Oprah gives simple advice to colorado college graduates

Oprah gives simple advice to colorado college graduatesOprah gives simple advice to colorado college graduatesOprah gave a very Oprah commencement address at Colorado College over the weekend. The billionaire dished on anecdotes from her talk show, promoted life in service, reminded students they needed to get a job and make eye contact, and plugged her book, a copy of which was handed out with each diploma.Im here to tell you that you actually do get to transform the world every day by your actions. Small steps lead to big accomplishments, she said. Im here to tell you that your life isnt one big break like everyone tell you it is. Its actually about taking one life-transforming step at a time.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe truth is, you cannot fix everything, Oprah continued. But what you can do, here and now, is make a decision, because life is about decisions. And the d ecision is that you will use your life in service you will be in service to life. You will speak up. You will show up. You will stand up. You will sit in. You will volunteer. You will vote. You will shout out. You will help. You will lend a hand. You will offer your talent and your kindness however you can, and you will radically transform whatever moment youre in which leads to bigger moments.Oprah spoke of how she chose to stop doing certain types of TV interviewing the Klan, showcasing cheaters to doing shows that were in service to the viewer.She also admitted she had a beautiful life whatever you imagine my life to be like I wonder what Oprahs doing right now? its always 10 times better than whatever you think. She also had great wealth, she said Moneys fabulous, I love it but said those things came to her because she was paying attention you have to pay attention to your life because it is speaking to you all the time the bumps in the road led me to a path made clear. The Path Made Clear is also the name of her new book.Oprah then doled out some practical advice to graduates.Your anxiety does not contribute one iota to your progress, she said. She urged them not to define themselves through measures of traditional success because it is beyond their control.She told the graduates to take a deep breath and repeat after her Everything is always working out for me. Thats my mantra. Make it yours.But first, she said, You do need a job. Yup. You need a job. And it does not need to be your lifes mission, not your greatest passion, not your most fulfilled self, but a job that pays your rent and lets you move out of your parents house.Other bits of adviceYes, it does pay to floss.Yes, you do need to look people in the eye when you speak to them.You need to keep your commitments.You need to make your bed every day because when you do, it makes the whole house look better.You need to not bring your cell phones to the dinner table.She plugged her tome, a rec entNew York Times bestseller, The Path Made Clear Discovering Your Lifes Direction and Purpose, featuring short essays on her life principles, interspersed with quotes from other thought leaders she admires. Students received a copy of the book when they were handed their diploma.You get a book, and you get a book, and everybody gets a book she exclaimed at the end.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

What to Do When Your Boss Asks You to Do Something Weird, Wrong, or Unethical - The Muse

