i need advice from a engineer's point of view.?

[Sally]

i am in high school and i want to be an environmental engineer
the problem is i am bad at public speaking
does an engineer need to be good at speaking?
do they have to speak a lot in front of a lot of people?
i don't mind like a classroom full but more than that makes me uncomfotable
hopefully i will get over it before i get out of high school but please answer my question somebody!

[Max]

That depends on what you want to do. Engineers are notorious for having poor interpersonal skills, so it is definitely possible to get by without being a good public speaker.

That said, no matter what industry you go into, if you are able to represent yourself well you will be paid more, have a more fun job, and be more in control of your situation. Don't worry if you are scared of public speaking - that's normal. A 1973 survey asked what respondents feared most - more people answers "public speaking" than "death".

All that aside, as an engineer you will rarely be presenting to a group larger than your class. Plus, by the time you graduation from college you will be confident in your knowledge of the subject, and proud to show your findings.