How Public Speaking Can Boost Your Career

How Public Speaking Can Boost Your CareerAs organizations grow and technology allows us to easily do business internationally, communication skills are becoming increasingly necessary to rise to the top. While interpersonal skills are still the most powerful way to climb the ladder of success, another skill is becoming increasingly desirable and provides a great opportunity to get ahead: public speaking.

When you rise up in any organization, the number of people underneath you in the org chart grows. You also find yourself more frequently giving presentations to executives, external clients, the board of directors and even the media. In this type of position, being scared to speak in front of a group of 100 people won’t cut it. You need to be able to confidently and competently communicate to both those above and below you on the org chart – otherwise, neither will take you seriously.  Read more... (373 words, 4 images, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)

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You Might Be Addicted to Social Media If…

informationSocial media is a great tool for connecting with people, promoting your business and just plain socializing. You can learn great tips ranging from which gadgets best suit your lifestyle to how to make a great sandwich. If you’ve got a quirky interest, there’s probably someone else (possibly dozens, even hundreds) out there with that same quirky interests.

Yes, some people see social media as a time waster, a useless popularity contest and a distraction from the important things in life. But it’s fun and has a lot of practical businesses as well. Of course, you can get carried away with it so, in the tradition of Jeff Foxworthy’s “You might be a redneck” here are some fun indicators that you or someone you know might be addicted to social media:  Read more... (560 words, 4 images, estimated 2:14 mins reading time)

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Are Business Cards Needed For a Job Search?

bizcardThe answer is an absolute “Yes.” I’ve been to far too many networking events where job seekers have attended unprepared. Yes it’s good to bring a stack of resumes with you (and even better to keep them in your car and/or have one handy at all times) but having business cards are especially helpful.

Why Business Cards:

Business cards are small, easy to carry and most people in the business world are used to dealing with them. Some people have Business Card ScannerAre Business Cards Needed For a Job Search?
that can scan them into their contact management system. Others have a filing system for them.  Read more... (681 words, 8 images, estimated 2:43 mins reading time)

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How to Answer the Strengths and Weaknesses Job Interview Question

Strengths and weaknesses interview question“What are your strengths and weaknesses” is one of the most common and challenging job interview questions. The interviewer will usually ask for the top two or three of each. So you’re going to talk about your weaknesses? No need to panic. This question is a lot easier to answer than you may think — provided you’re ready for it.

In most cases, this is a question asked by someone in staffing or human resources. Although it can also come from potential bosses and peers. It makes a difference who asks it, and if multiple people ask it throughout the interview process, you’ll want to make sure that your answers are consistent. So let’s get into how to answer it.  Read more... (1142 words, 4 images, estimated 4:34 mins reading time)

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Are You Taking Your Job Search Seriously?

desk_1Last night I attended a networking event and the topic of job searching came up. If you’ve attended networking events recently, you’ve probably noticed the same thing that I did: many (if not most) of the people that attend networking events are looking for work.

I shared a story from a speed networking event that I attended a while back. It struck me as odd how so many people looking for work didn’t think to bring business cards or resumes to the event. Others last night shared similar experiences so it got me wondering: are people taking their job search seriously?  Read more... (1082 words, 4 images, estimated 4:20 mins reading time)

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Public Speaking Success: Are You a Smug Speaker?

In one of my “Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking” classes, an attendee asked me why so many speakers come across as smug. I hadn’t really thought about this so I opened the discussion up to the rest of the class and was shocked by what I heard – many speakers come across as condescending, arrogant, cocky and yes, smug.

I listened to stories about people that call themselves corporate trainers taking the attitude that they were not only the smartest person in the room, but the only intelligent person in the room. Anyone that asked for clarification simply “didn’t get it.” Others shared tales of speakers confidently contradicting themselves or speakers arguing with audience members that questioned them.  Read more... (325 words, 2 images, estimated 1:18 mins reading time)

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Why People Don’t Like You

despairNone of us like the feeling of being rejected but it’s even more difficult to swallow when something like friendship, which has a relatively low social risk, is rejected. With much of our social interactions moving on-line and the anonymity of the internet, this type of rejection is becoming especially common. But it being common doesn’t necessarily lower the impact it has on our self-esteem.  Read more... (833 words, 4 images, estimated 3:20 mins reading time)

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