What to Do When Your Boss Asks You to Do Something Weird, Wrong, or Unethical - The MuseWhat to Do When Your Boss Asks You to Do Something Weird, Wrong, or Unethical You and your babo have a completely normal and healthy professional relationship. You pride yourselves on your open and honest communication style. You respect each other both in and out of the office. And, you even stop and say a polite hello when you run into each other at the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. Everything between the two of you is completely fine. Then, it happens. Your boss asks you to do something that makes you totally uncomfortable. Whether he asked you to fire your own co-worker, lie to aleidher team about a projects status, or pick up his children from daycare, your managers request seems either awkward, unethical, or both. So, what do you do? Obviously, because its your boss, you feel pressured to enthusiastically agree to every direction and demand. But, your moralische verfassung compass i s causing your stomach to twist into knots. Dont spiral into a panic yet You can navigate your way through this sticky situation while keeping both a clean conscience and your job. Heres how1. Dont Respond ImmediatelyFirst things first, you want to do your best to avoid replying to your boss right then and there. This is a delicate situation, so you need to treat it as such and take some time to determine your best course of action.Additionally, if you feel pressured to respond in the heat of the moment, you might wind up not being so satisfied with your answer. Either youll agree to the request against your better judgment, or youll stutter and stammer your way through a meek and uncertain refusal that could be interpreted as offensive.2. Evaluate the SituationNow that youve managed to remove yourself from the conversation (at least for a little while), its time to mull over your boss request and determine what exactly is making you uneasy. Is this task something that makes you unc omfortable simply because its outside of your standard job duties, or is it actually an unethical or unreasonable demand? Do you need to get somebody else in the office involved? Would completing this request significantly help your boss out and push your career forward, or does it present serious risk of damage to your professional reputation and personal ethics? Or worse, could you get in trouble or fired?Its difficult to figure out exactly how you want to respond until you know the root of your anxiety. So, make sure you take some time to figure that out.3. Determine Your Best Method for ResponseSo, youve determined how you want to move forward. Now, its time to let your boss know. But, should you set up an appointment to talk it over with him or her in person? Or, will a simple emaille suffice?Well, typically your best rule of thumb is to respond using the same communication channel that your manager used to make the request. If your boss asked you in person, then youll want to talk it over with him or her that same way. However, if your supervisor sent a brief email to ask something of you, you can reply in that same message. And, if the demand was indeed unethical, remember to save that email thread You might need it. 4. Craft Your ResponseDetermining how you want to respond is one thing. But, figuring out exactly what to say is a completely separate battle. Whether youre agreeing to your boss request or turning it down, you want to do so in a way thats concise, eloquent, and clearly states your expectations.So, what the heck do you say? Well, it depends on the situation.If Youre AgreeingWell, this ones pretty easy Say something along the lines of, Id be happy to take care of that for you today. Do you anticipate this becoming a regular part of my job duties? Or, is this a one-time thing? This ensures that youre on the same page about what exactly youre agreeing to.If Youre Turning Your Boss DownPerhaps the request isnt unethical per se, but its not some thing youre not completely at ease with doing (remember to be reasonable with this, by the way- you still need to actually do your job). Try responding with, Im sorry, but Im just not comfortable completing that task. Is there something else I can do to help you out? Please let me know. This shows your boss that youre not willing to ignore your conscience in order to blindly follow any demand, but youre still prepared to help him or her out with sensible requests. If Youre Confident the Request Is UnethicalNeeding to respond to a completely unethical and immoral request opens up an entirely new can of worms. If your boss made the demand in an email, often your best bet is to print the message and head straight to HR without responding directly. However, if youre engaged in an in-person conversation that requires you to react immediately, take a deep breath and say, That request feels unethical to me, and I just dont feel comfortable doing it. Its very likely your boss is aware of th at fact and wont push you any harder after you vocalize it. However, you should still follow that up with a visit to your HR department just to get it all in writing.5. Document ItOf course, this step is really only important if your boss demand was unethical. So, if your manager asked you to do something that seemed dishonorable or shady, you absolutely need to keep documentation of the incident.Again, if the exchange occurred via email, ensure that you hang onto those messages. If nothing else, mark down the date and time and record a brief summary of the exchange. It might not hold as much water as the words straight out of your boss mouth, but it counts for something in a pinch. The dynamic between you and your boss can be somewhat delicate. And, when your supervisor asks you to do something that makes you uneasy, your relationship can become even trickier. Follow these steps in order to get through the uncomfortable conversation with both your conscience and your professional r eputation intact Photo of working woman courtesy of Shutterstock.

Not Quite Qualified Apply Anyway

Not Quite Qualified Apply AnywayNot Quite Qualified? Apply AnywayNot Quite Qualified Apply AnywayThe job posting seems too good to be true. Its the kind of role that can start you on a path to your long-term career goal, at a company thats been on your short list of targets. You just know that this is a job thats screaming out your name.Theres just one little problem The posting wants someone with seven to ten years of professional experience. You have only three.On top of that, the posting says you need to be expert with a specific piece of software, but youve had only minimal exposure to it.OK, so there are two little problems. Or maybe theyre not so little?So, what do you do?Apply anyway, hoping the employer ignores or wont notice the experience gap?Move on to the next job posting, albeit a bit dejectedly?Or, apply, but, in your cover letter, acknowledge your lack of sufficient experience and stress your other skills that do meet the companys criteria. Also, think of dropping in a couple of quotes from current or former colleagues that can extol your virtues as a professional and support the assertions you make.Hmmm, maybe that last option seems appealing. If it is, take it Why? Here are three reasonsYou might just intrigue them enough to call you in for an interview. Lets say you state something like this in your cover letter I have three years of solid experience in web development, as well as the project management and team-building skills youre looking for. I am familiar with BuildIts capabilities, and am able to quickly master new software programs. So, I would put in the extra effort to develop expertise in BuildIt. In fact, a former teamberater wrote this on my performance evaluation last year Bob is able to quickly absorb the functionality ofany software program, and can help others get up to speed.This kind of statement can make a positive impression on a hiring manager. It demonstrates energy, a personal commitment to learn, and how seriously you t ake your career. Besides, smart employers know that most skills can be taught, but important personality traits (such as likability) cant. Theres no guarantee youll be called for an interview, but it could happen.In fact, it did happen just days ago to a young woman I know who took this approach in her cover letter. The job description listed experience with the web design software Dreamweaveras a required skill, and she had not used it before. She told the truth, pointed out her other qualifications, and was called in for an interview this week.If you dont get this job, maybe theyll consider you for another one. If this lage is out of your league, maybe there will be another thats more suited for your qualifications. If its a company youve dreamed of working for, it would be a good idea to follow up on your original submission. If this is a company that actively looks for people who will fit in well, and you make a good impression, you just might get hired when another job opens up .Admittedly, many companies dont espouse this hiring practice. But with some employers placing a higher priority on talent recruitment and development, I wouldnt be surprised if more begin paying attention to previously rejected candidates as part of their recruitment strategies.If nothing else, youve scored some points for honesty. You may not have had every skill they wanted, but at least you were forthright in your cover letter. And honesty counts for a lot with about 99.99% of employers.Have you ever applied for a job knowing you didnt have the right level of experience? How did you fare? Please share your thoughts below.

