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.

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After-school jobs prep teens for the work world.

 Whether mixing malts at the mall, stocking shelves at the shoe stor,e or flinging fries at the fast-food store, teenagers are working at part-time jobs all over. After school, on weekends and during school vacations, adolescents are sampling the working world and earning their own money, usually for the first time. 

Although most teens seek work primarily for the pay it will provide, a job can offer additional rewards, such as professional and personal training for adult life. After-school jobs for teens are not just about earning gas money.

What money management lessons can kids learn by holding part-time jobs?

1. Hard work pays off.

For most people, easy money is not nearly as satisfying as earned funds. Parents who do not encourage their teens to obtain jobs actually may rob their young adults of this wonderful sense of accomplishment.

Does anyone ever forget that very first real paycheck? How about the first pay raise, particularly if it has been awarded for on-the-job merit or achievements?

2. Character actually does count.

Many companies offer employee-of-the-month programs. Workers who display reliability, dependability, honesty, effort, personal initiative, and other positive character traits may see their names embossed on brass plates and displayed at the workplace for all to see. Perhaps a photo will be added. Maybe the employee-of-the-month will be featured on the company’s website.

Recognition at the workplace is rewarding, particularly for young up-and-coming future careerists. Regardless of the nature of the first job, who doesn’t love to be appreciated and featured? What’s more, employees who consistently display strong character will be most likely to earn performance bonuses, which will spell greater earnings.

3. Punctuality earns points.

Anyone can do the math here. Arriving on time for a job is essential. A teen will quickly discover the need to be on-site before his or her shift begins. Along the same lines, clocking out on time (no earlier or later, unless the employer approves it) will reap rewards as well.

On the other hand, failure to adhere to the employer’s schedule will lead to negative consequences, perhaps including the loss of the job. Punctuality is a powerful statement of an employee’s reliability, and a basic expectation of all employers.

4. Organization is essential.

Personal organization is paramount to any profession. Teens who hold part-time jobs will learn procedures for performing tasks and probably also for record-keeping.

At home, as adolescents begin bringing home paychecks, they will enjoy hands-on lessons in basic banking and bookkeeping. They will have to file tax withholding forms, as well as annual tax returns. By doing so, most will be pleased to receive tax refunds!

5. Delayed gratification can be good.

Whatever the wage level, working teens learn to plan for important purchases. Quite quickly, they begin calculating how long it may take to earn sufficient funds for car expenses or other significant items.

Gainful employment also offers teens the ability to support their own recreational interests, such as movies and dining out with friends. By chipping hard-earned funds to pay for gasoline, a young adult may quickly become an expert on the rise and fall of oil prices, as well as other current economic trends.

Is there any more powerful way to learn firsthand the value of a dollar, besides earning that dollar on one’s own?

6. Savings strategies are super.

Wise parents will help teens to plan, right from the very first paycheck, to stash some cash in the bank. Why not take a teen to the bank, with that check in hand, and setting up an individual savings account? Perhaps the family has established trustee or custodial accounts for that child, with higher education and other interests in mind. However, the personal account has another purpose. By setting up a separate savings account with the teen, parents offer that youngster an opportunity to practice fiscal responsibility, without granting access to important long-term investments.

A teen who learns to pay himself or herself right away, in terms of savings, will benefit greatly in the long run. Even a savings deposit of $20 per paycheck can pile up over time.

7. Tithing builds trust.

Families who tithe will want to impress this upon teens, once they begin earning their own money. Many parents begin this when children are quite young, if they receive allowances or payment for babysitting or chores. Learning this early sets a young person up for a lifetime of blessing.

8. Working is worthwhile.

A teenager’s part-time job may require a certain level of commitment from the rest of the family, particularly the parents. Perhaps transportation will be needed, to and from work. Family schedules may need to be altered to accommodate the adolescent’s work schedule. Trips and vacations may be affected by hourly shifts and other job requirements.

Still, most families will determine that the teen’s job experience is well worth the cost.

9. After-school jobs can open doors for future employment.

Working teens often enjoy jump starts to their post-education careers that non-working young people do not have. It’s never too early to start networking, especially on the job. And how many working teenagers gain helpful professional and character references after proving themselves to be valuable employees?

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10 ways to transform a professional internship into a permanent job

Let’s just admit it. Interns have received a bad rap in recent years. Professional internships can offer excellent hands-on experience and wonderful opportunities for on-the-job training. A qualified intern can build helpful professional relationships, references and even career results.

Generally, interns are willing to work for limited or no pay, at least for a specified amount of time, just to gain experience, career networking, and technical know-how. During the internship period, they are able to gain valuable skills, polish their professionalism and forge important business contacts. At the same time, they can build their resume and gain essential professional references!

