Sometimes a simple career-choosing quiz can offer interesting results.

Job hunters and strategic careerists occasionally shell out plenty for questionnaires, surveys, and other tools that are aimed at helping them identify potential suitable careers. Students and recent graduates frequently take such tests too. Questions usually focus on abilities, education, experiences, interests, and training. The process may be simple and speedy, or it may prove quite complex.

Certainly, there’s no harm in trying out a career survey or dream job questionnaire. Several free ones are available online, and even these may help individuals evaluate possible professional pursuits.

Just for fun, I took Blogthings’ Quick and DirtyCareer Test online. My time investment was maybe one minute, as the process included four short, easy multiple-choice questions. Here’s what my results said:

Gotta admit it: I’m chuckling a bit over this one.

• Archaeologist? Sure, I participated in an archaeological dig as a teen. I found it somewhat fascinating to uncover old pot shards and even some ancient bones.
• Astronomer? Um, not exactly my strongest suit in school.
• Book editor? Bingo!
• Business manager? Does self-employment count? I’m not big on paperwork, but I get it done. Still, I’d never let my accountant go.
• Civil engineer? Who are we kidding?
• Designer? I guess it depends on what’s being designed. I’ve dabbled in graphic design, fashion design, and even interior design. Mechanical or software design – not so much. Not at all!
• Economist? What did I just say about my accountant’s perpetual job security?
• Inventor? Not gonna touch this one.
• Judge? Pretty sure I’d drop the gavel.
• Scientist? Doubtful. My M.S. degree is in journalism, not chemistry or biology.

Looking for new career options? This little free quiz might be worth a moment’s glance, even just for kicks. If you do try it out, c'mon back and tell us what you discovered (and whether you thought the results hit the mark ... or not).

Image/s:

Title graphic adapted from public domain image.

Quiz results artwork – from online quiz (fair use)

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10 tips for de-stressing public speaking

Are you glossophobic? That’s the fear of speaking in front of an audience, and scores of people have it. Call it stage fright or social anxiety, if you will. Glossophobia is a genuine concern for countless individuals, and this fear can be a serious stumbling block for career professionals.

How can you overcome a fear of public speaking?

Try these 10 tips for stress-free delivery of presentations before groups. Who knows? You might just discover your own freedom of speech.

1. Play to the mirror first.

Practice is essential, so why not start with a friendly listener? Start small. Talk to the mirror before you meet the microphone. Watch your facial expressions, and test your timing.

Like singing in the shower, lecturing the looking glass is an excellent exercise to eliminate stage fright.

2. Rehearse with a trusted audience.

 

Next, enlist a few confidantes to listen to your lecture. Gather a couple of friends or family members in a comfortable spot to hear your dry run.

3. Memorize your introduction.

The least stressed public speakers are always well prepared. Write out your speech. Transfer it to an outline, and commit the first few lines to memory. Once you get those out, you will be rolling.

4. Get plenty of rest.

Fatigue exacerbates nervousness, particularly for glossophobic individuals. Be deliberate about resting up as much as possible the night before your speech. Fresh and energized, you will be best able to pull it off with poise.

5. Dress for confidence.

Fussy clothing makes public speaking more nerve-wracking than it has to be. Skip jangling bangle bracelets, wiggling watches and other annoying accessories. Wear a tried and true outfit that makes you feel professional.

6. Carry an outline.

Although corporate executives, politicians and celebrities often deliver speeches from full manuscripts or teleprompters, many speakers prefer to work from basic outlines or index cards. Print content clearly in a large font. Don’t forget your reading glasses, if you need them.

7. Make your nerves an ally.

A little stage fright can actually be a bonus, if the audience perceives it as animation or enthusiasm. Seasoned speakers learn to channel those upfront nerves into an energetic asset.

8. Don’t picture people unclothed.

An old wives’ tale insisted nervous orators could banish their fears by imagining their audiences were naked. Has this ever worked for any scared speaker? Such pornographic ponderings probably precipitated more blushing, rather than calm demeanors.

Here’s a better approach. Focus on your content, rather than the audience’s apparel or imagined lack of it.

9. Pick visual foci.

In fact, many public speaking fears can be minimized when presenters simply look over listeners’ heads. Select a spot on the far wall, and glance there as often as possible.

Veteran speakers excel at eye contact, choosing key audience members for nods and glances. But nervous novices may do better to look more generally and avoid faces, if this improves their comfort levels while speaking.

10. Avoid over-thinking your presentation.

Giving a public speech is a necessary skill in many career endeavors and even in extra-curricular, church or community involvements. You may be tapped to make a toast at a wedding or a coworker’s retirement party. Perhaps you will be asked to deliver a eulogy for a friend or family member someday. Maybe you will join a committee or become a board member and be called upon to present a proposal.

Read: Wedding hospitality: 10 tips for making terrific toasts

It’s not a talent show, so it’s important to keep from over-analyzing the process. Too many mind games can only add to your stress, if you are already nervous about taking the podium.

Just take a deep breath, and go ahead. Try to speak in a low and confident tone with a tempo that feels considerably slower than conversational. Anxious public speakers naturally speed up, so you may be surprised how quickly you finish your presentation.

Look up, smile proudly and tuck those notes away. You did it.

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain artwork

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25 profitable summer jobs for resourceful teenagers

The calendar year is still young, but it’s not too soon for teens (and even preteens) to begin exploring employment opportunities for the summer months. Summer jobs may be hard to find, particularly for teenagers in tough economic times. Still, young self starters tend to succeed.

In our neighborhood, we have dozens of resourceful young entrepreneurs. These self-employed young adults call their own shots. They are their own bosses. They market their own services and purchase their own equipment. They care for their own clientele and collect their own payments.

And they range in age from 10 to 18. These are the future businessmen and women of America. Today, they hold several job titles – perhaps even wearing multiple proverbial hats at one time.

Here are 25 popular and profitable summer jobs we’ve seen among resourceful teens in our own area.

Let’s start with professional sounding (i.e., future resume-appropriate) terms:

1. Apprentice seamstresses (sewing and mending)
2. Automotive detailers (washing cars)
3. Botanical nutrition applicators (feeding and watering plants)
4. Canine exercisers (walking dogs)
5. Catering staff (serving as party waiters and waitresses)
6. Child care providers (babysitting)
7. Confidential document disposal technicians (shredding files and papers)
8. Disc jockeys (providing music for parties)
9. Equine exercisers (riding/schooling horses)
10. Exterior home decorators (painting houses)
11. Fashion maintenance technicians (doing laundry and ironing)
12. Feline therapists (cat sitting)
13. Garage and outbuilding hygiene technicians (power-washing garages and sheds)
14. Gardening specialists (weeding and dead-heading flower and vegetable beds)
15. Gourmet cookie experts (baking)
16. Holiday hospitality assistants (helping with kids’ birthday parties)
17. Home security supervisors (house-sitting or overseeing for vacationing homeowners)
18. Landscape hydration technicians (sprinkling lawns)
19. Lawn care engineers (mowing grass)
20. Mail retrieval service providers (bringing in mail for absent homeowners)
21. Parking valets (parking cars for parties, weddings, and special events)
22. Pet care specialists (pet sitting)
23. Publication delivery specialists (delivering newspapers)
24. Stable staff (horse stall mucking)
25. Swimming pool maintenance engineers (pool cleaning)

Many of these inventive summer jobs can become year-round employment for teenagers who want to continue working.

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain photo

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