Part One: Six confidence-boosting tips for speaking up in meetings.

Some of the actuaries we interview tell us that they are not as comfortable speaking up in meetings they would like to be. If you are one of the hesitant ones, you are missing some golden rungs on the advancement ladder. The preparation to change that is not as difficult as it might seem. Here are the first three of six tips for ramping up your successful participation:

Be prepared. Make sure you are up to speed on recent developments that might impact the meeting topic. Have any materials or backup information available that could be relevant to the goals of the meeting. Make sure you know the attendee list. Check the list to see if there are people you don’t know. It’s always a good idea to know who is in the room, and what role they play. Knowing your audience will help you think about and present your ideas in context.

Arrive a few minutes early. Why should you arrive early? First it assures you a seat at the table, and allows you to choose where you want to sit. Remember, the head of the table is typically reserved for the person who is running the meeting. Arriving early gives you the edge and allows you to make good impression by greeting others as they arrive. Also, if someone you don’t know is attending, you can make your mark by introducing yourself.  Another reason to be early is that, while many people think that rushing in at the last minute makes them look important, it actually makes them look like bad time managers, and not in control of their resources. Those are two unfavorable characteristics for a leader.

Decide ahead of time that you will contribute.  If you are hesitant to speak or shy you will likely be passed over in the meeting, and that may contribute to being overlooked in other areas. Often meetings include people, some influential, whom you may not work for or with. These people will see your behavior in the meeting as indicative of your capabilities. You must find your own way to contribute. If you hate speaking up, maybe you can draft some ideas on paper and distribute them at the appropriate time. It takes a little planning to get started as a contributor, but it will be well worth the effort.

To be continued.

Oh NO! It's going to be a lunch interview.

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes an interview involves a meal. When it does, you need to know how to handle the extra logistics of eating and interviewing. Here are a few tips to help you.

Hopefully, you will have advanced notice that the interview involves a meal. If you have been told the name of the restaurant, it’s smart to go to their website and decide in advance what to order. This removes the pressure of reading the menu and making choices on the spot. It’s a really good idea to choose a small meal that is easy to eat with a fork and knife, instead of a sloppy sandwich. Remember, that you will be doing a lot of the talking, so it’s good to choose something easy to chew! You would never want to talk with your mouth full, but chewing can be a good tactic to give you time to think about how you can answer a difficult question.

 

Be polite to the wait staff. Order without a fuss, no demands or mention of food issues or allergies. And if you are in doubt, sparkling water is a great choice for a beverage. It’s adult and non-alcoholic.

 

Because there will likely be more social time than a regular interview, it’s smart to have some relevant or casual current events you can introduce while waiting for service. Keep it simple and non-political.  

Finally, it’s perfectly fine to allow you’re interviewer to pick up the tab, you are the guest.