How Testing Helps Hire for a Job Thats Never Been Done Before

How Testing Helps Hire for a Job Thats Never Been Done BeforeHow Testing Helps Hire for a Job Thats Never Been Done BeforeBack in 2004 Bill Tancer welches presented with a unique problem. He was senior vice president of research at an online metrics company called Hitwise, which had just moved its headquarters from Australia to the U.S. Like many executives at early-stage startups, Tancer was responsible for building a team. But what kind of team?He needed someone who could dive into the companys data on the behavior of millions of Internet users, find insights, write press releases and reports and take over some of his press interviews and speaking engagements. The title of the new role, he decided, would be senior research analyst. But he knew he could not hire just any analyst because the job was different than what he had done years before as a Gartner analyst.I knew there was no one doing what I needed someone to do, he said.He was willing to look for people with skills that he could develop. He knew he could teach someone to write press releases and to speak to marketers, because he learned to do those things on the job.Prior to his roles in absatzwirtschaft and analytics he had been a Navy prosecutor.So what was the most important quality he was looking for?Intellectual curiosity.You cant teach intellectual curiosity, he said, and you also cant do a resume search for it.He decided that he would consider candidates with backgrounds in analytics, marketing, and journalism, and developed a test. He would give them access to the database and ask them to come up with story and write a press release.A recruiter sent him resumes that might be a fit, and he reached out to the candidates whom he thought had good analysis and writing skills. After a phone interview, he asked the top candidates to participate in the test. One candidate, a PhD, refused to take it, thinking that the evidence of his degree precluded him from such endeavors.Other candidates took the te st and failed to write anything compelling. There was one candidate who embraced the exercise with the just the intellectual curiosity he was looking for a fascination with information. It was October and the height of the 2004 presidential election. The race between George W. Bush and John Kerry was fiery hot and Factcheck.org was in the news.Hitwise data showed which sites people visited before and after a site, what search terms they used to get there and demographic information on who visited those sites, including what state they lived in. Were people visiting Factcheck.org more likely to come from red states or blue states? Were they visiting Democratic or Republican political sites before and after? What age were they? There was a wealth of information for someone to discover, and that someone was me.I passed the intellectual curiosity test, and after another test- a presentation to Tancer and Chris Maher, the U.S. general manager- I was offered the job.The job came at a time in my life when I was open to something new. I had struggled to make a career in advertising, and after a layoff from an ad agency in the dot.com bust of 1999-2000 I landed a job as a consumer analyst at Levi Strauss. Analyzing consumers complaints and compliments about pants kept me occupied until downsizing cut the consumer relations department in half. I found myself collecting unemployment once again.My previous experience gave me a good understanding of marketing, and I was fascinated with consumer behavior. I was a good writer but never thought I would be making presentations to hundreds of people or talking to reporters at the New York Times. But thats what I ended up doing. I was open to opportunity. The job at Hitwise shaped my career for the three years I spent at Hitwise and turned into a freelance career.Tancer is still involved with Hitwise as the head of global research for Experian, which acquired the company in 2007. He hired several people after me, always looking for candidates with the saatkorn breed of intellectual curiosity that would drive their research. He still believes in the importance of testing, and that its the only way to ferret out those intangible qualities that may not show up keyword searches and lists of skills.As I wrote in, How to Think Like a Pioneer When Hiring Pioneers, learning ability is one of the most important qualities to screen for in hiring for newly created roles, and testing is of the few ways for a hiring manager to accurately evaluate the quality of candidates work.For the candidate, testing is a great way to get a sense of the role and decide if the work is enjoyable. If I hadnt enjoyed writing that sample press release and preparing that presentation for Tancer and Maher, I would have been very unhappy at the Hitwise job because it required writing three or four press releases a month and preparing countless presentations. I had never written a press release before, but the exercise proved I could learn h ow. Talk is one thing, but doing and evaluating real work is another- and its essential for finding a fit in newly created roles.Read Related Articles4 Pleasing Results From Hiring a Career Change CandidateDiversify with Career-Change Candidates 6 Factors to Consider6Tips for Hiring in Emerging Fields

