Questions for Aspiring Veterinarians

Questions for Aspiring VeterinariansQuestions for Aspiring VeterinariansThe decision to pursue veterinary medicine is a major commitment- one that should be carefully considered. There are certainly many great reasons to become a vet, but it is important to realistically consider all aspects of the career before making a final decision. Here are seven questions that an aspiring veterinarian should consider before embarking on this challenging career path. Can You Handle Taking on Significant Student Debt? The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that over 90 percent of veterinary students must borrow to fund their veterinary education. A veterinary student generally takes on an average educational debt of $162,113 during the course of their studies. It is important to know that you might be responsible for mortgage-sized payments after graduation. Are You Being Realistic about Your Starting Salary? The AVMA Market Research Statistics report (2013) indicated that ne w veterinary graduates could expect to earn an average abfluging salary of $67,136. The debt to income ratio has unfortunately become quite high (31) in recent years due to the rapidly rising cost of veterinary education. While veterinary medicine is one of the top paying animal career paths, it can take several years for the salary to climb to a level where you will be comfortable. Can You Focus on Your Career When Time with Friends and Family May Be Limited? It is difficult to launch a career in veterinary medicine, and it may cost you valuable time with friends and family (particularly in the early years when long hours are often necessary and expected). It can be a real challenge to balance work and home life for individuals hoping to raise a family. Do You Plan to Pursue a Specialty? Becoming a board-certified veterinary diplomate requires a great deal of additional training after the basic DVM degree is achieved (often three more years of study and clinical practice). There are more than a dozen specialty areas that a vet can choose from including dermatology, surgery, radiology, pathology, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, and more. Specialists can earn much higher salaries than the average veterinarian, but there are additional educational costs incurred during their residencies. Residents do, however, earn a small salary while pursuing their board certification (reportedly an average of $30,916 in 2014). Do You Plan to Become a Practice Owner? The earlier you can decide that you want to pursue practice ownership, the better. It can be a significant expense to start your own practice (or buy into an established practice), but it can lead to significantly higher earnings in the long run. In a 2009 AVMA study, partners earned an average of $40,000 more per year than associates. If you plan to pursue this path start saving early, and make the investment as soon as possible. Have You Identified a Particular State or Area where You Would Like to Practice? It is important to be realistic about where you will feel comfortable practicing. There are many programs that reward veterinarians for working in underserved areas for a few years (often compensating them for up to $75,000 in student debt), but if you cant reconcile yourself to working in such an area this wont be a good fit for you. Be sure to make connections in the areas where you would like to work if at all possible. Also research the cost of living, area amenities, and economic prospects for success in that specific veterinary market. Can You Handle the Emotional and Physical Stress that Is a Part of this Job? Veterinary medicine can take a lot out of a practitioner both mentally and physically. The hours are long, some procedures are unpleasant, and there is the stress of having to give bad news to owners. Some vets report in surveys that they can suffer from depression and a variety of other symptoms related to stress. This can be a very re warding job, but you have to anticipate that there will be some tough things to get through from time to time.

Harvard Laws Therapy Liger

Harvard Laws Therapy LigerHarvard Laws Therapy LigerHarvard Law isnt all about gazing at ivy, rowing boats while reading your torts casebook or calculating ways in which you and your fellow law students will rule the legal world. That crimson bunch likes to laugh too. And whats more humorous than polking fun at your biggest law school rival?Last week, Yale Law offered a unique opportunity to destress reserving time with a therapy dog named Monty. Students could hang out with the pup for thirty-minute sessions at Yale Laws library. According to the law school, It is well documented that visits from therapy dogs have resulted in increased happiness, calmness, and overall emotional well-being.Inspired by Yale Laws new perk, Harvard Law has decided to offer some therapy of its own Harry the Harvard Law School Library Therapy Liger. According to Calvin A. Tompkins, a research librarian at Harvard LawWe were excited to hear about Yales wonderful program that allows students to rent a dog t o relieve stress. We knew that Harvard had to get in on the action. But we thought that dogs were a bit pass, you know, twentieth century, so we thought that we should do something different. We decided to go big and exotic.Well played, Harvard Law. Im sure playing fetch with Monty is great stress relief, but nothing eases the nerves better than a good laugh.Read more about Harvard Laws Liger Above the Laws post on Yales therapy dogFOLLOW VAULT LAW ON TWITTER VaultLaw

