Struggling to Write Your Executive Resume Try These Branding Tips -

Struggling to Write Your Executive Resume Try These Branding Tips -If your idea of writing an executive resume is trying to list all your tasks and group them under each job title, youre in for quite a surprise.The information that actually makes employers want to call you is quite different than just the descriptions of your previous jobs, as it involves creating a personal brand message with a clear, unmistakable promise of leadership value.In this market, your job search is almost guaranteed to take longer if your resume doesnt reflect your specific strengths and the impact of your work for your employers.However, dont despair There are quick, real-life branding exercises that you can undertake in the executive resume writing process that will get the response you deserve.In the process, youll also be able to turn around your perspective of resume writing, gaining a valuable lesson in how to self-market and promote your unique leadership background.To jumpstart the process of exec utive resume-writing and related brand analysis, try unterstellung 3 tips to make your task easier, before writing a single word1 Ask others for feedback.This may seem like a backwards step, but if you discuss your job search and resume purpose with trusted colleagues or friends before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), youll actually have a better vision of the end goal.Specifically, most people around you can clearly see your value in ways that you cannot, because they have likely benefited from your leadership qualities, organization skill, and technical proficiency.Here are some great questions to ask your network, which will help generate resume ideas* What reasons would you have for recommending my work to my next employer?* What company-level problems did you believe I was able to solve when we worked together?* How you believe Ill be able to add value as a leader in my next job?* What did you see as my top 3 contributions to profit, employee performance, or cost savings in my belastung job?Next, youll want to keep these ideas in a list next to you during the leadership resume-writing process. Use them to add color to your resume profile and flesh them out in more detail in your executive work history.2 Make a list of career wins.Right off the bat, make a list of your top achievements over the course of your career including everything from leading a challenging project to success to turning around a non-profitable company division.Give yourself permission to remember (and savor) the highlights of what youve been able to do that brought you kudos from others. Dont forget that the impact might have been external to the company, as many executives often garner praise from industry insiders or analysts, as well as from their teams.Youll want to create success stories from each of these accomplishments, and then put them in the classic Challenge-Action-Result format for your resume writing efforts. Describe the Challenge or situation first, t hen the Action that you took, and most importantly, the Result of each project or achievement.These stories will now become the foundation for accomplishment stories in your executive resume, and can be used to replace what would usually be the classic list of tasks performed at each job.In addition, youll want to add more facets to each story during the resume-writing process, supplying employers with more proof of your leadership performance as you recall the details.3 Inject some personality into the process.Give some thought to the role you are seeking. What type of qualities does the perfect candidate for this job display? What are his or her professional attributes?This isnt hard to picture for example, a COO might be extremely analytical or improvement-focused, while the ideal IT Director would tend to challenge the status quo and take a firm stance with vendors.Now, tie these qualities back to your own experience. In what situations did you display these attributes and what were the results of your leadership at the time?Whats important about this exercise? It allows you to start with an employer-side view of the ideal executive leader, giving you the same perspective theyll have when scouring your resume for proof of these qualities.As a result, you have some goals around which to center your leadership resume, rather than just starting with a list of mundane tasks that everyone performs in your field.In summary, youll need to transform your perception of executive resume writing from what youve been led to believe, and start the writing process from a standpoint of brand value that can help you differentiate your experience a solid first step toward capturing a better response for your leadership skills.Executive resume writer Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC, CPBA, TCCS partners with CIO, CEO, COO, CTO, and Director-level candidates to open doors to jobs at top corporations, achieving a 98% interview-winning success rate. For leadership resume samples and Lauras blog on executive resume writing, visit An Expert Resume.

