Congratulations! You’ve finally graduated, and you’re ready to enter the professional world and get your career started. But are you really ready? You might have gained the necessary knowledge and skills for your given profession, but if you can’t represent yourself well in an interview, you may be passed over for your dream job.
Strong communication skills are critical for any interviewee, but they can be particularly crucial for young adults who may not be used to communicating in a business setting and need to prove they’re able to function in the professional world. Take a look at our communication tips and strategies for young professionals entering the working world:
- Eliminate filler words: Fillers are words and phrases that are inserted into speech, but have no content. Some of the most common examples are “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know,” and “right?” Using too many fillers will make you sound unprofessional and unsure of your speech. The first step to eliminating fillers is identifying them. Record yourself speaking (try answering a mock interview question), and record what type of fillers you use and how often you use them. Practice actively monitoring your speech for fillers and eliminating them.
- Articulate and Enunciate: Crisp, clear speech is one of the most crucial aspects of professional communication. Mumbling or running your words together will make you seem lazy and inarticulate. Take care to pronounce all of the sounds of each word, particularly the consonants at the ends of words.
- Be Specific: When discussing your qualifications, try to be as concrete and specific as possible. Anyone can use positive adjectives to describe themselves. Give specific, concrete instances which illustrate why you are the ideal candidate for the position. This applied both on your resume and cover letter, as well as in answering interview questions.
For information on the New York Based Speech and Accent Reduction services offered by Corporate Speech Solutions please give us a call at 212-308-7725 or visit us on the web at www.corporatespeechsolutions.com. Not in NYC? No problem! We also provide Skype and video conferencing services.
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