Have a Chat

[alan french]

Hi Faginsgirl.

Just seen your message. I am sorry. But never give up. I can recall once being unemployed and I was once on a voluntary basis a union rep. Here I saw and heard a lot. In some cases people found it a blessing in disguise if they were redundant. Others justifiably took it hard. Please percivere. You will be lucky one day.



Alan French.

[alan french]

Hi Torinfan.

Any news on your sci-fi story?



Alan French.

[torinfan]

name='faginsgirl']It is bad Torinfan, but it certainly has opened my eyes about how some people get jobs.



I have just been to pick up an application form and to have a chat with someone at an old folks home who need another activities co-ordinator, which I have done before. It is job share and the woman seems quite keen to have me as I am the only one who has approached them with any experience, but she needs to speak to her manger. I`ve to hand the form in tomorrow so we will see. Its only 24 hours a week but thats more than a lot of companies are offering these days so I would take it, its permanent so I would be able to stay there and still look around for something with more hours in the meantime, instead of sitting worrying about not haveing any job at all. I quite like working with old folks anyway.



xx

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get this other job, and if that doesn't work out, move to Florida, there's many retired folks who live down here, assisted living is a big business down here and they are always looking for help.

[torinfan]

name='alan french']Hi Torinfan.

Any news on your sci-fi story?



Alan French.

Nothing yet, except that it is being given a second look by the editors.



Then I have another story I'd like to see published - it is directed towards a youth audience, but don't know if there's anyone out there brave enough to publish it.

[faginsgirl]

name='torinfan']I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get this other job, and if that doesn't work out, move to Florida, there's many retired folks who live down here, assisted living is a big business down here and they are always looking for help.

Ha ha! Thats the second piece of advice suggesting I move to America I`ve had today. Must be something in it lol.



Why must a publisher be brave to publish your book Torinfan, is it a bit riskA?



xx

[torinfan]

name='faginsgirl']Ha ha! Thats the second piece of advice suggesting I move to America I`ve had today. Must be something in it lol.



Why must a publisher be brave to publish your book Torinfan, is it a bit riskA?



xx

Not risque, but controversial in other aspects, compounded to the fact it is supposed to be a medieval fantasy story with a female protagonist and hero.

[faginsgirl]

name='torinfan']Not risque, but controversial in other aspects, compounded to the fact it is supposed to be a medieval fantasy story with a female protagonist and hero.

Sounds good to me



xx

[torinfan]

name='faginsgirl']Sounds good to me



xx

Thank you, it was one of those stories I actually enjoyed writing.

[wadsy]

Well I'll be looking Hell in the face at work tomorrow. I have to give a presentation & with



only two days notice. Sweaty palms, dry throat, pounding heartbeat & thats



now just thinking about it. I've always hated having to do presentations & avoid



them if at all possible. The last one was about 6 years ago & was supposed to



last 15 minutes, I got through it inside 4 minutes & everybody looked



at me like I had 2 heads or something. Absolute torture!!

[faginsgirl]

Wadsy, I think all presentations end up shorter than the given time, if they go over you tend to lose the audience`s interest anyway, so I always prefered mine to be short with good content rather than long and boring.



I think the trick is to relax and look forward to it rather than dread it, and if anything does happen to go wrong to try and keep your sense of humour, we are all human after all.



Think of it this way, it`s only 15 minutes (or however long this one is supposed to be) out of your life, I`m sure you will cope with that.



And if people stare after it, maybe they are just wanting more because you have been so interesting . But actual I think thats normal, the audience feel like they need to respectfully wait to make sure you have completely finished before taking thier eyes off you. It`s just etiquette. If I were you I would finish the presentation making it clear that it is finished if you know what I mean? Tell them when you have a minute to go that the presentation is nearly over, so they are expecting it, and when you have finished say something like `Thats it, thanks for listening`.



Remember presentations are about giving information and not a personality test, people need to take the information and your knowledge in and take the informant as he/she is, they have no choice.



Good luck, I`m sure you will be fine.



xx

[wadsy]

Thanks faginsgirl (please make it go away!)



I'm sure you are right I'm just a bit (a lot) nervous!

[faginsgirl]

name='wadsy'] I'm just a bit (a lot) nervous!

That`s natural, but try not to think about it too much, enjoy yourself and keep smiling, and your audience will enjoy it too! Thats the way it works.



Let us know how it goes.



xx

[ShirlGirl]

Wadsy, don't let nervousness get in the way of a successful outcome. I know that's easier said than done, but as long as you know your subject and know what you need to get across, you should be able to tell yourself you can approach it with confidence.



As far as your audience is concerned, don't be nervous about numbers -- each person is an individual so try to imagine that you're presenting to only one person.... if you get my drift!



I wish I could ask my husband for some tips as he does presentations constantly in his line of work, and mentors people at Toastmasters, however, he's already been asleep for two hours. He goes to bed early so as to "soar with the eagles"-- unlike his "night owl" wife.

[Steve Crook]

name='wadsy']Well I'll be looking Hell in the face at work tomorrow. I have to give a presentation & with only two days notice. Sweaty palms, dry throat, pounding heartbeat & thats now just thinking about it. I've always hated having to do presentations & avoid them if at all possible. The last one was about 6 years ago & was supposed to last 15 minutes, I got through it inside 4 minutes & everybody looked at me like I had 2 heads or something. Absolute torture!!

I do them all the time. I have one tomorrow to the head honcho of a major client



Remember Steve's Golden Rule of Presentations.

"The chances of anything going wrong is inversely proportional to the number of people watching, and their importance"



So if it's just you and some friends doing it then it will probably go fine. But if you have to do a presentation to the board of a major (potential or current) client, then you'd better double check everything



The sweaty palms, dry mouth and pounding heartbeat do go away after you've done a few of them. I used to have all of those as well.



Make sure that you know the subject. A confident delivery always works best

Don't rush it, give them time to absorb what you're saying

Don't just talk, examples, diagrams or pictures always help - and they give the audience something to look at so that they won't all be staring at you



Steve

[torinfan]

name='wadsy']Well I'll be looking Hell in the face at work tomorrow. I have to give a presentation & with



only two days notice. Sweaty palms, dry throat, pounding heartbeat & thats



now just thinking about it. I've always hated having to do presentations & avoid



them if at all possible. The last one was about 6 years ago & was supposed to



last 15 minutes, I got through it inside 4 minutes & everybody looked



at me like I had 2 heads or something. Absolute torture!!

My elocution is not the best either, if that is any comfort. Anyways, best of luck to you, and imagine everyone in the audience is naked.

[AdobeFlats]

WDSY - Have a ruler or something in your hand. It gives you some confidence. Don't know why, but it does.

[John Llewellyn Moxey]

Best of British Wadsy

[Steve Crook]

name='torinfan']My elocution is not the best either, if that is any comfort. Anyways, best of luck to you, and imagine everyone in the audience is naked.

It's better to keep your blood for your brain



Steve

[wadsy]

Thanks for the advice everyone, it wasn't as bad as I thought. There were only



12 people there & I got through it alright. The management even made



allowances for the short notice (two days!) that I was given & it was a lot more



relaxed & informal than I was led to expect! If I did them more often maybe I'd



find them less daunting. Thanks again for your help it's much appreciated!

[faginsgirl]

Well done Wadsy



xx