How to Recognize the Signs of Job Burnout and Avoid It

How to Recognize the Signs of Job Burnout and Avoid It How to Prevent Job Burnout in 3 Simple StepsWith our demanding, on-the-go lifestyles, niedergeschlagenheit might feel inevitable. With these tips, its possible to avoid.With globalization, digitalization, dual-income households, and social media, people are experiencing job erschpfung now more than ever.Were all out to achieve so much more than our ancestors did because, well, life isnt just about survival anymore (thank goodness). This wave of busyness and accelerated living is exciting, but its also causing a drained generation.On the work front, mental health is a hot topic for organizations everywhere because its costing companies money. For instance, the prevalence of major depression within the workforce is estimated to cost $210 billion per year and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), its the leading cause of disability worldwide. Recently, the WHO classified burnout as a legitimate medical diagnosis, charac terizing it as a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has bedrngnis been successfully managed. The ability of a doctor to diagnose a patient with burnout legitimizes the condition and underscores the seriousness of being afflicted.Signs of job burnout can be classified as becoming overridden by any mental health issues from depression, anxiety, and stress to deeper, more complex issues. However, you dont need to be overtaken by physical work to feel burnt out. In fact, emotional labor can cause feelings of fatigue that mimic depression.Considering that one in five people will be affected by some form of mental health issue in their lifetime, its important to understand the signs of burnout and to invest in your mental wellbeing today to ensure a healthy and functional future.RelatedSigns Youre in a Toxic Work Environment and How to Handle It1. Check yourselfOvercommitting and charging full speed ahead without minding the why behind a certain decis ion is probably the number one mistake people make today. Instead of following your hearts desire, its quite possible that youre one of many people who are living the life that society has dictated without stopping to consider what you want. People say yes all day to functions, people, tasks, and things without stopping and asking themselves what they want.DONT Do things only because you should do them. Should is a dirty word.DO Practice regular check-ins with yourself to avoid life and job burnout. Review the many areas of life. Do you feel the way you want to feel?2. Practice self-loveIts absolutely critical to take the time to care for yourself. There is no excuse. Self-love will be whatever you need to recharge. For me, its nature, quiet, and creativity. For others, it might be a night out with close friends or a long run. Do something regularly that helps you unwind and feel grounded again.DONT Put yourself last. You cannot be a great partner/parent/teammate/relative/employee i f youre always feeling burnt out from your job.DO Practice self-love and take an inventory of your feelings How did a certain activity make you feel?3. Pay attentionThe sooner youre able to detect the signs of a burnout creeping up on you, the better. This perception takes emotional intelligence and the ability to be conscious of your emotions. Your body will tell you somethings wrong you just need to listen to it. Some physical signs of job burnout include exhaustion, insomnia, irritability, loss of interest, and lack of appetite. You can stay in tune with yourself by having regular check-ins with yourself. A journal makes the process of checking in natural and can be helpful for future references. Journaling also helps with unwinding, putting things into perspective, and releasing negative feelings.DONT Delay Two in three people will keep their concerns about mental health to themselves for fear of being judged. Release yourself from this stigma and seek help. Chances are others have felt the same way.DO Pay attention to your heart every day. Be mindful of how youre feeling. If you notice anything that worries you, ask a friend about it.I mentioned before that mental health affects one in five people. You may not be exempt and thats OK. The most important thing is to build resilience now. A healthy, strong foundation can withstand the storm. By taking care of yourself now you can be better prepared when crisis strikes because it just might Life has a tendency to compound on us. Sometimes when it rains, it pours, so invest in a good roof today.If you are facing a mental-health challenge or you are experiencing signs of burnout, reach out and seek help.Click on the following link for advice on achieving greater work-life balance.Stress less about your career, with a free resume review from TopResume.Recommended ReadingThe Truth About PTO (Paid Time Off)12 Tips to Manage Workplace StressAre You Stressing Out at Work for No Reason?Related Articles

