(Image: Thinkstock)

When many professionals think of public speaking, they think of politicians, authors or scholars in front of students or a major audience. But great public speaking skills can be used whether speaking to one or thousands. Many of the best leaders, no matter their stature or professional position, have used great communication skills to motivate teams, close deals, market their businesses or promote their personal brands.

Public speaking doesn’t have to bring on thoughts of nausea and debilitating nervousness. It can be a great skill to develop and strengthen, and can also turn into a lucrative side gig.

Madame Noire offers six quick steps to upgrade your public speaking skills and become a master at effective communication.

Read more at Madame Noire …

Madame Noire details cities with a concentration of companies that pay women top dollar in top industries including manufacturing, scientific and management services, education and healthcare.

Read more at Madame Noire …

“Pinch me, it’s great!,” Robinson says of the role. “What I love about Tasha is that she’s a single mom and at the same time she’s not a statistic.  She took that and didn’t become the victim.”

Robinson is also known for her role as high school principal Regina Grier on the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show. Her advice to young people aspiring to a career in the creative arts: “Step outside the box and don’t stay within the confines of what you think is the traditional way of getting in. Be as creative as possible and don’t be afraid to take risks; without risk you’ll never know true possibilities.”

This week’s On the Record discussion centers around the people who are at the center of American conversation and socia media trending topics: President Barack Obama, star NFL quarterback Michael Vick, and top entertainer Beyonce. Our panelists include MSNBC Commentator and political analyst Jeff Johnson; actor and comedian Kim Coles; and writer and comedian Chris Spencer. And finally, our Slice of Life profiles former top model turned teacher Rashid Silvera, who is making a difference in the lives of students attending Scarsdale High School in New York.

Our World with Black Enterprise airs on TV ONE this Sunday, January 22 at 10:00 a.m. and on local stations across the country all weekend.

Check your local listings and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ourworld for additional time and station information.

(Image: Thinkstock)

So you’ve gotten the training, searched the job openings, aced the interview and landed the position that is your entry into professional life and first step in your career journey. But once you’ve gotten the position, there are a few things you should keep in mind to get a good start on success and keep the momentum going. It’s always good to plan early in dotting all i’s and crossing all t’s so that you can focus on doing your best and building a routine of excellence.

Madame Noire details the first six things you should do upon getting employed and why these actions will keep you focused and organized. You can take charge with the confidence that you’ve done your due diligence.

1. Keep any important work-related documents: It might be difficult to remember to save important documents like your pay stubs (if you receive them by paper) once the check comes in, but paperwork like this and other information might be valuable to keep, especially during your first year of employment. Besides referring to these important documents for reference while filing taxes or keeping track of earnings and deductions, keeping documentation such as your check information and more could also help you in case you decide to apply for a new position, a loan or if you’re looking to move into a new place. But if you decide not to keep your work information, make sure it is disposed of in the right way to avoid having your personal info used by someone other than you. Shredding is always a great disposal method for all your juicy information.

Read more at Madame Noire….

Until then, here’s a sample of Committed!

Researchers have likened various personality traits and habits associated with psychopaths— including narcissism, manipulation and indifference to emotions—with the workplace interactions and habits of senior executives. There’s even a study that says senior managers are four times more likely to be psychopaths than other professionals.

“People tend to think of psychopaths as criminals. In fact, the majority of psychopaths aren’t criminal,” says Dr. Robert Hare, a pioneer in the study of psychopathy who developed the first diagnostic test for the mental disorder in 1980. “They don’t go out and maim, rob and rape but find other ways to satisfy themselves without doing something necessarily illegal … such as taking risks with someone else’s property or money.”

Read more at CNN.com …

(Image: Thinkstock)

We know the job market is filled with exemplary candidates, some holding degrees and work experience that go above and beyond the norm. We also know the usual career development track of going to school, getting a degree and hitting the pavement.

But, once all that’s said and done, how do you continue growing and molding yourself into a highly coveted professional who is at no loss for bigger and better job opportunities?

Brazen Careerist offers four ways to boost your professional marketability, so you won’t just rest on your degree-holding laurels.

1. Do-it-yourself
Sometimes you’ve got take educational matters into your own hands and exercise all the “can-do” enthusiasm you can muster. Living in a world where anything you’d ever want to know is a click of a mouse away makes it easy to pick and choose new skills to learn.

Someone who’s doing it: 22-year old Zoelle Egner recently transitioned from a position as a business analyst at a major retail company to a new role running marketing, communication and digital projects for an after-school provider.

Read more at Brazen Careerist …

In today’s job market, personal branding is the name of the game. Not only are companies spending time — and lots of money— managing and cultivating their  brand profile but individuals are carving out niches for themselves as professional brands of their own.

Whether it’s one’s presence on the Web or one’s persona and look, all these elements make up key components to the brand that is you. If you haven’t started thinking of yourself as a brand, a great place to start is by doing a Google search of your own name to see what already exists and what needs to be tweaked. No matter how incognito you’d like to be, your personal information can be accessible with the click of a mouse, from those Facebook updates and photos to your resident location to your dating profiles.

Since many hiring managers and human resource professionals check up on candidates and employees via the Internet — especially their social media profiles — it’s vital to know what story is being told about you via the Web.

So, take a moment to Google yourself. You may be surprised. If you see things you don’t like or maybe things you wouldn’t like to show up first, experts have advised updating your social media profile privacy settings, tweaking your profile details or tweeting more relevant messages that include hash tags that you want your personal brand to be linked to. Though in many cases, Tweets and Facebook posts can be deleted but won’t totally disappear from the Web, you can also delete accounts that may be unused, unsavory or just plain outdated. Update Website photos and links, and try contacting unrelated sites to have personal data hidden or excluded.

Also, be sure your resume is SEO-friendly, and find ways to push down more dated or not-so-professional bits about on the Web by publishing a professional blog, Facebook fan page or professional bio site of your own. Be aware of the information you share on the Internet and what has your name attached to it, such as comments, e-mails, forum posts, tagged photos, and log-in information.

Take charge of your Web presence so that you can present the best “brand you” possible and have no worries when it comes to getting that new big job opportunity.

Read the rest of this article at BE Next…