Rodeos, meet-and-greets and community service projects can make a rodeo queen’s schedule exciting if not a little overwhelming, but when the dust has settled and the memories have been made, what happens next?
For some, rodeo queening has been a way of life for many years and others it has been a fraction of their time. No matter how many titles you’ve held or how long you have been chasing the crown, once a rodeo queen always a rodeo queen.
The lessons learned during your time as or competing for a rodeo queen title can and should remain with you for years to come.
It might be frustrating to sit through an interview or model gracefully on stage, but every aspect of rodeo queen competition has the ability to enhance your life beyond the sparkly shirts of the rodeo queen world.
Interviews, Interviews, Interviews
From scholarships to job, having good interview skills is essential to landing the opportunities you need and want.
When I began my rodeo queen career, the thought of an interview terrified me. The thought of not only potentially answering a question wrong but having to talk about myself was all but torcher.
However; if there is one skillset I am glad that I came to discover in my years of lambskin dresses and rhinestones it’s the ability to interview.
The interview experience I gained interviewing for rodeo queen pageants helped me not only to feel confident in answering questions but taught me how to recognize and bout and communicate my qualifications.
As a rodeo queen you are essentially applying for a job. Holding a title and representing a rodeo is a responsibility not to be taken lightly and so an interview is designed to pick out the girl that is going to be the best for this particular role.
The same can be said of scholarship and job interviews designed for selecting the candidate best suited for the position.
By learning how to recognize my strengths and abilities I am able to communicate these to future committees and employers in a way that assures them I know what I have to offer and can be an asset to their brand.
Speaking is a Part of Life
Speeches are not simply the tool of politicians and spokespeople. No matter the industry or occupation, there is a large chance that the need and opportunity to speak in some public forum will present itself one day,
College curriculums are becoming more public speaking intense with the intention of preparing students for the inevitable time when they will have to do just that.
Whether it is a pitch to your boss or a national conference, learning and practicing good public speaking skills will be an invaluable asset to your life.
Speech is a difficult area of rodeo queen competition for many girls. I was no exception.
My first speech would get tangled with the tears resting heavy in my throat and my words came out in a mad dash as if in a hurry to escape, but I got better.
The only way to improve your public speaking is to do it. Tell speeches to friends, neighbors or even strangers.
It might take a lot of work or just a little but developing and fine-tuning these skills can help you to be credible and confident when presenting your final project to a professor or making a compelling argument for a cause you feel strongly for.
Don’t Overlook Impromptu
Impromptu questions might look similar to an interview, but quick thinking in front of a large audience has merits all its own.
Every day you will be faced with situations that require you to quickly asses and respond.
Gaining confidence in your abilities and becoming comfortable with thinking on your feet will improve not only your impromptu scores, but your ability to think quickly in any stressful situation.
Impromptu was an aspect of competitions that made little sense to me in the beginning. I failed to see how it would benefit myself or help the judges to determine the best contestant, but I can now say that I am grateful for learning to think fast.
Every day I find myself assessing social situations where personal or professional and my ability to process and understand has greatly influenced my relationships.
Don’t be afraid to answer questions. Have anyone you see, stranger or friend, ask you questions and in time it will become easier and more natural to think on the fly.
See the Bigger Picture
Rodeo queening might seem like a long road to travel, but every career eventually finds its close. Even when that last buzz run comes, the lessons learned from your time preparing for and being a rodeo queen will help you for years to come.
Take your practice, competitions and appearances seriously. Learn all you can and never turn down the chance to improve your abilities.
The more you know, the more you gain experience, the better prepared you will be for life after queening.
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