Welcome to
Your Ph.D.
Newsletter!
Each month we bring you articles and free resources to help you graduate faster and land your dream job. We cover a wide range of topics to help you:
1. Reduce stress
2. Improve your research, and
2. Prepare for your career.
Ready to make 2009 an outstanding year?
If you haven't yet, subscribe to our free newsletter below.
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Available now from Amazon.com:
The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.
200 Secrets from 100 Graduates
Click here to view it on Amazon.com!
(available with free shipping)
Find out the secrets of success from former graduate students:
How can you overcome writing blocks, fear of public speaking, and anxiety to get your thesis back on track?
What strategies can you use to communicate with difficult advisors?
How can you boost your application package and interview skills to get multiple attractive job offers?
Based on interviews with 100 successful Ph.D.s from universities across the US, The Smart Way to Your Ph.D. shows students how to get their graduate
studies on track, finish their theses, and land their dream jobs.
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Greetings!
With so many issues to write about, you might be surprised that I chose "public speaking" for this newsletter. After all, most students only need to give a handful of presentations during their entire graduate career. So why does public speaking matter?
In addition to giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in front of an audience (which might include potential employers), presentations will also inspire you to get organized and focused. As one of the interviewees for my book said: "Nothing motivates you like a deadline."
In this newsletter, I will show you how to plan your presentation, deliver your message, and impress your audience.
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Five ways to captivate your audience
Do you look forward to speaking in public? In reply to this
question, many people just shrug their shoulders and say: "Not really, but it's
a good experience." A few are even more apprehensive: "Oh, I hate giving
presentations. It's so much work!" It's tough to argue with the last bit; unless
you give presentations on a regular basis, preparing a talk will take time. As
many of you have probably found out, opting out of presentations is not an
option, at least not forever. On the upside, if you learn how to become an
outstanding public speaker, you can advance your career by impressing your
audience at seminars, conferences, and job interviews. In a tight job market,
academic excellence alone might not be enough to get you a job; effective
communication skills are also essential for nailing interviews. Here are five
easy ways to captivate your audience and enhance your presentations:
1.Begin your presentation with a story
While it is not necessary to tell jokes, you can
make your presentation more memorable by sharing an anecdote or an interesting
statistic during the introduction.
For example, you could give a
historical perspective on your work or ask a rhetorical
question such as: "How many people here have heard of...?" Such an opening statement will also help you to overcome your nervousness, because it will feel like a conversation rather a presentation.
2. Have a clear take-home message that
can be summarized in one sentence.
Some speakers make the mistake of
trying to cram too much information into their talks. It will be much
easier to plan (and follow) your presentations if you convey only one concise message.
3. Divide your presentation into 3-5
sections
Many of your audience members might
not be experts, and it will be much easier to follow you, if you explain
the big picture and the outline your talk during your introduction. You can make
your outline more interesting by being specific with phrases such as "Our method
for purifying 99% of Protein X" instead of just saying "Methods for
purification." It is also a good idea to show your outline again each time you move
onto a new section.
4. Construct easy-to-read slides and graphs
Did you ever have to squint to
read the labels on graphs because the fonts were so small? During your dry run,
make sure that all the fonts (including labels on graphs) are legible from the back
of the room. As a rule of thumb, your font size should be 18-24 points. Also, simplify your charts so they can be explained in less than 30 seconds, and summarize the results in their titles.
5. Be prepared for the question and answer session
What are the most common questions that you encounter about your research? Have a few backup slides to illustrate your answers to these concerns. If there are no questions, you can break the ice by asking one yourself: "Well a common question that I get is...and the answer is..." After this your audience might have some follow-up questions. If not, wrap up and thank them for their time.
Another word of advice: make sure that all of the technical equipment works before you start your talk. This will give you a piece of mind, and prevent embarrassing moments.
Here are some more resources that
can help you become an outstanding public speaker:
http://www.public-speaking.org/
http://gradschool.about.com/cs/presentations/a/speak.htm
http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/powerpointtipsandfaqs/u/tips-tools.htm
For help with Power Point visit:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/FX100648951033.aspx
ToastMasters International is an
organization to help people become more comfortable with public speaking. You
can view their free resources at:
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources.aspx
In addition, you can view past issues
of Toastmasters magazine for free at:
http://www.toastmasters.org/ToastmastersMagazine/ToastmasterArchive.aspx
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In our next issue: Become more efficient without working longer hours
One of the challenges of a doctoral thesis is that there is no syllabus to guide you along the way. So how do you know what you are supposed to do to graduate? How do you make sure that you are not running in circles without any progress? Is it possible to finish your studies within a reasonable amount of time while pursuing hobbies and socializing with family and friends? In the next issue you will learn how to: - Keep yourself motivated throughout the day
- Make tangible progress every week,
- Set up effective deadlines that you can meet, and
- Structure your time so you can enjoy guilt-free time with your family and friends.
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All the best,
Dora Farkas, Ph.D.
Editor, Your Ph.D. Newsletter
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P.S. Thank you for reading our free newsletter. Please forward it to friends and colleagues who might be interested in signing up. To learn more about The Smart Way to Your Ph.D. or Dora, visit www.yourphd.com.
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