How You Can Be a Great Presenter! by Sara Neiman

The heat from the spotlight burned Jessica’s already flushed cheeks. Stammering over her introduction, she dropped her note cards- her lifelines. She bent over picking them up only to find the audience staring at her, blank expressions on a few faces, condescending smiles on others.

I hate presentations! She thought.

Ever been in Jessica’s shoes? I know I have many times. Although public speaking may be one of the top fears most people have, it can be mastered and become easier over time.

Here are some tips to help in your future public speaking and presentation endeavors:

-Take 4-5 deep breathes from the pit of your stomach to relax you.

-Remember the audience is on your side. They are glad it’s you up there are not them.

-People are more likely to learn when they are in a comfortable, relaxed environment. Try to convey these aspects by being comfortable yourself…or at least faking like you are.

-Smiling helps!!

-Practice, Practice, PRACTICE!! Good preparation and rehearsal will reduce your nerves by 75% and increase the likelihood of avoiding errors to 95%. (Source: Fred Pryor Organization, a significant provider of seminars and open presentation events.)

-If using visual aids, such as a PowerPoint, keep the slides fun and interactive.

-Avoid having too much information on your PowerPoint. It’s there as reference point not to make the presentation for you.


Remember these helpful tips next time you find yourself talking in front of a big, scary audience; who are, by the way, people just like you!


HAPPY PRESENTING!!


Works Cited:

http://www.businessballs.com/presentation.htm

He's confident and happy!!

TIps on how to Write Clearly by Alex Bean

It is very simple to write clearly as long as you can understand what you are going to write about, don’t figure this out as you are writing do this before you begin to write.

To help you write clearly you can
 Use a diagram, or flowchart
 Read all requirements
 Ask a friend

If you do these tips early in the writing you are more likely to use them in the writing, don’t wait until your done and then do this, if you do it may not be very effective. Try to keep all your notes also so that you can review them later to make sure you have covered topics you need and want to cover.

Always know your reader, so you want to know what type of audience you will be writing to and you should also understand their basic knowledge of the subject.
When writing use words you would normally say. Don’t use jargon, cuss, slang, words out of context, so follow basic fundamentals. Remember what you type people will read and can judge you on.

Always give the important items to be covered the most room and place them first.

You should also always place things in a logical order so that people do not get lost.

You need to always tell people what is fact and what is opinion, this way people have the correct data.

To finish up always remember the three R’s, review, revise and rewrite.

Sources
http://som.flinders.edu.au/FUSA/SACHRU/PEW/writing/tipwrite.htm

Happy "IM-ing!" By Jessica Pfaff

Everyone knows what instant messaging or “IM-ing” is and lots of companies use it in their day-to-day operations when communicating with their fellow employees; however few people realize that even though this may be a more casual approach to communication it still needs to have an overall professional tone and format.

Tips for Employers:
1. Employers should define acceptable behavior and identify prohibited electronic conservations.
2. Employers should reserve the right to review all conservations between all employees.
3. Employers should create an electronic communication policy describing what can and cannot be done and the protocol taken for violations to this policy.

Tips for Employees:
1. Employees should not use instant messaging at the workplace for casual or personal conservations. NO GOSSIPING!
2. Employees need to be careful what they send as well. Pictures and inappropriate text should not be sent. Many employees might see your comments as sexual harassment or feel their are in a hostile work environment.

Instant messaging has proven to be helpful in a business atmosphere. Its quick technology helps many get quick answers to general questions and helps to inquire about current work tasks instead of using face-to-face interaction. By keeping these easy tips in mind both the employer and employees at a business can use instant messaging in an effective manner. Happy “IM-ing”!

