By Morgan O'Donnell - Red Raven Circling
In our current environment with unemployment rates of 9% as well as tough economic times, many job seekers are looking for something that gives them an edge or makes them standout. Some people are choosing to pursue graduate degrees. Others have hired career coaches. Still other people have opted for expensive training and leadership programs. What if you don’t have a lot of money or time? Try Toastmasters!
Although Toastmasters International has been around since 1930, many people either mistakenly believe that it only deals with learning to make toasts or simply do not realize the full range of benefits the ever-evolving organization has to offer. Although Toastmasters did indeed start with the idea of helping young men improve their toasting and public speaking skills, it has grown to encompass the goals of empowering both women and men to become effective communicators and leaders. As you will see below, Toastmasters offers at least 7 powerful for tools—aside from improving public speaking skills—for any job seeker whether you are currently unemployed, seeking to move up, or want to transition to new a career. Best of all, the typical club membership dues are often below $100 for the first year of membership and can be as low as $66 per year for returning members. (Some corporate clubs will pay dues for their members.)
1. Positive Attitude/Supportive Environment
The first thing a typical visitor will find at a Toastmasters club meeting is a friendly and supportive environment as well as positive attitudes and welcoming smiles. Members are there to help each other improve and succeed. This weekly (in some cases biweekly) infusion of positive energy is something from which every job seeker can benefit, especially after a disappointing job interview or rejection.
Personal Experience – The positive attitude and supportive environment is part of why I have continued to renew my membership year after year. The weekly meetings leave me feeling energized and ready to take on the world.
2. Networking/Friendships
Career coaches, unemployment specialists, and job search experts will all tell you that networking is one of the key elements to finding a new job. By joining a Toastmasters club, job seekers have the opportunity to meet people outside of their normal range of acquaintances. Community clubs are open to anyone while corporate (this can be any type of organization though) clubs typically restrict membership to their employees or specialized community. Besides networking at club meetings, members can also attend area and district contests and conferences where they will have the opportunity to meet an even wider range of people.
Personal Experience – My club membership has allowed me to meet all sorts of people from senior administrators to facilities management to administrative assistants at the universities where I have worked. Attending district conferences, I have been fortunate to connect with CEO’s, realtors, and entrepreneurs to name a few. Best of all, I have made new friends who have enriched my life.
3. Resources
Membership in Toastmasters provides you with many resources. The new member kit includes the following manuals: Competent Communication, Competent Leadership, Your Speaking Voice, Effective Evaluation, and Gestures: Your Body Speaks. Additionally, there is the monthly Toastmaster magazine filled with all sorts of tips, tricks, and information on everything from public speaking to interview techniques to publishing a book! Members can also purchase a variety of books and DVD’s from the Toastmasters store at a discount. Job seekers are sure to find at least one or two tidbits that will help them and likely will discover a treasure chest of possibilities.
4. Learning to Listen
Since Toastmasters International’s primary reputation is about public speaking, many people may not be aware that the skill of careful listening is also developed and encouraged. Listening skills are particularly helpful during interviews when job seekers need to focus on what exactly is being asked as well as pick up on a variety of verbal cues and body language.
Personal Experience – After I joined Toastmasters, began giving speeches and receiving formal evaluations, I started listening to myself. I became much more aware of how I spoke and presented myself. Additionally, after learning how to listen more carefully, I found my interview skills improving along with my confidence.
5. Opportunity to Make Mistakes
One of the greatest things about Toastmasters is the acknowledgment that not only is it okay to make mistakes, but that making mistakes is a wonderful way to learn. Many companies, organizations, and even families seem to desire perfection without realizing that failures can often teach us more than our successes. In The Leadership Challenge, the authors Kouzes and Posner say that “promoting learning requires a spirit of inquiry and openness, patience, and building in a tolerance for error and a framework for forgiveness.” (201) Toastmasters provides this environment, which can be crucial as job seekers learn new skills and improve upon rusty ones.
6. Mentors
Most Toastmasters clubs assign new members a mentor to help them at least through their first three speeches. The mentor can also be a wonderful resource about how Toastmasters works in general, providing information about various meeting roles and leadership positions. However, job seekers may also be able to find a mentor in the company where they hope to find employment in or in a field to which they would like to transition.
Personal Experience – I have been fortunate to find two experienced and generous women who have served as mentors, providing me with advice and encouragement over the years. I met both of them through Toastmasters.
7. Leadership
For many years Toastmasters International focused primarily on helping people become better speakers. Now, Toastmasters recognizes the importance of leadership skills and strives to help its members become better leaders with a variety of opportunities from leading a meeting to organizing a contest to leading a district. Leadership skills play an important role in almost any job whether you are seeking to lead a company or have been put in charge of an informal group seeking new ways to green the office.
Personal Experience – I have had the opportunity to serve in a number of leadership roles including assistant area governor of marketing, president, vice president of education, vice president of public relations, and secretary. I list this information on my resume and it has not only helped me get interviews, but jobs as well!
For more information on Toastmasters International, visit www.toastmasters.org. You can also locate a club near through the website and visit in person (excluding clubs with membership criteria).
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