Will the Future Still Need You How to Ensure It Does

Will the Future Still Need You How to Ensure It Does Its probably fair to say that discussions surrounding the rise of robot workers and the subsequent displacement of menschengerecht workers have mostly been confined to futurology seminars and science-fiction films. Nowadays, however, these kinds of conversations have been moving into the mainstream. Just recently, both the esteemed physicist Stephen Hawking and theglobal philanthropist Bill Gatespublicly asserted that artificial intelligence could be a real threat to humanity. While Gatess and Hawkings pronouncements did not send the world into paranoiac chaos, it isnoticeable that no one laughed. This is because most of us have already seen evidence of worker replacement by computer programs and robots, and so most of us have smelled the smoke, even if we have not yet seen the fire. The fact that these two visionaries werent derided by the medi a makes me believe that the mainstream is now ready to enter the debate about the impending workplace revolution.So, what exactly is going to happen in the workplace? According tothis study from the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford University,47 percent of jobs are at risk for computerization, which means human workers will be replaced in whole or in part by computers in some form.This isnt fantasy or baseless prediction this is going to happen. Jobs in the areas of transportation, logistics, and office and administrative support are especially at risk. Most of you will have noticed that in many supermarkets, there are more self-service tills than human cashiers. Its probably no surprise, then, that the Oxford Martin study shows a 97 percent chance of cashiers being partly or wholly replaced by robots in the next 10-20 years. This career path, along with about 300 others that have over an 80+ percent chance of computerization, are not likely to be around in the next couple of decades.If you continue down these career paths, you may find the future does not need you or your skill set, that is.Whats So Bad About There Being No Human Jobs in the Future?Now, there may be some of you who see the gradual replacement of human workers as an opportunity and not a problem. For many, having robots workers do all the hard work leaving us to our recreational activity may be like dying and going to heaven.On the other hand, plentyof you will want to work in the future. The question then becomes is there any way you can future-proof yourself and keep your career when the computers come for your jobs?Yes, there is. You need to be ready to step aside and step up into jobs and roles that humans can still do much better than robots can. Let the machines do the menial jobs while you work on more humanistic professions.That is the way to future-proof yourself. Start by training and updating your skill sets so you are adept in jobs that computers and robots canno t do. According to the Oxford Martin study, computers will not be able to replicate jobs that require high levels of creative thinking, emotional intelligence, original thought, judgement, and empathy. Robot-proof jobs include positionsliketherapists, social workers, psychologists, certain medical workers, teachers and instructors, childcare workers, software developers, veterinarians, and lawyers, all of which have less than a 10 percent chance of being computerized in the next 10-20 years.There were nearly 200 jobs on Oxford Martins list that had very low chances of being computerized. These are the career areas that you should start focusing on now to ensure that the future will need you when it comes.

Want to be likable 7 universal secrets to help you

Want to be likable 7 universal secrets to help youWant to be likable 7 universal secrets to help youIf you want to be mora likable then you must remember one thing You cannot be liked by everyone.You cannot make everyone like youAny time you cultivate a trait, adopt a mindset, think, act, or feel a certain way, it will be well received by some and it will repulse others.So before we can go any further you need to accept this fact.No matter what you do, how you act, or how kind and genuine you might be, some people will love you and others will hate you.Some people will become jealous of your likability and envy your social success. Some people will be annoyed by you. Some people will simply distrust you.You cant please everyone and thats okHowever, there are a few universal secrets to likability that can make you more liked by just about everyone (everyone worth being liked by anyways).Here are 7 of my favorites.1. Smile oftenThis one is simple but underrated. People frown too often and allow pessimism and negativity to keep them down.Smile more often, laugh more deeply, and exude positivity and love to everyone around you.Its hard not to like someone who makes you feel happy.2. Ask genuine and deep questionsPeople dont care about you they care about themselves. If you want to be likable, the simplest way is to get more people talking about their favorite subject Themselves.I know you might not believe it, but 100% of the people that you encounter in everyday life have something about them that is fascinating Even if its simply how bat crap crazy they are.Find ways to cut through the small talk and ask deep questions that get people talking about themselves, their goals, dreams, and feelings.They will think youre the most interesting and likable person in the world and all you need to do is say three words.Tell me more.3. Cut the b.s.I hate small talk. Almost everyone hates small talk.No one cares about the weather or the ambiance of the coffee shop. Cut throu gh the B.S. and get real with people.Dont patronize them with silly questions that you arent actually interested in. Get to the heart of things with something as simple as Whats your story?The weather is boring. Someone with the intestinal fortitude to ask deep questions during the first interaction is memorable.4. Make eye contactThey say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. If those windows arent clearly visible and sparkling, people will distrust you.Anytime someone is speaking, make eye contact. You dont have to stare, but hold your gaze and make them feel heard and important.5. Speak slowly and listen intentlyIt sucks to get cut off in the middle of a conversation. No one likes it. And no one will like you if you think that youre so important that everyone else needs to shut up and hear you opinion.When others speak, listen. Wait until they are done speaking, pause, reflect, and then share your thoughts.In a world filled with people who have no attention span and only wan t to talk about themselves, this will make you more likable than you can imagine.6. Express gratitude and eradicate negativityNo one likes a whiner. People who regularly complain and moan about things make others feel uncomfortable and sad.Dont be that guy/girl.Constantly express gratitude. Be thankful and happy for what you have. Talk about the positive things happening in your life and the world.Focus on the good and others will feel it.Focus on the bad and they will feel that too.7. Learn how to tell a story and have stories worth tellingLikable people know how to tell a story. They know how to hook people and keep them on the edge of their seats the entire time.And more importantly, they have stories worth telling.Eventually, the time will come in any interaction where you will need to talk about yourself and give the other person a peep into your world.When you have the ability to tell interesting and captivating stories that make people feel excited and inspired, you will beco me far more likable than the person who cannot talk about themselves in an interesting way.This article first appeared on Quora.