Still, internships are designed for a predetermined duration. What can an intern do to expand this position into a career opportunity?

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Aces Win!

As an intern, in nearly any profession, you simply have to play your cards right! If you enjoy your internship, and you desire to transform this temporary position into a permanent paid position, you will have to possess certain professional characteristics that will appeal to your employer. 

Consider these 10 tactics for transforming a professional internship into a permanent job.

1. Apply an appropriate appearance.

Like it or not, first impressions count for a lot, particularly in the marketplace. From the very first introductions and interview, your professional appearance is important. Even if you are applying for an unpaid entry-level internship, you will want to show your best self. Dress for the part, exercise executive-level courtesy, speak clearly and correctly, and be on your best behavior – every single day.

Torn jeans, flimsy flip-flops, chat-room chatter, and sloppy speech have no place in the workplace, particularly for those who wish to last.

2.  Abound in good attitude.

A cheerful demeanor and helpful attitude can actually jump-start a professional career. If you are willing to show up with a smile and do your best to accomplish everything your internship requires, then you are most likely to succeed. 

Courtesy and friendliness to your coworkers also pays off. Your employer will notice, if you can get along with other people and work cooperatively. Your ability to manage and handle conflicts and your adeptness at dealing with high pressure situations will also serve you well.

Remember, an internship is a job, whether it is paid or not. As such, it pays to take it seriously.

3. Assess your attendance.

Whether you punch a time clock or simply show up, your punctuality and presence do count. Unpaid interns and those receiving small stipends simply cannot regard attendance flippantly. If you demonstrate reliability as an intern, your employer will be more likely to look at you realistically as a long-term candidate. If the boss can count on you, then he or she is more likely to want to count you in – in the long run.

4. Adopt attentiveness.

Often, but not always, interns tend to be younger adults, who are trying out their professional wings. Occasionally, a more seasoned worker may take on an internship to establish qualifications in a new field. In either case, a successful intern will try to be open-minded and willing to learn. After all, that’s why you are there! If you already knew the ropes, you would not need the internship at all.

Practicing active listening skills and paying attention to supervisors and coworkers can pay enormous dividends for an intern. During professional evaluations and reviews, this is where an intern or entry-level employee can score huge points. If you possess a teachable spirit, you are more likely to be mentored by your professional superiors. Trainable employees are extremely valuable to employers!

Paying careful attention at work can also yield a fairly straightforward dividend. Employers often post job openings in-house. Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to which you might apply your skill set.

5. Accentuate your own abilities.

Internships are on-site testing grounds for beginning professionals. Here is where you can try out and demonstrate your skills and abilities. Talent shows, and it counts for everything! Simply put, if you are good at what you do, your employer will value your contributions.

When your internship ends, you will want to be an employee worth keeping, who merits a worthwhile salary.

6. Account for your accomplishments.

Far too many interns look at their temporary tenures as if they were an academic term or a course to be endured and completed. May it not be so!

If you truly wish to boost your professional career, you will regard your internship as a proving point, where you can demonstrate your capabilities and make your first mark in the professional world.

Be sure to document your accomplishments, so you can be credited for them during evaluation times. Keep copies of praiseworthy memos and emails, and make sure your professional superiors see them. Bring your proofs with you, when you meet with your supervisor, to back up your request for an extended position.

7. Acknowledge accountability.

Folks often think of accountability as an authoritative checkpoint or restriction. In a sense, it is. Interns who are willing to respect authority, at least within the organizational structure, will offend fewer business bigwigs and avoid many professional pitfalls.

However, the flip side may also be true. As an intern, accountability can also help you to receive credit for your own successes and avoid blame for others’ shortcomings or failures.

This is especially important in organizations with large internship programs, where you will have to make your own mark and separate yourself from a whole flock of trainees.

Either way, accountability can help you, if you are a talented and hard-working intern. The Lone Ranger approach to corporate work helps no one, particularly a beginning intern.

9. Announce your availability.

This may sound fairly obvious, but it’s not. If you wish to extend your internship into full-time professional employment, you will need to make yourself available to your employer. Does your boss know that you actually desire a permanent position within his or her employ?

As the end of your professional internship draws near, if you really want to continue working for your employer, then you must meet with your boss face to face and ask for the job.

After all, what is the worst response you might receive? What if your boss cannot financially justify another head count? You can certainly follow up with a request that he or she might offer you a professional reference and possibly a few job leads and contacts to pursue, as you leave.

That, too, gives you a head start for the future!

10. Aiming high.

Request an interview. Then ace that interview, and ask for the job.

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10 ways to transform a professional internship into a permanent job

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