Toronto... there and back again, an IAB Adventure

So off I travelled again to Toronto to take my final IAB Canada course in Interactive Digital Marketing. For those who missed the first part of my adventure please find it here. The traffic was still horrendous, the trains were unorganized, my taxi drivers were eerily quiet (probably because they knew little English) BUT none the less I can say I appreciate Econo Lodge rooms more than Howard-Johnston suites... although their beds leave nothing to compare!

Another full house of eager 'students' of business professionals and students later and we were off on our journey of mobile marketing, video advertising and what the future holds for us all...
The same as before we were welcomed with open hospitality and a spectacular view of downtown Toronto life. Our teacher was marvelous- and it didn't help that the content isn't as ... dry and tedious as SEO. Again the day's survivors were awarded certificates and bid farewell until the next course (I only wish I had the money & time to take more, surely anyone who has either should look into bettering your knowledge with these seminars - they are certainly Creative.Dunning Approved!)

As terms of my 'graduation agreement' I needed to write two "mini reports" on what I learned from each course; I have uploaded them for your viewing pleasure but please don't take them too seriously... They did start our very essay/report styled but as I had to continue through my course content my ambition started to fade quickly. It also doesn't help that the "textbooks" they give you are the thickness of bricks..

 

That being said I would gladly share any more added information on either topics with anyone inquiring. Of course I am keeping all of my seminar material (maybe I will make posts or videos on it so that many will not have to suffer learning on their own as I did.)

Public Speaking... Perfection or Peril?

Public speaking is a 'must' in life, whether its a phone call, conference call, public meeting, working lunch, office boardrooms or classroom presentations. Whether it comes naturally to you or your natural reaction is to hide behind the podium (or someone else) we all have to face our fears eventually.

This is why I'm sharing a Prezi presentation I found, about the 10 Most Common Rookie Mistakes in Public Speaking.

1.) Don't be afraid to take up some space. Hesitance  in your movements comes across like an apology and under-confidence to the audience.

2.) Speaking in a very quiet monotone level will always seem uninvolved, uninteresting, and unenthusiastic. If you really want to impress then speak with moderate volume and demand the audience's attention. Make changes in your pitch and speed also so that you don't sounds like a voice recording.


3.) Keep calm and study on! Experienced speakers do plenty of research so that they feel confident in their material and their ability to respond to any question the audience might throw at them.


4.) Practise DOES make perfect; Always practise on your feet - never sitting or laying down gazing at your notes or computer screen. Experienced speakers will often do a dry run of their material with a trusted audience of friends, family, or colleagues.


5.) It's not always about the facts! Make sure you balances facts, data, visuals and real life examples/experiences to keep your audience engaged.


6.) When your presentation content is too safe, it usually comes across as boring. When the most important ability as a speaker is the ability to garner attention, can you afford to avoid taking risks? Keep it entertaining, exciting AND informative!


7.) "Everybody hurts...sometimes!" Use example stories where you make mistakes but learned from the experience in a positive way. This shows vulnerability and less like a plagiarized perfectionist.


8.) My main way to curb nerves is humour, over my 3 years at SLC I've gotten very good at it (so say my professors..) Respect your audience’s professionalism but relate to their humanity informally. By speaking to them more informally, you project that you are equal. They will read that as confidence. Make a joke here or there and don't be afraid to make light of yourself - but not the entire time!


9.) Short, sweet and to the point. Speakers often expand even further on their topic when they see audience’s reactions instead of leaving them curious for more...


10.) As previously stated, use a range of speed and volume when presenting. A range! As in don't continue to speed up and don't continue talking without pausing for breath. Taking pauses can...
a) Increase audience perception as well as your feeling of confidence and ease.
b) Give your audience time to digest your key points and give those points greater impact.
and c) Give you time to formulate your thoughts into more succinct and cogent sentences.

Life after Disney... in Toronto??? An IAB Adventure..

After returning back to college life in Canada after the Disney International Exchange Program I was left with the dilemma of how to graduate on time with the rest of my classmates... One of my professors found a solution in IAB Canada, an interactive advertising bureau that is fully-dedicated to the development and promotion of digital/interactive advertising in Canada.