Why Michael Henderson is Not Your Average CTO

Why Michael Henderson is Not Your Average CTOWhy Michael Henderson is Not Your Average CTOWhy Michael Henderson is Not Your Average CTO When it comes to hiring for his team, Michael Henderson is elend your typical CTO.When Michael Henderson is looking for new software engineers to join his team, he keeps one idea in mind perspective diversity.Theres mora than one way to solve a problem, explains Michael, the Chief Technology Officer of Talent Inc., TopResumes parent company. The more tools you have in your toolbox, the more ways you have for encoding problems, and the better you will be at arriving at the best-possible solution.Perspective diversity centers around the idea that the best teams are comprised of people with different educational backgrounds, belief systems, and experiences. For Michael, his team isnt full of standard, cookie-cutter engineers. Rather, he looks for software engineers with non-traditional backgrounds, opting for those with non-technology degrees (history, performing arts, finance, etc.), mirroring his own experience.With a degree in finance from The University of Texas at Austin, the Houston native didnt start on the typical software-engineer career path, at least not initially. Yet, he was always interested in computers. When the opportunity arose at his first post-grad job to help in the IT department, Michael didnt hesitate taking on the new opportunity. With a career that spans the pre-dot-com and dot-com eras, Michael gained exposure to the inner workings of software engineering and design, working in cross-functional teams for large corporations, consulting, freelancing, and eventually managing teams of his own, on a smaller scale.I like being a manager because I really like seeing people succeed, Michael said. I want to nurture talent and empower a team to achieve really amazing goals.For Michaels team right now, those goals revolve around natural-image processing, machine learning, stream-processing, microtafelgeschirrs archi tecture, and exploring service frameworks to increase operational agility and infrastructure cost-efficiency.I really think we have a lot of interesting things going on, Michael commented on his teams objectives. There are just lots of opportunities here for people that are interested in a more structured environment.Yet, while most tech managers worry about hiring team members who are all-versed in a similar coding language in order to progress rapidly through these projects, Michael believes that slight language barriers can be beneficial the work should feel slow in the beginning.If people come from different backgrounds, they might have to build a shared terminology, and its going to take more energy to get stuff done, Michael explained. If you get dissuaded by that, then youre short-changing the benefits you get from diversity. If its about diversity, what makes someone a good fit for Michaels team?As CTO, Michael makes the key hiring decisions that help him build teams of soft ware engineers that are empowered, possess a sense of agency, and constantly strive to learn about new technology. Using recruiters, phone screens, and the traditional interview process, he sorts through hundreds of applicants to find the next additions to his team.So, what characteristics does this ideal applicant have?Effective communicationMichaels perfect candidate is able to successfully communicate their comprehension of core ideas and other basic components, as well as explain how they achieved positive results in their previous projects. Michael, however, doesnt expect candidates to know everything about tech when interviewing them. Instead, hes looking for people who are willing to have a conversation and discuss what they do know as well as what they dont. ansicht applicants are willing to learn and are unafraid to explore the unfamiliar parts of technology.The whole interview process isnt about giving the right answer... its rather about having an engaging conversation.. .The whole interview process isnt about having the right answer, Michael said. Its really about having a conversation. That means you have to engage, listen, and respond. Certainly, the role of technology is so big and so vast that I dont expect anybody to understand everything that is going on.A collaborative mindset team player vs. lone wolfSoftware engineering isnt a solo endeavor lone-wolf candidates are usually not going to be considered for a position on Michaels team.Software development is a team sport, Michael highlighted. You have to work well in a team, avoid dominating the conversation, absorb everybodys perspective, understand the team, show empathy, understand the need to sometimes call other people out, and also ask for help.Software development is a team sport.Those with past experience leading or working on a team, and who can communicate their teams accomplishments, will stand out among the crowd of other eager engineering candidates.Unique perspectivesMichael look s for those with different and varied perspectives, so those candidates showing how they stand out from the others tend to come out on top. Whether its something qualitative, like their previous work experience and education, or something more abstract, such as how they work through problems and process information, Michael wants to hear how its helped them succeed. Knowing what you wantMichael stresses that candidates should know what they want before the interview and possible job offer. The worst mistake a candidate can make is not taking the time to understand if the situation is a good match.We dont want somebody walking through the door and realizing, Oh, wait a minute, this isnt the type of place I thought it was, he explains.For Michael, finding people with the right cultural fit, and then helping them grow by nurturing talent and providing opportunities, is the reason he gets up in the morning. When asked if he had anything to add, Michael summed up his thoughtsI really lik e to have a team of people that feel empowered. Everybody on the team should have a sense of agency, and be able to make suggestions. We listen to ideas, discuss them as a group, and try to come up with the best solution, so everybodys voice is heard. Were a small startup. Were always growing, so theres endless opportunity to shape that direction, which doesnt always exist at other places.Sounds like every boss should strive to be like Michael Henderson.Interested in joining Michael Hendersons team as a senior software engineer? Check out our open positions belowSenior Software Engineer (NYC)Senior Software Engineer, DevOps (NYC)Senior Software Engineer, Front End (NYC)Talent Inc. is dedicated to redefining how job seekers brand themselves to employers. Through our community of career experts, our brands TopResume, TopCV, and TopInterview help professionals tell the best version of their career story, enabling them to stand out from the crowd and land the right job, faster. Learn more.Recommended ReadingSenior Software Engineer Top Needed SkillsInside HQ Bring Your Dog to Work DayTop Reads Our Best Career Advice of 2017