Bank Teller Job Overview

Bank Teller Job OverviewBank Teller Job OverviewBank tellersare the key point of customer contact in bank branches, involving the processing of a variety of transactions.Becoming a teller can serve as an entry-level position in banking, and can help facilitate entry into higher payingcareer pathswithinfinancial services. However, this is the exception rather than the rule. Few tellers actually are considered seriously as candidates for promotion by their current employers. Employment Trends The total number of jobs for tellers tend to follow cyclical patterns, as major banks embark on successive periods of expansion or contraction in the number of their branches.The recent trend toward mergers and consolidation of the banking industry(accelerated bythe 2006-07 mortgage crisis) caused the total number of bank teller jobs in the U.S. to fall 11.2% between 2008 and 2012, from 600,500 to 545,300. Nonetheless, employment prospects for bank tellers are expected to be excellent for the foreseeable future, primarily because the field has a long history of high turnover. While theBureau of Labor Statistics(BLS),forecasts that jobs for tellers will expand by a mere 5,600 positions (1%) in the decade from 2012 to 2022, the high churn rate among tellers means that many positions are constantly coming open. Find Job Openings Use this indeed.comsearch tool to find current job openings in this field. Education In general, a high school diplomais sufficient, though college graduates are increasingly preferred. Due to the sensitive nature of the job, any blemish on your record that may emerge in a background check can preclude employment as a bank teller. Facility with numbers and skill in arithmetic are musts. Additionally, the increasing computerization of banking operations makes computer literacy highly desirable. Good tellers are comfortable dealing with customers, have strong oral communication skills and aregood listeners. Training In all but the largest banks, t he training for bank tellers tends to be strictly on the job, under the tutelage of experienced tellers and/or branch officers(supervisors), with little or no formal classroom instruction. The BLS reports that such training typically lasts about a month. Duties and Responsibilities The basic duties of a bank teller include cashing checks, making deposits, processing loan paymentsand withdrawing funds from customer accounts. Bank tellers also assist customers with opening and closing accounts. The job requires adhering closely to rules and regulations regarding the verification of customers identities, the accounts and transactions that they are permitted to access or initiate, and the amounts of funds that may be placed at their disposal. Tellers also must adhere to various reporting requirements. The rules and regulations in question are a mix of those set by law or by banking regulators, and those peculiar to the individual bank. In some banks and banking environments, the te llers role may be expanded to assess customers needs and to market certain products and services to them. Both this aspect of the job and that related to rule enforcement demand a keen sense of judgment, going far beyond a rote adherence to routine. Typical Schedule A 40 hour work weekis typical, but it can be longer, given the trend for banks to accommodate customers with longer hours, including nights, Saturdays and even Sundays in some cases. The old days of bankers hours that stretched only from 9 to 3, Monday to Friday, are long since past. However, also note that today about 33% of tellers work part-time. Whats to Like Those who enjoy working with people can find interacting with customers an enjoyable aspect of the job. It is particularly true for those fortunate enough to become tellers in bank branches with light to moderate levels of customer traffic, in which time pressure is not a major issue. Depending on the bank and on the initiative of the individual, a bank teller jobcan be a steppingstone to higher-level jobs in banking. The most obvious next step is as an officer (supervisor) within a branch. Whats Not to Like In very busy urban bank branches, tellers can be under severe pressure and find the job physically and mentally draining. The problem can be compounded if the customer base is demanding and hurried. Under such time pressure, the possibility of making computational errors is enhanced, leading to yet more stress. After the branch closes, depending on the volume of transactions during the day, and the size and efficiency of the staff, the process of proving up tellers work during the day can be a lengthy and stressful process. Normally, tellers are not allowed to leave for the day until their work is proved up. That is, the cash on hand at the end of the day must equal starting cash positiv cash deposits minus cash withdrawals. Likewise, non-cash deposits and withdrawals (by check or electronic transfer) must be checked to ens ure that they were accounted for correctly. Furthermore, working as a bank teller does bear some risk of physical danger associated with attempted robberies. The open architecture of many bank branches, with tellers largely exposed to the customers across a counter, adds to the risk. High turnover is spurred by low pay (see the next section). Also, while opportunities for advancement do exist (as stated above), they typically are limited. Compensation Median annual wages for bank tellers(BLS occupation code 43-3071.00)were $24,940 as of May 2012, with 90% earning between $19,630 and $34,320. As with all job categories, expect significantgeographic pay differentials. More than 90% of tellers earn less than the median annual wage for all occupations, which was $34,750. Meanwhile, nearly 75% of workers in other occupations earn more than the median annual wage for tellers ($24,940).

