[admissionsguy]

I don't have to do any as a web development individual contributor contractor, nor have I had to do any as part of my own company so far. I am fairly certain I can avoid it for the rest of my life, but do not necessarily want to avoid it.

My anxiety scales with the audience size like it does for most people, but in a manageable way. For me, the overwhelming anxiety depends on how much the audience (or the venue!) reminds my brain of my middle & high school.

It's much less of a problem for me when the audience is older. I had no problem presenting/interviewing in front of a panel of PIs, for example, even got some praise for it, nor do I find job interviews particularly stressful. Presenting in front of other students was particularly difficult. It was really difficult if in addition the room resembled my old school classrooms (low ceiling, bright, particular chair design). It didn't help that absent venue information, I would always imagine the setting to be exactly that.

[busyant]

> It was really difficult if in addition the room resembled my old school classrooms

My opinion is uninformed here, but it seems like some kind of therapy (e.g., cbt) might be helpful.

Thank you for the conversation.