Everything You ve Ever Learned about Public Speaking Is Wrong

Many myths about public speaking have been passed along from person to person over the years, and the one thing that is consistent about these myths is that the people who pass them along are still nervous about speaking. After facilitating over 200 public speaking classes and never having a single person fail to significantly reduce his/her fear of speaking, I had a dramatic realization. Just about everything I was taught about public speaking while I was in school and from well meaning peers and coworkers WAS WRONG!Below are the top three myths that we have identified, and some simple tips that will help you reduce your fear or nervousness.Myth #1: If you write out a talk and memorize it, you ll be more comfortable. This is the fastest, easiest way to make your presentation boring and canned and to make you more nervous. When you memorize a talk word-for-word, any slight hick-up or distraction can throw you off track. That can increase your nervousness. Instead, write out just a few key points and practice giving stories or examples to back up each point.Myth #2: More facts/details will better clarify your topic. Most of us believe that a little is good, more is better, and a whole bunch is just right in public speaking. If I can give you 10 reasons why my topic is true, then that is obviously better than two or three reasons, right? Well in public speaking, the more points we offer, the more confused our audience can become. A good rule of thumb is five or less. So, after you decide on your topic, narrow down the key points that support your topic to around five key points or fewer. If your talk requires more than five points, then it would be best to divide the presentation into two different talks. Myth #3: Nervous habits make you a poor speaker. Most people think that Uhms, talking fast, and nervous gestures are bad, but in fact, these things can make you very relatable to your audience. Uhm is a normal word in the English language. We say this word all the time in normal conversation. When it s not there, the speaker can sound phony and forced. Plus, I ve found that if you try to get yourself to stop saying Uhm, you ll probably just start saying it more often anyway. Also, when people speak fast and move more, they show energy and enthusiasm. I ve had many speakers come through my classes who were scared to get up and speak at the beginning of the program, but when they did speak, the audience thought that they were excellent speakers. The audience saw the nervousness and assumed it was enthusiasm. Realize that speaking well is like learning to play golf. If you get a group of hackers together to coach each other, you re just going to get a group of people very proficient at a bad golf swing. However, if you get a good coach, he can shave strokes off in no time. If you really want to get good at public speaking quickly, get a good coach who doesn t buy-in to all the speaking myths.

Career Help: How To Complete Jobs Applications

The majority of the employers will give you a job application that you have to fill in although you have already submitted a resume. This application is as important as the resume. Usually jobs applications request the same standard information. So it's better if you can gather this information in advance. You can type it on a page and when you are at the employer's office you can copy the info avoiding mistakes that can appear because of the emotions and panic. You should list your past positions, salaries and any other compensations you had. Do not forget to ad the list of schools you have attended and military services. You will also be asked about the duties and responsibilities for each position. This answers you should also prepare from home. Instead of trying to remember and hesitate it's better to have four or five phrases prepared. It's also useful to include any volunteer activities like working at the school newspaper or fundraisings. Most important is to be honest. All the information about you can be verified. So if an employer finds out you lied he can disqualify or fire you. Try to write as clear as you can and have a correct grammar and punctuation. You should fallow the instructions exactly, and don't forget to fill any field that is required. If you don't understand a question you can always ask for clarifications. Review the application before turning it in and don't forget to sign and date the job application where you should. Review the application carefully before turning it in. Proofread it twice - once from top to bottom and once from bottom to top. When you complete an application that is before an interview try to arrive 15-20 minutes early so you can be sure that you have enough time to fill the form correctly. If you can, deliver the application yourself, if sending by mail make sure there is enough postage. If the application you are submitting is for a job interview try to return it within 24 hours with a brief cover letter and a resume. Follow these guidelines and your application will make a good impression.