Sources:
http://www.boston.com/jobs/nehra/112805.shtml
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080603120251.htm
http://www.johnsimonds.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/dilbert%20video%20conferencing.jpg

I wanted to be a ballerina! by Rhyan Eberhardt

Do you remember when you were little and people would ask us what we wanted to be when we grew up? Our replies were usually either a ballerina, an astronaut, the President, or a firefighter. Those were the good ol' days. Unfortunately, that same question gets much more difficult to answer as time goes on. To help us out, here are a few tips and good ideas I have put together to prepare us for a job search:

• It's a good idea to have a plan; a path to your future career choice.
• Perfect your resume. (Note: If you are having difficulties writing and preparing your resume, I have an earlier post related to resumes and cover letters.)
• Get a list of references and letters of recommendation together
• Do research on the field of work you want to get into. Make sure you're making the right choice.
• Attend a job fair. I know job fairs don't sound like they will be the funnest event to attend, but give them a try because they could hold the path to your future career.
• It's a very good idea to prepare for a job interview. (Note: My very first post was about job interview tips.)
• Be as prepared as you can be. Learn about the company and see if it's right for you.
• Most importantly, whatever you choose to do, make sure it makes you happy!
  

Works Cited:
http://www.collegegrad.com/ezine/01prep.shtml
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/careerresources/a/jobchange.htm

Document Collaboration Using Wikis By Ryan

You are proably sitting there thinking your self what is a "Document Collaboration Using Wikis?" If you weren't thinking that I bet that is whaty you are thinking now.
According to Wikipedia.com Collaborating software is "Collaborative software (also referred to as groupware or workgroup support systems) is software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve their goals. Collaborative software is the basis for computer supported cooperative work."
A Wiki is is a collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone
with access to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup
language

Now that you know what a wiki and what document collaboration is you now need to know how they are used the business world today. Companies have groups that work on projects for the cmpany and financial statements and various other task. What they can do is put up there documents using a wiki and each member of the group can put there input in on the document. A perfect example of this would be this blog that you are reading. Many group members each contributing to the goal of providing information on how to use professional writing in you busness career.

Wiki -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 13 Apr. 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki.

Collaborative software. 13 Apr. 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_software.

Shut Up and Listen! By Sara Neiman

How many times have you sat in class for an hour and a half only to leave not recalling anything the professor said? Or has one of your friends ever told you a boring story while you zoned out only have them calling your name trying to get your attention? Yea, me too.

Fortunately, I am going to give you some tips on how to bring your so-so listening skills to A+ effective hearing and comprehension abilities.

1. Use eye contact and positive body language. Avoid looking at your watch, cell phone, or other people around you. Showing the person that you are listening gives him or her respect while also helping you to pay attention.

2. Ask questions. Inquiring about the discussed subject matter helps both the listener and talker stay engaged in the conversation. However, avoid answering a question with another question. This may make you appear to be aloof or with hidden motivations. No one appreciates a sneaky person.

3. Avoid making assumptions about what the person is talking about. Because most people can listen quicker than most can talk, it can be easy to misinterpret the talker’s choice of words. This is especially important when having a discussion with someone you disagree. Listen to everything the person has to say, taking it at face value, then, once the person has finished, try to understand the idea they are trying to convey as a whole.


With these quick listening tips, you are well on your way to getting that A in class because you paid attention and having more friends because you didn’t rudely stare at them while you were thinking about something else.

Writing International Correspondences - Hayley O'Mara

Language barriers are an issue for all of us. Florida Gulf Coast University has an abundance of exchange students, and what we need to know is that the skills we will learn here will seriously help us in the work force. Countless jobs include dealing with people international, but it is important to know how to deal with the differences in cultures. When speaking through the internet it is extremely easy to take things the wrong way. Here are some key points on how to avoid those awkward situations.

• Some countries (such as America) like to make e-mails concise as politeness not to waste the other persons time. However, other countries find this a way of showing a dislike for the person.




• Avoid using American "sayings". They too can be easily confusing and what is worse your reader can not look them up. In short, use language that is most likely to be found in a dictionary so your reader can look up words they do not know and will have a better understanding of your letter.

The best way to guarantee you a successful international correspondence is to do research on the culture of your reader. The more you understand the person as a whole, the higher your chances are for mutual understanding.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/jlv/lowres/jlvn463l.jpg

Writing That Works, Walter E. Oliu, 2006