Disclaimer: This is the post where I shamelessly plug my new workshop, which happens to be on Monday night.
As Holy Cross students, you’ve been given a great foundation in presentation skills. All of you write and speak very well. You are a step ahead of the majority of your peers. I’ve seen several of you brush elbows with some extremely powerful people and make comfortable, interesting, and (most importantly) educated conversation. You have plenty to say and possess resumes that can open most doors. Give yourselves a hand—I was thoroughly impressed with the caliber of HC students when I started here in September.
Then I participated in the ELW interviews…
Don’t worry. I’m still impressed by your professionalism. But there is always room for improvement in your interview skills.
Here’s where my new workshop comes in. After sitting through almost 60 interviews, I have started to see that most of you fall victim to filler words (like, um, uh) and nervous habits (tapping toes, twisting pens, playing with your hair—yes ladies, I am talking to you!) when speaking in public. This workshop will address these issues and help make all of you more polished interviewers and presenters.
The details:
I’m offering a one-hour workshop in which a few volunteers will present three-minute talks and be critiqued by their peers and myself.
We’ll record each presentation so we can review point-by-point with each presenter. All criticism will be constructive, but it will give you all a chance to really look at how you come across to a crowd and get some insight from others about how to up your game.
If this workshop is successful, I’ll offer a series of smaller workshops so everyone can have a chance to practice. We can work on both presentation and interview skills. Please don’t confuse this program with Career Planning’s mock interviews. We are not working on content, only on form. Your presentation can be on your love of Kraft macaroni & cheese—I don’t care. The plan is to flush out distracting movements and superfluous words that take away from the content of your presentation.
So mark your calendars: Monday, January 31 at 7 p.m. in Smith Labs 155.
If you want to volunteer to “go first,” send me an email or RSVP on our Facebook event page.
Since presentation is everything and practice makes perfect, I hope to see all of you there.
Kaithlyn
Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies
David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor