Presentations Dos and Donts

Presentations Dos and Donts by Michael Cheary From forgetting your words to technological meltdowns, public speaking can be a daunting prospect, but for most professionals it’s a vital skill to have.Get it right, and you come across confident, knowledgeable and a valuable asset to the team. But get it wrong, and you could end up sending the wrong message completely.So before you let anxiety get the better of you (executive stressball at the ready), here are our top tips for giving a great presentation.Do:1. Be prepared â€" No matter what the occasion, proper presentation preparation is a must. That means making sure your equipment works properly, your notes are legible, and that you keep to any pre-arranged timescales.Obviously this is going to involve rehearsing. And by rehearsing, we mean proper rehearsing. Out loud. In front of actual people. Rehearsing in your head does not count.2.  Introduce yourself Ah, the old ice-breaker. An integral part of any presentation. Even if people know who you are, a simple For those of you who dont know me can go a long way to building up your rapport with your audience. It also allows you to request that any questions are kept to the end. That way, there will be no interruptions half-way through to ruin your flow.Just try and avoid the ‘I’ll start with a joke’ routine and keep it professional. Awkward silences are difficult to recover from.3. Maintain eye contact â€" Maintaining eye contact shows you’re confident in what you’re saying, and helps to build rapport with your audience. If you feel uncomfortable, look away for a few seconds or glance around the room. Around 10 seconds of good eye contact at a time is a good guideline.  Just try not to concentrate on one person in particular.4.  Encourage participationâ€" The most effective presentations usually involve a fair amount of audience participation. So rather than talking at the group, try and involve them. You dont need to go overboard, but something as simple as asking a que stion to begin with can help grab their attention and start you out on the right footing.Also being visual is always an advantage, so include any graphs, charts and other information which is better represented with imagery.5.  Have a back-up plan â€" Sometimes, technology is not your friend. And, in case of any mishaps, always make sure you have a Plan B. Simply putting a few bullet points down on paper that correspond to each slide will be enough. If nothing goes wrong, you can still give them out as extra visual aids. But if things fall apart, youll definitely be glad they have somewhere else to direct their attention.Other things to do: Have a set structure, project your voice, make sure everyone can hear you, recap.Don’t:1. Panic â€" Although it seems easier said than done, learning how to control your nerves is a crucial part of the presentation process. And whilst not everyone can be blessed with excellent oratory skills, there are a few things you can do to help you relax. Firstly, to avoid any dry-mouth moments, always have a drink to hand.Other tips include taking deep breaths, pausing (both for dramatic effect, and for you to gather your thoughts), and smiling. Finally, using repetition can help underline your main points, and appear far more in control of the situation than you may feel.2.  Read from a script-To keep your audience engaged, you need to look engaged yourself. Weve already mentioned the importance of eye-contact and preparation. The best way to demonstrate both of these is to have learnt exactly what youre going to say beforehand. The screen should be used as a point of reference only.And, instead of having reams of paper to work from, keep any pointers to a few bullet points and put them on flash cards. This will enable you to be concise enough to be natural, but also ensure that any shaking hands are not amplified.3. Speak too fast â€" Itcanbereallyhardtofollowsomeonewhentheyspeaktoofast. With that in mind, always be aware of your pacing. A good presentation sits somewhere between a directionless ramble and a slurred sprint to the finish, so make sure you find the line.4.  Leave it till the last minute â€" The I work better under pressure approach should be avoided. At all costs. Not only can a lack of preparation make you look unprofessional, it is also incredibly transparent. Your badly made PowerPoint slides and clichéd clip-art pictures will stick out like sore thumbs to anyone who knows their stuff, which almost undoubtedly at least some of your audience will. Its not big, and its not clever. Its just lazy.5.  Beat yourself up â€" However prepared or experienced you are, mistakes happen to the best of us. The important thing is not to let them get the better of us. So whether its an embarrassing mispronunciation, or the dreaded squeaky voice moment, just laugh at yourself, accept it and move on. Better still, if you make a joke of it, they can actually be used to your advantage.Other things not to do: be scared of silence, over-run, lose your nerve, use a ‘cool’ animation, cry.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Career Development