Take 10 years off your image

Take 10 years off your imageTake 10 years off your imageSuggestions on how take 10 years off your image and be perceived as more youthful in the office.How old an impression do you make when youre interviewing? Of course, we all know that an interviewer can just count backwards from the year of graduation printed on your resume. However, here is the truth Perception is the new reality, like 60 is the new 50. So you need to learn the fine art of being perceived as younger as well as looking younger. Its more than just the way you look.Is this fair? Is it even legal? And most importantly, should you give in to such nonsense? Ill put it this way If you are over 40, you need to read on.The recession weve all been feeling for months is now official. So now bosses can use that magic R word as a blank check to fire almost anyone for any reason. And pay attention, over-40s The wounded economy is an especially perfect opportunity for higher-ups to fire those senior workers whose high wages an d big egos have outlasted their welcome.For those who are unemployed, you must do whatever it takes to convey to hiring managers that you are employable. What does this mean? No one wants to hire someone whos stuck in the old-fashioned way of thinking that being qualified, working hard and being loyal to a company is enough. Your Princeton degree and enviable references wont get you far if youre that nave.So back to the age thing.While many workers have learned that good looks and a polished appearance go a long way toward success in the workplace, too many of them fail to realize that cultivating the perception of youth and a hip attitude is an equally important part of the equation. Its no secret that we live in an age-obsessed society. Like it or not, interviewing younger is the new catchphrase. Interviewing younger and being perceived as more youthful at the office is a vocabulary, a body language and a look. And heres a secret These rules apply even more when your boss is your age or even older. Its not like you are following these rules to impress a young person. Whatever the age of your boss or interviewer, you need to create a youthful perception about yourself. Otherwise, theres someone else waiting in the wings with quicker computer skills and contemporary pop-culture knowledge who will be all too happy to fill your shoes.So how do you do it? Here are some of the secrets in my new book, Bulletproof Your Job (HarperCollins), use them to remind yourself how to hold onto your job while those around you are losing theirs)Rule 1 Crest Whitestrips.Yup, this is a shallow, cosmetic-based tip. But I get so many letters from people who just dont understand that having coffee-stained teeth doesnt do you any favors in the interview department. Stop rolling your eyes go buy the strips (use the store brand for all I care Im not picky) and whiten those teeth. Then smile. Smiling makes you look and feel younger not bitter, old and unemployed. I dont care if you re ally are bitter, old and unemployed. Its about perception, remember?Rule 2 If you are over 40, I want you on Facebook today.No friends? You already have one just Facebook me. If you dont know how to join, let your kids show you, or even better, have a young person at work reverse mentor you on how it works. Let that saatkorn person help you choose your profile picture. Seriously. Read our coverage on how social networking plays a role in the job search.Rule 3 Know about and frequently use Google and Wikipedia.Bookmark them