Shocking Info About Resmue Uncovered

Shocking Info About Resmue Uncovered The Appeal of Resmue A resume template makes it simple to showcase your abilities and expertise in a suitable format. It can readily be edited with your selection of fonts and you are able to find comprehensive instructions included in your download. The template includes two resume pages along with a cover letter template and can readily be edited and customized with your selection of fonts and colours. This template isnt hard to edit in Microsoft Word together with in InDesign or Photoshop. The Basics of Resmue Resumes could be organized in various ways. They can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment.Employers are interested in finding concrete skills. Job seekers deserve to locate decent content quickly. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Resmue Is Wrong This collection could potent ially save a great deal of hours for everybody If you follow these directions, youre get more interviews and will probably get hired for a better job. The piece you truly need the hiring manager reading is your latest work experience (and be sure you tailored that info to fit the work description). Got me an interview within this tight, competitive industry Our resume builder is the quickest approach to create a resume that can help you get your fantasy job. Whether youre a chef, server, or host, you can take advantage of this sample to compose your own. You will not ever send your master resume to anybody, therefore it isnt important how much time it is. It isnt your work history or a duplicate of your job description. Try out the Resume template if you would like a small versatility in your templates. Try out the Infographic Resume template if you desire a unique and contemporary look. It also comes with a cover letter template. Have a look at our assortment of contempora ry templates and get started creating an effective resume promptly. Understanding Resmue The discipline of information technology gets more important each and every day. Also, make certain youre using your private contact info, rather than your work. While all resumes should offer information on your work and education experience, along with your abilities and accomplishments, there are various ways to present this info. A kollektiv player with superior customer service abilities. The Downside Risk of Resmue Transportation jobs involve plenty of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can manage that. Also show youre a well-rounded worker. Learn more on the subject of the federal hiring practice.Distinct kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with lots of the exact same skills. Ensure you highlight technical wisdom and certifications. Its also advisable to be cautious about any business or role-specific jargon you use. The health care industry can be quite competitive. Whispered Resmue Secrets Have a look at our sample to find out what a good construction resume looks like. Click our sample to learn to compose the ideal transportation resume. If you work in a creative field, think about developing a personal site with a mobile-responsive design so that you can share your portfolio from any gadget. It has multiple weights that youre able to utilize to differentiate the many different sections and features of your resume, but you need to probably prevent the book and light weights, in plus-rechnen to any condensed versions they can be difficult to read. You will very rarely realize that type of trust. Be certain to highlight people skills and that you understand how to close a deal. For example, if one of the very first things a work ad stresses is managing a team, then any experience youve got in that area ought to take the very best bullet. You also have to chat about past experience. The Chronicles of Resmue If it isnt related to your intended job targets, reconsider its place on your resume. You may also remove elements or add those better suited for the kind of job which youre applying. Based at work and application type together with your profile and experience, you can choose anyone. Your experience should address every necessary qualification in the job announcement. The One Thing to Do for Resmue You will have those facts on your resume for your whole career now, and you may speak about it in your interview answers too. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously provide you an advantage.