Implications of Snap Election on U.K. Recruitment Industry

Implications of Snap Election on U.K. Recruitment Industry Will greater uncertainty caused by the forthcoming general election have a detrimental effect on hiring levels or will the Prime Minister’s strong leadership give hirers fresh impetus? After David Cameron announced the referendum 14 months ago, the permanent jobs market stagnated. The uncertainty of the implications of a possible Brexit vote meant our clients were unsure of what lay ahead for their business operations, growth and hiring plans. That said, as soon as the result was made public on June 24 th 2016 it all changed. The phones were ringing with force again across both temp and perm desks. What was interesting was that the uncertainty of the implications of Brexit on business were unchanged. The only difference was the assurance of knowing the result. And now, more political uncertainty â€" or is it? I’d argue that we’re presented with a different set of circumstances this time around; it seems highly likely that conservatives will get back into power, quite possibly with a larger majority. And because the business world prefers the comfort that a government with a larger majority can provide, I’d be surprised if businesses react negatively. There’s no doubt that Prime Minister May is displaying strong leadership, and her calling for this “snap election” is a bold move. These are the broader implications as I see them: More respect from Europe The fact she is seen to be reviewing the implications of her Brexit negotiations so far ahead will gain her further respect from her European peers before she’s even begun. A stronger negotiating hand If she wins, she’ll justifiably be in a better position while safe in the knowledge that she’ll still be PM until 2021, two years post-Brexit. A cleaner Brexit The current government will be implementing changes with Brexit in mind, without the risk of a new government coming in immediately afterwards. Less anarchy in the ranks The effects of anarchic forces will be felt less than they otherwise would have if the government wins a strong majority. While pessimists might argue that the impending election will bring increased caution when it comes to hiring, the reality is that all indicators point to a positive result for the conservatives. It also reinforces Prime Minister May’s position as a strong leader. All this leads to greater confidence amongst businesses, demonstrated by the pound strengthening  immediately after the announcement. In addition, we’re seeing politics have a far lesser effect on business decision-making than ever before. After all, if businesses are to succeed, they must furrow their own paths and show proactivity. Those waiting on market forces to make decisions may well risk losing market share. In short, I foresee the announcement to have little influence in hiring volumes or strategy. If anything, it’s a positive for the short-term and could result in even greater recruitment market stability in the medium-term. About the author: David Morel is the CEO/Founder of Tiger Recruitment, one of London’s leading secretarial/administrative recruitment agencies. David founded Tiger in 2001 and has written extensively in the press and wider media advising both employers and job seekers on best recruitment practice.

Dont Job Search Full Time! - VocationVillage

Dont Job Search Full Time! - VocationVillage If you are unemployed and you are looking for a new job, youve probably heard the advice that you should job search full time, just like if you had a full time job. Despite the grief I get from many career coaches, I disagree!Despite the plethora of career advice experts and well-intentioned family and friends who seem to think that a good enough job search requires a 40 hours per week investment of time, I think this is unrealistic and bad career advice. When job seekers hear career advice like this, it makes them think that if they arent actively looking for a job from 8 am to 5 pm five work days per week, they arent doing enough and they will be doomed to permanent unemployment. Based on my twenty years of career coaching experience, my observations say otherwise.I believe job search should take 20-25 hours per week, with the remaining time devoted to self-care. Job search can be one of the most emotionally demanding things youve ever done, so you need to be in the best shape of y our life. Rather than spend eight hours every day seeking employment, I recommend that you save plenty of time to exercise, spend time with supportive family and friends, enjoy your hobbies, meditate/pray, read things that are interesting to you professionally or otherwise, and do whatever it takes to feel strong and centered.If finances are a concern, you may also want to find a part-time job or do freelancing or consulting to reduce money panic, too. Desperation is never an attractive trait for job seekers, so stabilizing finances can be important for peace-of-mind.Job search is more like a marathon than a sprint. By taking great care of yourself and refusing to buy into the mistaken belief that job search full time is the best way, I think youll get better results than if you wear yourself out with burnout-inducing overkill.What do you think? If you successfully landed a job either looking full-time or looking less than full-time, please share your job search story in the comment s below.