on your computer, and set one as your homepage.Rule 4 Watch an geschehnis of Family Guy.Discuss. Repeat.Rule 5 Peruse your local Apple store.At least learn the difference between an iPod Classic, iPod Touch and iPod Nano and youre on your way. And buy a set of those identifiable white headphones to keep around, even if you dont have the iPod to go with them. Its all about perception.Rule 6 Do not disclose your SAT scores.If for some ungodly reason you still rememb er your SAT scores, keep them to yourself. Not only does no one care, but the scoring isnt even the same anymore, and youll just wind up aging yourself.Rule 7 Dont talk about how youre so addicted to Starbucks.Or Coffee Bean, or whatever your coffee place of choice is. It landseems like this would make you appear younger, but it wont. Starbucks screams unemployed loser. Besides, you should never walk into an interview with a coffee cup, especially since you just whitened those teeth.Rule 8 Pick up a copy of Entertainment Weekly before an interview.But for Gods sake, dont take it in with you and dont let anyone see you reading it. That said, nothing gets you more up to date on the youthful world of pop culture like an issue of EW.Rule 9 Learn how to text.Rule 10 Lose the paper. Young people get their news online they dont read newspapers. So dont carry one into an interview with you or be seen reading it at the office like someones mom or dad.Rule 11 Brush up on sports.This is easy you can still get away with talking about Michael Phelps and get credit for this one. Bonus points for knowing whos in the NCAA tournament.Rule 12 Make eye contact.Eye contact is so critical to being perceived as young dont be afraid to use it.Rule 13 Rarely refer to your children.Never refer to your grandchildren and never ever your great-grandchildren.Rule 14 Go to the gym.Or at least say that you do.Rule 15 Never talk about the 80s or 90s.Never use words from your day. Nothing at work is groovy, dy-no-mite, or tubular. Ever.Rule 16 Get a TiVo or DVR.Know how they work.Rule 17 Practice sounding young on the phone.Take a small survey of how old you sound on the phone, and then practice with a friend sounding younger. (A tip Talk higher and peppier.) This is critical. In the same vein, make sure your outgoing voicemail message isnt too long or boring. Short and sweet with a positive attitude is all you need.Rule 18 Dress is very important always dress age-appropriate.No 40+ man shou ld be wearing an Abercrombie Fitch T-shirt. For more tips on updating your look without looking too young, review Ladders recent coverage on losing the frump factor.Rule 19 Give your hairstyle a long, hard look.No wonder there are so many makeover shows My advice is to ask an outsider his or her opinion. Someone who loves you wont want to hurt your feelings or may love your look for sentimental or romantic reasons but sadly, that wont help you find a job. A bad coloring job spells disaster for both men and women, and lets face it, hair weaves for men rarely work. Men, dont go overboard on finding a new hairstyle just clip your nose and ear hair and youre on the right track. Ladies, pluck or bleach facial hair.Rule 20 Skip the cologne and excessive perfume.And while were on the subject, wear deodorant. You may laugh, but many people just dont do it.Okay Feel any younger, or just berated?Trust me, I just took 15 years off the way you come across. Yeah, some things I talk about here are cosmetic, but most are not. Its all about perception and perception is the new reality.