IAB Canada is the national voice and de facto thought leader of the Canadian digital marketing and advertising industry, and is a not-for-profit association representing Canada’s most well-known and respected advertisers, agencies, media companies, mobile and video game marketers & developers, measurement companies, service providers, educational institutions and government associations operating within the space.

The Game-plan? I take 2 day-seminars (at a thankful student discount of course) in two of the courses I missed during my Spring semester, write a report on what I learned & my experience, all in exchange for the passing grade and certification that I have full knowledge in those subjects enough to graduate properly!

The Solution?
Course #1: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Course #2: Interactive Digital Marketing

So as much as I HIGHLY distaste Toronto... (Not the city or the people in general... for the most part... just the congestion) off I went on a 2hr 'Escape' VIA train ride at 8:30 at night to arrive at my hotel at basically midnight... I now know I probably should warn the hotel of my overly late check-in... although it is funny to walk up to the front lobby and see the scared looks on their faces when I try to open their locked doors and say "Good evening I have a reservation.." (ugh I distaste Toronto...)

I received a beautifully warm welcome from IAB's head hostess & clerk Amberlea Bruch and indulged in a more awakening breakfast fit for business professionals alike (heaven to an allergy-sufferer!)

There were many big names in the 'classroom' that day, Mercedez-Benz, Canadian Tire, George Brown College and ING Direct just to name a few - and all job positions ranging from account directors, media buyers and financial teams.

I won't get into the details of our long day (plus they gave us a 'textbook' the side of an old desktop computer and twice as thick..,) and I thought college was bad, wait until your in a room with business professionals that for a day get to become college students all over again! But it was definitely interesting to view first-hand how our current industry leaders think, analyze and learn.

The day's survivors got a beautiful certificate to show their knowledge and strength! I'm sure in the near future I will post a blog about my understanding of SEO and Google Analytics... (whether it will be factual or funny I have not yet decided..) In any case, for a day I suppose Toronto was fun... if not tolerable. And although I distaste Toronto I was thoroughly impress with my Interactive Digital Marketing course!

Job Interview Jitters...???

I was recently reading this article on LinkedIn about job interviews and how to answer particularly trick (or relatively stupid) questions that you may face on the spot.

"A job search is a test of your fortitude. The struggling economy doesn't make it easy, and an even bigger challenge is the dysfunctional recruiting process used by nearly every medium-sized and large employer."

We've all been in those nerve-wracking interviews, after staying up all night practising your monologue long answers to every scenario possible. But what really gets me is after all of the rehearsing, and worrying - they start asking foolish or irrelevant questions just to throw you off your game and waste time. Almost like they're using a script or just don't know what to ask for the job description...

The article is quite long and in-depth but I thought I would share the jist of it for you.

First off the article explains various ways to turn the tides on the interviewer and merge in your own questions - this throws them off and sometimes even into a panic when they know their script is disrupted. Many interviews have two clear roles... the interviewer & the victim; many don't like to switch roles or turn the interview into a casual or pleasant conversation (those are the people that should consider switching jobs, companies or retiring...)

1. If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?
Hmmm, probably some kind of wild cat, like a jaguar - I enjoy the hunt.

2. With all the talented candidates, why should we hire you?
I love this field and I'm excited to keep growing muscles in it. That being said, I haven't met the other candidates and I'm sure there are smart and capable people in that group. That's going to be your challenge, to consider what's ahead for you and which person can best fill that role. I have total faith that if we're supposed to be working together, we'll figure that out.

3. What's your greatest weakness?
I used to obsess about my weaknesses when I was younger. I took classes and read books like you wouldn't believe, and then over time it occurred to me that I should be focusing on the things I do well, like designing financial reports. Other things like graphic design, for instance - aren't for me, so I steer myself toward the work that jazzes me and where I can make the biggest impact.

4. Where do you see yourself in five years?
I love Finance, and I don't have plans to move out of it but then again you never know what influences will hit you. I'm interested in getting my MBA, so five years from now I could be one year out of school and I may think totally differently at that point than I do now. The things I can say for sure are that if I'm alive five years from now, I'll be working hard at something I love and supporting the people around me. For me, the team is as important as the work.

Reading the full article is a bit more comical and it even gives examples of better questions to ask whether your the interviewer or victim.
How do you handle tricky or irrelevant job interview situations? What are some of the craziest questions you have had asked upon you?