Get Creative and Make Money with Digital Printing

Get Creative and Make Money with Digital Printing “Women and color are inseparable.” â€"Me. Thank you for acknowledging my observation. However, I need to break your heart and tell you that we are not discussing makeup or painting: as you might have assumed. I am that lady friend of yours that tries to empower you, remember? Great! So, you have been thinking hard about what kind of business to venture into that does not take the woman away from you. You needed something that is enjoyable and still makes money for you. Finally, the savior is here. Luckier are you if you love wallpaper, exhibitions, branding, displays and graphic design because my topic, digital printing, fits you just right! Here is a promising career that can propel you to great heights by just getting a little creative. You might have to take a short course in the same to get a few concepts and learned to use the basic tools that are required in the art. After that, do the following to make your wallet heavier. You can start designing and printing different types of wallpaper in customers’ tastes. Today, many people buy ready wallpaper. This means that if you get creative enough and personalize them, it could augur perfectly with them. Image courtesy of Emily May on Flickr After some minimal training, you can easily start a branding business and customized household and enterprise items to make cash. I mean customize t-shirt, umbrellas, mugs, pens, make letterheads and create adhesive stickers for organizations. You can never go wrong with this one! Third, establish a self-publishing entity. This is done by writing your books, publishing and then printing them for sale. You do not even have to print them, thanks to the internet. In addition to writing books, you can create infographics and photo books and sell them online. How about a transcript service? This is simply the art of getting a video or audio presentation and converting it to text. This practice is popularly known as transcription. You can then sell the transcribed text after putting it down in a creative and attractive manner. The advantage above this paying creativity is that you not only make good cash, but you can also work from home. Work-from-home is the new trend especially for mothers, and if you hike the early bus, you might just catch that colored worm! Image courtesy of Ravenshoe Group on Flickr

Ageism and What to Do About It - Part III - Career Pivot

Ageism and What to Do About It - Part III - Career Pivot Ageism â€" Part III This is the third in the series on ageism. The 1st post was Ageism â€" What It Is, How to Identify It and What to Do About It, the 2nd was How To Identify Ageism In The Workplace â€" Ageism Series Part II, and in this post, I want to identify what to do about it. Ageism is like sexism, racism, or any other kind of discrimination that is ingrained into our society. We cannot change other’s beliefs, but what we can do, is change our own behaviors to influence both our peers and the younger generations. Change must start with you and me. Ageism is Propagated by Our Own Behavior Have you said to someone â€" I just had a senior moment. Using language that makes fun, or is dismissive about being old, promotes ageism. Have you made comments about the millennial generation likethey are all entitled?If you have, you are ageist. If you can say that, then what is wrong with Mark Zuckerberg saying: Young people are just smarter I was offended when I heard that, so why should we want to make blanket statements about those that are much younger than us. I admit that I am ageist. I have commonly told people that I suffer from CRS disease. (CRS â€" Can’t Remember … Stuff). When I make statements like that, I am being ageist. I have been working on changing my own behavior as it relates to my own generation. Listen to the most recent episode As far as the younger generations, I have used non-ageist language ever since I started giving my multi-generational workplace workshop. This forced me to change my language and my own behaviors to my younger comrades. Are you ready to change your behaviors? Have You Stopped Learning? The world is changing at an accelerating pace. Creative destruction is affecting industries and professions that you cannot stop growing and learning. Unfortunately, many of our generations left the responsibility for learning to our employers. Since the great recession, employers have stopped developing their employees. It is cheaper to hire for the skills you need than train their existing employees. However, it has never been easier or cheaper to stay up to date in most skillets. Online courses have proliferated and are very affordable. It is your responsibility to stay up to date. I suggest the following: Plan on attending one industry event each year, even if you have to pay for it. Stay up to date with online courses. Listen to podcasts. It is the 3rd suggestion that I find many of my generation going, what is a podcast? Podcasts are free, can be listened to on just about any device, and the topics are nearly infinite. Heck, there is a Chameleon Breeders podcast. There is a podcast for just about anyone to stay up to date on just about any topic. Not Networking Across Generations This idea came from Sharlyn Lauby post 3 Ways You May Contribute to Your Own Ageism on the Unretirement Project blog. One of the key points that I make in my multi-generational workplace workshop, is if I want you to listen to me, I have to adapt to you. This is a 2-way street where we all have to adapt to one another. I am a baby boomer and I like people to talk to me. My son is an old Gen Y or millennial, and I mostly communicate with him via text. My son though knows that his mom would prefer for him to call her and he usually does do that. Many of us have adapted our communications styles with our adult children, but have you done that at work? What if you had no children? Do you have a good idea of how to communicate with a younger generation that has been connected electronically for at least the last 15 years? If not, you should get some practice. In preparing these series of posts, I gave a presentation to Launch Pad Job Club on Ageism. We discussed how to interact with the younger generations. One gentleman came up to me afterward and told me he volunteered for the Beto O’Rourke for Senate campaign. He said that it was a great experience working with talented, young and passionate volunteers who he was old enough to be their father. His perspective and opinion of the millennial generation had changed dramatically, plus he learned to adapt his communication style to seamlessly fit in with the team of volunteers. Do you work, socialize and hang out only with people like yourself? If you do, you are likely going to be ageist because you will form opinions based on 2nd hand information. Eliminating Ageism Starts with Each of Us If I want to eliminate ageism, I know it starts with my own behaviors and actions. This is no different than racism or sexism, as we work to eliminate both from our society. It all starts with ourselves. How has ageism affected you in the workplace or society? In what ways have you been ageist? Yes, most of us have behaved in an ageist manner. Take a moment and comment below. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