Why the Me Generation Label Doesnt Fit Millennials

Why the Me in richtungeration Label Doesnt Fit MillennialsWhy the Me in richtungeration Label Doesnt Fit MillennialsWhy the Me Generation Label Doesnt Fit Millennials Carson, author of The Finch Effect the Five Strategies to Adapt and Thrive in your Working Life(Jossey-Bass, 2012)If you havent found yourself recruiting Gen Y candidates,or managing a member of the Millennial Generation, chances are very good that you will and soon.An estimated 80 million Gen Y workers are new to the workforce or preparing to enter it. And they are ready to get down to geschftliches miteinander and produce for those who know how to harness their unique professional potential.Yet with all the epithets floating around about this generation of workers including entitled, narcissistic, spoiled, and even lazy understanding what to do with these young, digitally-savvy, and confident professionals continues to stump many recruiters and managers.Some simple statistics paint a very different picture of who t he average Millennial worker actually is in a recent Pew Research Center survey, 73% of Millennials surveyed listed being a good parent or helping those in need as their top priorities in life only 15% listed having a high-paying career as the top priority.Such priorities are at odds with their profile as Generation Me and Generation Next for their self-focused view of the world.Gen Ys Social Media ConnectionIn spite of the cultural hype, as a generation Millennials have a lot to offer employers, especially when it comes to the ability to connect and communicate through the latest technological trends.Statistically, Millennials are the most socially connected generation, with over 75% having a social network profile conversely, only 50% of Gen Xers have social network profiles.And they define themselves as connected a majority of those surveyed by Pew cited technology use as the most defining characteristic of their generation.This isnt surprising.Gen Ys have grown up with the tech nology that allows us to communicate and access information at the speed of now in fact, they helped shape this technology first as primary consumers of products like Nintendo and now as industry leaders in companies like Facebook.Compared to previous generations, this social media generation overwhelmingly sees technology as a means to make people closer, work more efficiently, and make life in general easier.Social Media in the Workdistributions-mixBut their strength is also their weakness employers have found that social media savvy doesnt always translate to interpersonal savvy, and that coming of age with Instant Messenger, Smartphones, and Twitter has wreaked some havoc on attention spans and the ability to manage time.On average, Millennials report sending 20 texts every 24 hours about one third reported visiting social networking sites several times a day habits that are not necessarily conducive to focus, productivity, or face-to-face interaction.Beyond a well-thought out social media policy,how can managers harness and work more effectively with this Millennial generation, when their strength is one of their weaknesses?The answer is to provide fast and regular feedback that encourages their technological savvy while developing offline business acumen.Creating a Positive Feedback LoopMuch of Millennial interaction takes place online, where feedback is instantaneous.Whether it be retweets, likes or comments, the feedback good, bad, and ugly is always there. Even a lack of feedback (no retweets, no likes, no comments) is a form of feedback online.Managers cant underestimate the impact of growing up in this type of an environment has on training, employee motivation, and performance among Millennials, or how sensitive they can be to reading explicit and implicit messages in the workplace.Create opportunities that let these emerging professionals shine creates a working environment that can provide some early and easy wins as they start their careers. It also gives managers a chance to validate their contribution through positive feedback.Invite your Gen Y workers to manage the corporate blog, handle the companys Twitter stream, or research competitors through their Facebook accounts.These tactics will help engage and integrate new Millennial members into your team.Simultaneously, make a point to expose your Gen Y professionals to traditional business skills by including them at in-person networking events allow them to assist in team management.As you engage your Millenials, be sure to provide them with timely feedback to help increase their offline business acumen all within a feedback loop that they are comfortable and familiar with.At their core, Millennial workers are no different from Gen Xers or Boomers they want to be successful, proficient in their jobs, and stable in their careers.Managers who understand this can break down some of the mystery of theinter-generational workforceand realize that Millennials arent a new k ind of worker, but a worker with new kinds of skills who needs to be managed in a different way.Author BioNacie Carson is the director of development services at Cleaver Company, a boutique professional development and consulting firm, where she researches, develops, and helps corporations implement leadership and skill-development programs. Her writings on career development, life balance, and the gig economy are published regularly in Entrepreneurs-Journey.com and Portfolio.com as well as on her popular site, TheLifeUncommon.net. For more information, visit TheFinchEffect.com.Check out the Infographic Who Is More Entrepreneurial Minded Gen Y, Gen X or Boomers?

What the Experts Arent Saying About Margins for a Resume and How This impacts You