Spark Hire and TalentEd Launch Video Interviewing Integration For K-12 Hiring

Spark Hire and TalentEd Launch Video Interviewing Integration For K-12 HiringIn case you missed the press release, Spark Hire is proud to announceits partnership andintegration with TalentEdTalentEd Recruit and Hire is a talent management solution built for primary and secondary education. Their all-in-one platform supports the entire employee lifecycle. TalentEd supports data-based HR decisions from job advertisement, to assessments, onboarding, and evaluation.TalentEd Recruit and Hire K-12 customers can now take their decisions to the next level with Spark Hire video interviews.Traditionally, the K-12 hiring process is resource-intensive and involves a large group of people, said Josh Tolan, CEO of Spark Hire. Working with hundreds of school districts, weve seen the ROI of video interviewing first hand.Hundreds of school districts currently benefit from Spark Hire making it the 1 video interviewing platform for K-12 hiring.Customers such as Amarillo ISD are saving thousands of doll ars and hundreds of hours in their hiring process.As a technology partner to thousands of schools and districts, we get excited about every new opportunity to deliver the solutions and services education leaders need to hire, develop and manage top talent, said Jack Blaha, CEO of PeopleAdmin, TalentEds parent company. This strategic partnership delivers key functionality our customers need to quickly and affordably screen and hire top candidates, so they can maximize time and resources spent empowering student achievement.Mutual Spark Hire and TalentEd customers will reap the benefits of both platforms after activating the integration. The integration enables the sending unique interview question sets to qualified candidates, reviewing candidate responses and seamless collaboration between all key decision-makers.If youd like to learn mora about Spark Hire and the integration with TalentEd, request a demo todayIf youre an existing Spark Hire customer and want to use the integration, follow these steps to turn it on.

Why you should walk away from your problems

Why you should walk away from your problemsWhy you should walk away from your problemsbrde week, we stayed in Eze, a small medieval village in the French Riviera. Eze is perched on a hillside, roughly 420 meters (1,400 feet) above sea level. Near the entrance to our hotel, I bedrngnisiced a sign labeled theFriedrich Nietzsche Path.The German philosopher apparently stayed in the area in the 1880s and would frequently hike up the steep path from the seaside to the village. His inspirations for the third part of his masterpiece,Thus Spoke Zarathustra, supposedly came during these daily hikes.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreI decided to follow in Nietzsches footsteps and took the walk myself. My first thought? Nietzsche must have been one fit dude. Even though Im more physically fit now than Ive ever been, I was drenched in sweat by the time I climbed up the spectacularly steep path back to the village.Why did Nietzsche put himself through this intense climb every day? Setting aside the view (which isspectacular), Nietzsche knew a key to solving problems that most of us neglect.When were trying to tackle a thorny problem, we have a tendency to stare at it- literally. I find myself doing this often. As I try to come up with a title for a blog post or struggle with the right structure for a chapter in my book, Ill keep staring at my computer, and moving commas and sentences around asSisyphusrolls his eyes at me.But as Nietzsche writes, In order to see much, one must learn to look away from oneself. Put differently, a watched pot never boils. You often have to walk away from the problem- literally and metaphorically- for the answer to arrive.Consider, for example, the mathematician Andrew Wiles. In 1995, Wiles becamea celebrityafter proving Fermats Last Theorem- which had remained unsolvable for more than three centuries. When he got stuck working on the proof- w hich was often- Wiles would stop, let his mind relax, and go for a walk by the lake. Walking, heexplains, has a very good effect in that youre in this state of relaxation, but at the same time youre allowing the sub-conscious to work on you.Research supports Wiless intuition. Incubation periods- spending time away from a problem after you get stuck- boostsyour ability to solve the problem. When you walk away, your subconscious remainshard at work, consolidating memories and making associations.This is why a good footslog is part of many renowned scientists toolkit. Nikola Tesladreamed upthe alternating-current motor during a stroll through the Varosliget park in Budapest. To ponder difficult problems, Charles Darwinwalked downa gravel path called the Sandwalk near his home in Kent, kicking up stones along the way.The physicist Werner Heisenbergdevisedthe uncertainty principle during a late-night walk through his neighborhood park in Copenhagen. For two years, he had been frustrated that his equations could predict the momentum of a quantum particle, but not its position. One night, he had an epiphanyWhat if there was no problem with the equations? What if the uncertainty was actually inherent in the nature of quantum particles?In an age of high-tech instant gratification, walking can sound a bit underwhelming. But solutions to complex problems often come as a subtle whisper- not a big bang. To perceive the whisper, you must walk away from the problem and create space for interior silence to oppose contemporary chaos.The next time you feel stuck, just walk away (and leave your phone behind).If you keep walking with the question long enough, you will gradually walk into the answer.This article first appeared on OzanVarol.com.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekl y Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).