The Hidden Jobs

The Hidden Jobs Youve heard the term, The Hidden Job Market. But why does it exist and how can you tap into these hidden jobs? The Hidden Job market refers to jobs that are available but havent been  posted or advertised. Why in the world would a company NOT advertise a job opening? Simple. Because the employer becomes inundated with emails and phone calls and all the work associated with  processing applications. Yes, applicant tracking systems have helped with some of this, but the process of filling a job is a royal pain for most organizations. So it is easier to distribute the opening internally and have employees help by referring their friends and/or family. This serves as a way of pre-vetting candidates. Another reason is an organization may not publicize an opening is because they plan to replace someone but this employee doesnt  know they will be replaced/fired. If you dont like this of feel it isnt fair, you should know, its been going on forever. When was the last time you saw a CEO job posted online? How  Jobs Get Filled Heres the iceberg analogy. The visible part of the iceberg, the part above water, is much smaller than the section under the waterline, right? The Hidden Job Market So when you think about  the hidden job market, think about the jobs that are under water.  The vast majority of jobs are filled through word of mouth or though unadvertised channels.  Jobs in  the hidden job market (under the water line) are filled when a manager hires someone they know, someone an employee knows or someone who comes referred. You can learn more about why referrals are the best hiring method by reading  7 Things You Must Know About Getting Referred for a Job. The Traditional Job Market The visible portion of the iceberg represents the publicly posted/shared job listing and this is much smaller. Think about all the ways a job is advertised: It can get posted  on the company career page and shared through social media (free). It can be posted  on job boards. (This can cost some big money, depending on the board.) 3rd party recruiters or employment services may be contacted to  help fill the job, especially if the job requires special skills. How long do you think the manager knew about the opening before going to HR.   And then how long did it take  HR to begin publicizing/advertising the job. Weeks or months could go by without the job being promoted, and yet, it was available and people inside the organization knew about the vacancy. Yes, some companies must post a job opening, however, that doesnt mean they actually have to interview everyone who applies. From the time the manager knew about the vacancy, he/she has  probably been talking about the opening and previewing candidates who informally come forward . This means that by the time the job is finally posted, a candidate may already been selected. How To Tap Into The Hidden Job Market The million dollar question is, how do you tap into this hidden job market? It should be clear to you by now. You network. In other words, you want to uncover the hidden jobs by talking with people who work inside companies where there may be an opening that hasnt been advertised. If you are not networked before, theres just one rule you need to follow. You never ask for a job. You are gathering information to help you make an informed career move. Learn more about the rules of networking  5 Networking Tips To Help You Do It Better Network Strategically So, youve begun networking- meeting all sorts of people but you arent getting any leads and it feels like a waste of time. You need focus and you need a strategy to organize your networking efforts. Start With Who You Know First, identify everyone you know. Make a list. You can export your LinkedIn contacts to an Excel spreadsheet to get started. Heres a resource to help you brainstorm all the different types of people you should be networking with. Read this  Who Are the “Right” People to Meet? Advance To Who Youd Like To Know The next step is to create a list of companies you would like to work for or companies you find interesting. Now, go to LinkedIn and see who you know who works in each of those companies. These are people will become valuable resources. They know about the company and will be the first to hear about new opportunities. Nurture Your Network It isnt enough to meet someone once and expect theyll remember you in a couple of weeks or months. It is your responsibility to nurture your network and find ways to  keep in touch once youve met them so they dont forget about you. Put Your Plan On Paper You need a plan to guide your job search activities. Every new company or product uses a marketing plan. You should too. Heres why your job search needs focus: So that people you  network with can help you  and provide  job leads that you are interested in. You cant find a job if you dont know what you are looking for. It will keep you motivated and proactively searching. Learn how to create your marketing plan Your Marketing Plan Cool Tool Looking for a tool to help you find jobs that may only be posted on a companys career page? LinkUp is a search engine for jobs it pulls from company websites, not the boards.