What the Experts Arent Saying About Margins for a Resume and How This impacts You Things You Wont Like About Margins for a Resume and Things You Will Make your very first order at this time and find the help you need whenever possible. Even though the majority of the work search happens online, a hard copy of your resume is still critical. Your resume must make them obvious. Your goal in constructing your resume is to make an effective marketing and advertising tool. Finding the Best Margins for a Resume Resume objective samples could possibly be obtainable. Investment Banking Resume Templates Investment banks are trending nowadays because of the growing number of global financial institutions and companies. Order of Sections How you present the info in your resume is nearly as crucial as the content. Mortgage Banking Resume Templates As its name connotes, mortgage banks offer you mortgage-related transactions and solutions. New Step by Step Roadmap for Margins for a Res ume A simple resume template is going to be your very best bet. See the very first image below as an illustration of what you might find entered there. So before ensuring you have made your resume simple and organized, ensure the format youre using is proper. There are many different strategies to format your resume. Should you need additional paragraphs, just hit tab before you start typing. Apart from your name, which ought to be a bit bigger, the font size throughout your resume should be the very same size to guarantee readability. Experimenting with different dimensions and styles can make sure you pick the fruchtwein efficient font for your purposes. Small margins together with your small font size may make your resume very tough to read. A functional resume format might be better for you. During the time youre formatting text, focus on the style, also called the font, of the text. The conventional document margins in conjunction with the default font settings limit the quantity of characters you may fit within a line of text to about 90 at the maximum. You should stick to the exact same format throughout your resume. Choosing Good Margins for a Resume Employers have only a quick time to check through your resume, which means that your formatting decisions should make information clear and simple to find. If a work listing doesnt mention references, the very best policy isnt to list them whatsoever. One of the absolute most critical mistakes made on resumes is using passive, vague wording. While a lot of the information on your resume should begin with a left-margin, its proper to begin some information with a right-margin to created a balanced appearance. The 5-Minute Rule for Margins for a Resume The very first thing you ought to do is make sure a possible employer knows whose resume theyre taking a look at By following a number of straightforward suggestions you are able to create a simple to read resume that highlights your abilitie s and work experience. Choosing which to use depends upon the sort of job that you are applying for and your degree of experience. Whether youre looking for your very first job or seeking to earn a career change, the procedure starts with your resume. Whether youre a recent graduate or a career changer, understanding how to compose a resume whenever you have zero work experience may appear daunting. If you own a lot of work experience, only incorporate the positions you have held over the previous five decades. All you need to do is list the skills you have that also appear in the work offer. Lets begin by viewing the 3 key forms of resumes and which would be ideal for you. Margins for a Resume at a Glance Whether youre a graduate, professional or executive, a well crafted cover letter can provide you the edge when it has to do with getting interviews. The information that you include in your resume and the layout of your resume will ride on your abilities and experience in connection with your career objective. You also might need to put things like education and skills lists into columns to conserve space. You may wish to generate your resume important to every undertaking. Your employer would like to see your latest abilities and experience. Emphasize what youve actually accomplished and why youre unique as an applicant. Applicants whove been in the workforce for any number of years, possibly at various companies, may have to be selective in detailing expert progress. Finding the Best Margins for a Resume For instance, it can explain methods to construct your CV. You also only have one page to capture every one of the attributes you would like to share. Formatting your resume is a significant step in making a professional, readable resume. Perhaps you can share some examples.

Forget Staying Calm Heres How to Be a Dynamic, Electric, and Passionate Public Speaker