Calculating Your Sales Activities

Calculating Your Sales ActivitiesCalculating Your Sales ActivitiesOne of the toughest aspects of being a abverkaufperson is the uncertainty factor. Its always possible to have a bad month or even several bad months in a row, which can put any salesperson in real financial difficulties. The good news is that you can lessen the odds of a long losing streak by knowing exactly which sales activities to pursue and how often to pursue them. Sales Metrics To know which activities will yield best for you based on your current situation, youll need to keep track of your sales metrics on a regular basis. Keep a cold call tracking sheet and fill it out each time you make calls this will help you to figure out your call percentages. Specifically, you can track the number of dials it takes on average to yield one appointment. This number will change from day to day depending on your mood, your approach, and sheer luck (good or bad). So if you track this number over time, youll have a much mo re accurate idea of your real average. Appointment Percentage Youll also need to keep track of the next important percentage in sales the percentage of appointments that you manage to close. Again, you should look back at your activities over several months to get a reliable average. With unterstellung two percentages, youll have an excellent idea of how to construct a sales pipeline that will keep your sales flowing in smoothly. Before you can use this number, however, you need to consider the result. If you dont have a set goal, youll be just as in the dark as if you hadnt bothered to track your activities at all. Your sales goal should be achievable, and it should be enough to cover your expenses with some money left over. That extra money can go towards covering your costs during the slow months. Past Sales Once youve picked a goal, its time to evaluate your past sales. If you havent been tracking these numbers, your sales manager can probably give you her records from previous months. Specifically, youre looking for how much money you earn in commissions on an average sale. This calculation can get complicated if youre on a sliding commissions scale (e.g. if you get one commissions percentage for meeting your quota and then a higher commissions percentage if you go above your quota). You may need to juggle some numbers based on how many sales you think you can close on an average month. Dont use your exceptionally good months as the standard for comparison you want a number that you can reach at least half the time, and youre safer if you pick a more pessimistic total. For example, lets say you receive a 10% commission on every sale and your average sale is for $4,000. In that case, you make (on average) $400 for every sale you close. If your goal is to take home $3,200 per month in commissions, you need to close eight sales per month consistently. Remember, its better to be pessimistic than optimistic in these calculations, or youre likely to r un out of money in the bank. If eight sales per month is a real stretch for you, youll need to make some significant changes. You can either cut your expenses, or you can start a crash course in selling until youve improved your overall performance to the level you require. Whats the Number? Assuming that eight sales per month are a workable number for you, you can now plug in the two percentages that you figured out earlier. Lets say that it takes you 12 cold calls on average to set one appointment, and you close one out of every four appointments you set. In that case, you need to make 48 cold calls to close one sale. And since your goal is to make eight sales per month, youll need 384 cold calls a month to make your goal. The beauty of having these numbers at your fingertips is that you dont have to wonder if youre doing enough prospecting or if youre going to meet your quota this month. You will always know exactly how close you are to achieving your goals, and knowing that will help boost your confidence thus helping you make even more sales.

