no means tied to what you're using at work.

My first suggestion would be to think a little about why others should want to know about (or know more about, or be introduced to) your topic. This will help you figure out who your audience might be.

With that in mind, I'd suggest seeking out local groups or Meetups that may be a fit for your topic. I'd suggest attending a meeting or two, getting a feel for how they run, and then contacting the organizer to offer to do a talk on your topic. Usually this will get you great feedback on the fit, and oftentimes organizers may know other organizers who'd be interested in your talk as well.

At that point, you'll know why your topic(s) are awesome, who else might find them to be awesome, and who might have a spot for you to show a group that awesomeness.

And to your point about unusual topics: sometimes the unusual topics are the most useful. There are a gazillion people talking about certain popular topics. However, have you ever had a question and asked it, only to find out that 5 other people had that same question? Unusual topics are like the answers to those questions. It may seem "unusual", but will likely add a lot of value, especially if you match it to the right audience.

I hope this helps! Feel free to keep the conversation going here via comments (don't mind the closed label) or follow up with me on Twitter.

SeanKilleen / ama

Talks on something not used at my job? #1