Procrastination can be a true career killer. Putting off tasks results in stress, feelings of overwhelm and in the worst cases, missed deadlines – which can lead to some serious repercussions. The same holds true with things you put off outside of your job or business – ignoring that leaky roof, not getting your car serviced and not paying your bills on time can also lead to serious problems.

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Nothing strikes fear into the heart of someone more than telling them they need to give a speech. Whether it’s a speech for work, a speech to promote their business or a speech where they’re volunteering their expertise, most people panic when they learn they’ll be facing an audience.

It’s no surprise that that this scares people – so much could go wrong. They could embarrass themselves, make a mistake, say the wrong thing, lose their train of thought or commit countless other blunders that they fear could result in not getting the sale, not getting the promotion or other failure.  Read more... (768 words, 2 images, estimated 3:04 mins reading time)

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Many companies use the phone interview, or phone screen, to help limit the amount of candidates that come in the door. This is a quick way to screen out people who aren’t a good fit and saves the hiring manager, as well as any support staff that would have to meet with potential candidates, from taking time out of their busy days for interviews that won’t go anywhere. So, in order to succeed at these interviews, there are three things you need to know:  Read more... (785 words, 2 images, estimated 3:08 mins reading time)

1. The purpose of a phone interview.
2. How to prepare for a phone interview.

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We all forget things from time to time. Whether it’s where we put our car keys, the next main point of our speech, the names of our neighbors or the list of things to pick up at the grocery store, forgetting something can be frustrating or even embarrassing. That’s why there are so many ads out there for products that allegedly improve your memory bombarding the radio and television airwaves. But I have a secret for you that will help you improve your memory for free.

In most of the classes that I teach, the first exercise I do is to go around the room and get everyone to introduce themselves. This serves a variety of purposes but the one we care about right now is that it helps me learn everyone’s name. In most cases, I have everyone’s name memorized by the end of this exercise which usually prompts someone to ask me how I did that. And that’s when I share my secret for having a good memory.  Read more... (523 words, 2 images, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

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With the popularity of social media sites and services such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, many presenters and speakers find themselves having to discuss them during their talks. Some are daring enough to hook up to a computer and try to do live demonstration for their audience. And that’s where the fun begins.

Adding any technology to a presentation increases opportunity for unexpected issues – just ask anyone who’s ever used PowerPoint for an important presentation. There’s issues with power, the projector, the lighting, the length of the extension cord, the computer and many others too numerous to list here. Trying to demonstrate social media in front of a live audience adds two more challenges: your connection to the internet and the cooperation of your friends in cyberspace.  Read more... (517 words, 2 images, estimated 2:04 mins reading time)

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Whether you’ve been laid off, downsized, quit due to frustration, forced out or you’re absolutely miserable in your current situation – if you’re looking for work, you probably know how difficult it is to find a good job, especially these days. When the market is this competitive, you need every advantage that you can get so it’s time to boost your resume, learn how to interview and start hitting the pavement. Here are ten tips to get you started:
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1. Every company has its own style and procedures for the hiring process – make sure you learn it and follow it.

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My first “Ten things you should know about…” post is on (big surprise) Public Speaking. It’s the number one social fear and many people fear it more than death. Yet, there are people out there that you’ve probably never heard of that are getting paid over $10,000 to give a two hour presentation.

So here are ten things that you should know about Public Speaking:  Read more... (272 words, 1 image, estimated 1:05 mins reading time)

1. The only way to overcome your fear of public speaking is to actually get up and speak.
2. There’s a lot of bad advice out there related to public speaking – and some of it even makes it into best selling books.

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