5 reasons why we really like people who curse at work

5 reasons why we really like people who curse at work5 reasons why we really like people who curse at workImagine youre in a high-intensity meeting with all of your co-workers, and the CEO is giving an important speech about steps forward. Then he suddenly drops an f-bomb or a word you hear in bars, not in conference calls.If hes Elon Musk, of Tesla Motors, he tells shareholders, our suppliers mostly have their sh-t together.Or Jamie Dimon, of JP Morgan Chase, commenting, I want to try not stepping in dogsh-t, which we do now and then.Cursing shows people are being authenticWhether he did it purposely or accidentally, whats the reaction? Shock? Shame? Neither.Usually, itsas if someone opened a window and a wave of cool air hit everyone in the face finally, someone is being real.Maybe it causes everyone in the room to burst out laughing, or maybe it just inspires a few chuckles and smiles. Whatever the reaction, however, a little cursing seems to make people feel closer to the swearer , regardless of their status. Cursing feels like permission for everyone to drop the masks we wear at work.No wonder cursing increased brde year on corporate earnings calls after a couple of slow years, according to Seeking Alpha. There is one exception when we swear at other people, it increases tension and aggression in the office.This is a fascinating phenomenon, especially when you consider how many people grew up being told swearing, especially in public forums, is uncouth. But perhaps that, in and of itself, is why we as adults seem to gravitate towards people who do it. 1. Breaking the rules creates a sense of solidarityAccording to a 2004 New Zealand study, employees who curse liberally over frustrations at work have a tighter bond. While the study was focused on factory workers who already have a mora relaxed rapport, the beneficial results can be applied to any work setting. Swearing with work colleagues is an effective stress and discomfort reliever, which can in turn lea d to more friendships.Beyond that, because we associate cursing with a more casual setting, when someone higher up on the corporate ladder does it, it encourages levity at work.2. Cursing at work denotes honestyA study that was recently published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that people who curse regularly tend to be more honest than their less foul-mouthed peers. Scientists explored this relationship of cursing to integrity on three levels - individual surveys, social media behavior, and state level - and came to the same conclusion each time more cursing equaled more sincerity. Needless to say, having an honest person working beside you, above you or below you is always better than the alternative - the too-careful, too-studied colleague who always seems to be holding back and isnt sharing honestly, like Shakespeares Cassius with his lean and hungry look.3. People who curse may be smarterWhile the assumption of someone who swears a lot is often that the yre lacking in the vocabulary department, the opposite may actually be true. A study at Marist College found that people who use more swear words are more likely to have healthier linguistic abilities than the average person. Cursing doesnt come from a lack of vocabulary it comes from a robust need for emphasis.So bosses, take note if you have an employee who cant help peppering a few four-letter words into casual conversations, you might want to consider giving them more responsibility rather than a stern chastisement. 4. Well-timed cursing adds humor to the workdayWhen a friend is telling a story about a frustrating situation, and lets that frustrated feeling out on a curse, it usually makes us laugh. Psychologist Timothy Jay explains the reasons for this in his book Why We Curse, but the simple answer is their impassioned outburst is breaking societal rules, and that sudden freedom is surprising and feels good to hear. Certain comedians (Lewis Black) are particularly good at know ing the most effective time to let a curse fly. Of course everyone likes a funny guy/gal in the office, because its yet another thing that cuts through tension and stress. Occasional cursing can certainly aid in raising your funny guy/gal status. Just be sure to pick your moments, aka not during a formal presentation. 5. Cursing is persuasiveThat being said, if youre giving a presentation or speech, and you let one swear word fly, it could have a great deal of power over your audience. Cursing is often how people express extreme emotions (especially anger) without getting physical. As a result, those words can have a significant amount of potential energy behind them. A 2006 study at Northern Illinois University found that such empowered obscenities can have a positive impact on an audience, and even sway their opinions. That emotional conviction makes one seem more confident and trustworthy - great attributes for any employee, especially if theyre in sales. Does this mean you shou ld go into work tomorrow firing off curses left and right? Probably not. If you pick your moments, however, you may find cursing has the potential to open some unanticipated doors.