Forget Staying Calm Heres How to Be a Dynamic, Electric, and Passionate Public Speaker Does the thought of public speaking make your heart leap in terror?What happens next? Do you judge yourself for being nervous? Do you feel inadequate to play the role of speaker? Do you wish you could figure out how the heck to just get it over with?I promise you that you are not alone. Anticipating being seen and heard can feel very vulnerable, and our insecurities often jump to the surface when we are asked to speak to a group. However, with some simple changes in your thinking, you can have a much mora positive experience as you prepare and when you present.Here are some strategies that can help you manage any insecurities and nervous energy that may arise when your anfhrer asks you to do the next pitch or brief the board. Youll learn how to build your confidence by shifting your focus from your sweaty palms to the powerful impact your message can make.Who Are You?A lack of self-confidence often appears as a questioning of your very being, such as* Who am I to lead this meeting?* Who am I to give my opinion?* Who am I to apply for this job?If you have ever asked yourself behauptung questions, then you have experienced how disempowering they are. These questions have judgment baked into them, which can lead you to feeling small.Instead, list all of the reasons you are the person to take on the challenge at hand. Here are some statements to consider* I have experience in this area.* I have a different or unusual perspective on this subject matter.* My background in several different areas enables me to see this from a new angle.Here are beginnings of statements that can lead you to some helpful new ways to think about your qualifications for speaking about a specific topic. Jot down what comes to mind as you read them* I know a lot about ______________________________________.* When I experienced _____________________________________, I le arned ______________________________________________.* I am concerned about ____________________________________.* I am hopeful about ______________________________________.Reminding yourself about your qualifications is a great way to build your confidence.Get Emotionally Centered by Focusing on Your MissionInstead of focusing on nerves or vermgen technological snafus, direct your emotional energy toward the ideas you are trying to communicate, why they matter, and what is at stake. Here are some questions that can help you to tap into your passion as you gain clarity on your mission* What needs to change in your organization, society, or the world?* Why does this change matter?* Who is affected negatively or positively by the way things currently are?* Who will benefit if the change you are championing happens?* Why is this change important to you?The more you are personally and passionately invested in your mission, the more powerful your emotions will be and the more effective a nd confident your communication will be.How to Get Out of Your Own WayOne of the main challenges of preparing yourself mentally and emotionally for public speaking is to stop focusing on the negative (nerves, potential problems) or on misguided assumptions you have. Here are a couple mistakes you can correct right nowMistake No. 1 Thinking You Should Be Calm OnstageYou probably think you want to be calm onstage, right? Think a little harder about that. Will being super chill while presenting make the impact you want? Did you ever leave a riveting speech or performance and say, Wow, I was so moved. That performer was so calm?Im guessing no. What gets and keeps our attention is a performance that is electric, dynamic, and passionate ratherbei than calm, contained, and controlled. The best presentations make you say something more along the lines of, That performer was a force of natureSuch a response would imply that there was a lot of energy on the stage or set. The more committed an d passionate you are about the topic at hand, the more riveting you will be. Instead of thinking you need to be super chill, spend some time determining what the best amount of energy is for your particular event.Mistake No. 2 Thinking That Feeling Nervous Is aBad ThingYou might think, I wish I didnt feel so nervous. I hate this pit in my stomach and my shaking voice. I feel terrible and am really distracted.Lets break this situation down. There are the physical responses you are having a rapid heartbeat, sweating, or shaky hands. Then there are the thoughts, usually judgments, you are having about these responses Everyone can see Im a wreck My body is being taken over by stress and I cant think straightWhats happening is that you are nervous about being nervous. These thoughts do not help you focus, nor does this narrative set you up to succeed. Accepting these physical responses, rather than judging them and making up stories about what they mean, is key. The more comfortable you can get with the reactions of your body, the less stressed you will be. Instead of reacting with panic, see if you can respond with acceptance and patience.Check out these reactions instead* My hands are shaking. Thats all right. It just means Ive got some extra energy flowing through my body, which I actually really need right now* My heart is racing. Its okay. Im going to take a deep breath and slow down. The issue Im sharing with my audience deeply matters to me, so it makes sense that I feel a reaction when I think about it.Accepting how you feel is much better than fighting how you feel.Your Relationship With Your NervesThinking about your nerves objectively is a good way to separate them from the content of your presentation. As you answer the following questions, you will heighten your awareness of your current responses to your nervesIf you are nervous, what happens to you physically? (Examples I turn bright red I start to sweat I feel the adrenaline.)If you are nervous, wha t happens to you mentally? (Examples I go blank my thoughts race I get very self-critical I get really focused.)If you are nervous, what happens to you emotionally? (Examples I get emotional Im scared everyone can see Im nervous I feel like a failure I feel good I am challenging myself in a new way.)Is a need to be perfect or a fear of being imperfect part of why you feel nervous?Now that you have an outline of how youve felt about your nerves in the past, you can identify areas that could use improvement. The following questions will give you strategies for the next time you feel nervousWhat could be a healthy way to think about striving for excellenceand being the best version of yourself?The next time you are having the physical experiences youdescribed in response to the first question, what are some helpfulways for you to talk to yourself about them?Excerpted from Your Guide to Public Speakingby Amanda Hennessey. Copyright 2019 by Simon Schuster, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, a division of Simon Schuster. All rights reserved.Amanda Hennessey is the founder of Boston Public Speaking, San Diego Public Speaking, and Boston Acting Classes. Your Guide to Public Speaking Build Your Confidence, Find Your Voice, and Inspire Your Audienceis her first book.