Students at Touro Graduate School of Technology (GST) received great career related advice this month, at their biannual Career Night. Career Nights at Touro GST are scheduled twice a year, and both students and alumni are invited to attend. During the evenings, guest speakers introduce students to innovative career building best practices. This year Jayne Latz, President of Corporate Speech Solutions, came to discuss the first three steps in her book ‘Communicate Up The Corporate Ladder’. Read on for a recap of Latz’s advice!

The First Step: Speaking With Clarity

The first thing that Jayne explained is that “the way you speak is one of the most important ways to convey an air of confidence and success”. This includes your tone of voice and the rate at which you speak. One important communication technique in regard to speaking is projection. Increasing the volume of your voice is not the solution for better projection. Instead, Jayne suggests you work on your breath support. One way you can practice this technique is to read a short sentence from a book repeatedly adding a few more words each time. This will help increase the length of time you are able to speak in one breath.

Example Exercise:

1. Did you go to class?
2. Did you go to class on Monday?
3. Did you go to class on Monday at 4 o’clock?
4. Where were your peers on Monday at 4 o’clock when they weren’t in class?
5. Where were your peers on Monday at 4 o’clock when they weren’t in class for your presentation?
6. Where were your peers on Monday at 4 o’clock when they weren’t in class for your presentation that they were supposed to help present?
7. Where were your peers on Monday at 4 o’clock when they weren’t in class for your presentation that they were supposed to help present for extra credit?

The Second Step: Communicating With Clarity and Confidence

If you want to create a strong professional image, then confidence is key! Jayne states that "projecting confidence can have a strong impact on how others perceive your character and professional abilities”. Use good posture, eye contact, and speech, to communicate properly with your audience and you will be seen as professional and trustworthy. Jayne made sure to take time with the students to discuss intonation in their speech. Did you know that speaking in a monotone voice could prevent your listeners from being engaged and interested? Be sure to practice varied intonations when speaking.

Example Exercise:

The first sentence below indicates a monotone version with no inflection in your voice. Try the next three sentences while putting stress on the bolded word.

• The sales figures are up 30% this year.
• The sales figures are up 30% this year.
• The sales figures are up 30% this year.
• The sales figures are up 30 this year.

The Third Step: Standing Out in the Corporate World

Communication skills are important whether you’re attending a networking event, meeting, or interview. These skills can also be non-verbal. Practice speaking with a friend or a career services faculty member. Each of you should write down how well your communication skills were using a 1-5 rating scale.

Rate These Factors:

1. Did your voice have power?
2. Did you enunciate every word?
3. Were you energetic but slow enough to be clear?

These were just a few points from Jayne Latz on how to succeed in the business environment. You might think that with a major in technology, communication shouldn’t be a necessary skill, however, whether you're going on an interview, presenting in a meeting, or hoping to get a promotion, communicating with clarity and confidence is be fundamental. For more tips and exercises you can purchase Latz’s book, ‘Communicating Up The Corporate Ladder’, from Amazon (Kindle and Paperback available).

For a technology school that puts extra focus on career services and getting their students and alumni jobs, check out Touro Graduate School of Technology in NYC. Touro GST has designed a specialized course giving their students an edge over other job-seekers who only have bachelor's degrees. This New York school of technology offers night and weekend classes and a competitive tuition because they believe that a good education should not break the bank. Join an Open House and your application fee will be waived!