Business Career Center.com

If you have to make presentations in your job or business career, then you know the embarrassment of making others sit through flat, boring lectures and PowerPoint presentations that don’t inspire or enthrall. The information you have to impart is interesting. . . at least some part of it is interesting, so you must find a way to make your audience relate to it and care about it. Here are some tips:

• First, create anticipation. Use social networking sites like facebook and twitter to let people know what the presentation will be about and to answer their questions in advance. Always discuss how the topic affects others and how it will help them achieve their goals.
• Ensure your presentation is video and image rich. If you use PowerPoint, there is plenty of opportunity to add relevant images, but other programs also enable you to utilize video and image in new and interesting ways.
• Use social media to make your presentation more interactive. You can encourage audience members to respond to a poll or express their opinions vial text message or tweets. This way the audience feels included and important.

A business career is a wonderful ambition, but have you thought to consider what field you would like to pursue? “Business” is no longer an adequate major if one wants to land a dream job. You must take time to consider what your own likes and dislikes are, and what fields fascinate you. Consider some of the biggest business specializations popular today:

• Economics
• Finance
• Analysis
• Database management
• Software development
• Marketing
• Internet marketing
• Online sales
• International finance
• Human resource management

There are so many fields and sub-fields, that there is no reason for a business major to remain a generalist. If you love adventure, maybe international finance will appeal to you. If you enjoy working with people, then consider human resource management. If your proclivity is toward crunching numbers, why not look into economics and finance, try internships, and really experiment within the field until you discover a specialty that could hold your interest for many years to come. In today’s business world, specialization is key. What is your field of interest?

If you are interested in a business career, you know that after the resume comes the job interview. Some folks freeze up in interviews and lose a potential job just because of bad interview skills. After all, an interview is not just an ordinary conversation. It is THE conversation that could determine the rest of your life. So be sure to practive interview skills at home with a friend before throwing yourself into the lion’s den. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• There is a great temptation to lie. Don’t! It is easy to exaggerate your skills and experience, but it is also easy to be found out in the end. Don’t apply for jobs where you have to lie in order to get them. Just be yourself, be honest, and that will be enough.
• Don’t crack jokes. Sure, if you get a zinger off it could go over really well, but if it falls flat you could end up being misunderstood. That would be a major disaster. Besides, unless the job is for a stand-up comedian, you won’t be hired based on your sense of humor.
• Don’t be picky and present demands. Even if you have a bad back and need a special office chair, the interview isn’t the time to bring it up. Give the impression of being a team player, not one who makes inordinate demands.

Above all, be sure to practice getting into the formal office setting and having a friend ask you tricky questions. You can buy a book of “interview questions” just as easily as your employer can, so if you have your answers ready, the whole thing will be a snap!

When deciding to start a business career, it is not only important to choose which business you want to work for, but also where you want to live. Those already in business but looking to make a lateral move should consider the economics of various regions as well. If the availability of work in your area has caused you financial distress, this is the time to look to regions of the country with a better economic picture. Forbes Magazine recently rated the best places in the country for business and careers, and the state the stood head and shoulders above the rest was North Carolina.

“Only a handful of metro areas have escaped falling employment over the past three months,” states Forbes. Because of Research Triangle Park, one of North Americas most established science parks, those fortunate places are primarily in North Carolina. The most prominent cities are:

• Raleigh
• Durham, Asheville
• Wilmington
• Winston-Salem
• Charlotte

So if you are looking to move to a region where business careers are still thriving, consider one of these delightful, old-world cities.