All those supplements and vitamins you take arent really doing anything

All those supplements and vitamins you take arent really doing anythingAll those supplements and vitamins you take arent really doing anythingMore than half of American adults take dietary supplements, but most dont really do much for your heart or fight against death. In fact, some might even harm you, according to new research.Dietary changes and even supplement intake like multivitamins and antioxidants dont do much for you, as a study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, took a larger look at vitamins and supplements, along with diets as well. In total, information gathered from nearly a million participants worldwide as researchers compared these dietary phenomenons to medical conditions like coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart attack, as well as death.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreParticipants were put through more than 270 trials which had participants t ake different supplements or try a different diet. Their data were compared to control groups.Supplements like omega-3 fatty acid supplements, which are often found in fish supplements, and a low-salt diet did show possible health benefits, according to analysis. But supplements containing both kalzium and vitamin D increased the risk of stroke.But the most stunning revelation was how supplements like multivitamins, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamins D, calcium and iron showed no increased or decreased risk of cardiovascular disease or early death.The panacea or magic bullet that people keep searching for in dietary supplements isnt there, said senior author of the study Erin D. Michos, M.D., M.H.S. People should focus on getting their nutrients from a heart-healthy diet, because the data increasingly show that the majority of healthy adults dont need to take supplements.

How to Pitch an Idea for a Film

How to Pitch an Idea for a FilmHow to Pitch an Idea for a FilmFilm and television writers sell their ideas to the studios through the process of pitching. A pitch is roughly a ten to twenty minute period in which a writer will express the concept or world of their idea, the characters that inhabit it, and the basic storyline of the movie or pilot episode. Its a nerve-wracking process because you simply dont know what type of reaction youre going to get until youve laid your idea (as well as your heart and soul) on the table for all to see. That said, coming up with an idea that will make an executive jump out of their chairs is hard enough. The last thing you want to do is kill a great idea because you blew the pitching process. Having been both a writer and a development executive, Ive been lucky enough to have seen both sides of the table. There are a number of common mistakes that will kill your project, or at least hurt its chances for success. So, here are five tips that will he lp you dramatically improve your next pitch meeting Be Prepared It amazes me the number of writers who come to a pitch meeting who are unprepared to pitch their own idea. They try to wing it by making stuff up in the meeting rather than having their idea fully fleshed out before entering the room. Take the time to understand your concept fully. Know the world you intend to create as well as the characters you plan to have inhabit that world. Be clear on why you chose unterstellung particular people. What makes them interesting? Why would an audience want to watch them? These are questions you should already know the answers to well before going in. Additionally, no one will judge you if you need to have a set of notes at your side when youre pitching. They can come in quite handy to make sure youre hitting all of your key points as well as not leaving out anything pertinent. Know Your Audience Where youre pitching is just as important as what youre pitching. Know the past pr ojects of the places youre pitching to. If the company youre meeting with is mainly known for its horror movies, chances are theyre not going to be all that receptive to your idea for a romantic comedy. If youre pitching to a network (broadcast or cable), know what else they have on air. You should familiarize yourself with their line up so you can have a better idea of the tone of their shows as well as the demographic they are targeting. Dont Oversell Depending on your idea, your pitch should be reasonably short and sweet. Keep it under fifteen minutes if possible saving the rest of the time to go over a few other details about your concept as well as to answer any questions that the potential buyers might have. Hit your target points concept, characters, story. Thats it. Anything mora than that and youre likely overselling your idea and boring your audience. Realize as well that more is not always better. If the executives like your idea, theyll make the deal no matter how mu ch swag you leave them. Be Respectful Few things annoy executives more than writers who are disrespectful (and obviously, vice versa but thats for another article). It can include anything from showing up late, being arrogant about the concept youre pitching, or ignoring, or worse, mocking projects they have developed in the past. Keep your opinions to yourself or at least until youre in the parking lot. Practice Your Pitch It technically falls under Be Prepared, but it deserves its own heading because there are so few writers who take the advice. Practice your pitch. Yes, this means create your pitch and then run it by a few friends, co-workers, relatives, the family pet, whomever. Its essential that you have a structured speech that will allow you to get out everything about your idea that you need to in a reasonable amount of time. By practicing, youll also be able to identify those areas where your pitch drags, gets confusing, or simply fails to sufficiently sell your concept. Find a group of friends that might be willing to give you some constructive criticism. Realize that if they cant follow your pitch, its highly unlikely an executive will either. Selling your ideas in Hollywood is no easy task. But if you follow the tips outlined above, your chances for success will greatly improve.