Manager Resume Samples Can Be Your Friend

Manager Resume Samples Can Be Your FriendEmployers today are more likely to ask for a manager resume sample because they are aware of how important a first impression is. You will be doing yourself and your new employer a favor if you produce a quality job application that clearly represents you. If you do not provide employers with a look at your resume, they cannot decide whether you are the right person for the job. Fortunately, this does not mean you need to spend a ton of money on professional samples.There are two types of resumes, one that has already been customized and the other which you create. Custom samples are created for each person before the company actually looks at the resumes. This is very helpful if the person is trying to find a job, because they know what they are getting before the recruiter can find out. The only drawback to this is that there is a much greater chance that it will not be the most appealing resume. By going with a personal resume you get to wr ite what you want, but the potential employer might not want to hire someone who makes a lot of mistakes.Of course you may want to hire a third party to create one for you. When you are sure of your skill and personality, go online and search for some available samples. The key is to take the time to review them before deciding if they are right for you. There are various aspects to consider when doing this and you do not want to be in a rush to get the perfect resume.Before you select a sample you should do some research on the company you are considering. Ask for reviews and examples of their previous work. The manager resume samples that have been designed by the professionals at a career center or at a nearby college or university will be your best choice. These professionals already have had experience creating resumes and they know how to present them in the best possible manner. In addition, they have the knowledge and resources to help you get past the process and get to you r dream job. There are some popular online services where you can find a wide variety of sample resumes. They offer a variety of job categories and different styles for every position. You can also find different names to reflect your personal style or you may even want to choose something in the same category as your dream job.While there are some disadvantages to creating your own manager resume sample, there are advantages. For example, you can be able to choose a design that fits your personal style or one that is in line with your preferred job. Most of the sample resumes found online can be modified and adapted to suit your preferences, which makes it easier to get through the selection process and meet the requirements.If you are hiring a person to fill a position that requires specific skills such as customer service, customer service representative, or administrative assistant, then a resume sample that is specific to your position is vital. It allows you to evaluate each c andidate more thoroughly and the resulting resume will highlight their individual strengths and weaknesses.You do not have to pay a lot of money to create the resume that you have always wanted. When you have access to a wide variety of samples, you can customize them to your specifications. You can give them to any person that you are considering for a job and they will find a lot of great potential in them.