Join Toastmasters

What is the most important skill for a junior developer in 2026?

It's public speaking.

You're no longer hired to sit behind three monitors, wearing headphones, and closing tickets in Jira. Junior devs are expected to think about the product. They code less. They talk more.

• With stakeholders: turning a vague request into something you can build, explaining what tradeoffs you made.
• With your team lead: defending your approach when they push back, changing your mind when their pushback is right.
• With your peers: brainstorming together without dominating the conversation, arguing without making it personal.

You can practice your technical skills individually, at home. But public speaking skills can't be practiced at your desk. You need other people in the room (public speaking is supposed to be public!), you need a safe environment (so you can fail and move on), and you need high-quality, actionable feedback. A Toastmasters club can give you all three.

Among other things, Toastmasters has a format called Table Topics -- you get a random question and are asked to speak for 1-2 minutes, no prep. This is exactly the training you need for the 'So what do you think?' moments in meetings! Or for short videos I record for these tips (note, they have no cuts).

I joined Toastmasters last year -- now realizing that I should've done it years earlier. Please don't repeat my mistake. If you're looking for a single action that can make you a better developer -- find a local Toastmasters club.

References

• Toastmasters International -- Wikipedia overview: history, structure, and how clubs work.
• Toastmasters International (official site) -- the organization's home page.
• Find a club -- search for a local or online club near you.
• Table Topics -- the impromptu-speaking format mentioned above.
• Pathways learning experience -- the structured curriculum behind the meetings.