Keeping Your Mind Sharp

This article from Harvard Medical Schools' HEALTHbeat provides advice on how to keep your mind sharp at any age. I believe that having a sharp mind can improve communication in any environment. These tips can lead to improved memory function and increased knowledge, which can help small talk skills and thinking on your feet.

Source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/6-simple-steps-to-keep-your-mind-sharp-at-any-age

Image source: http://www.inarkansas.com/img.php?w=633&src=http://assets.inarkansas.com/15129/brain.jpg

Thinking on Your Feet

This article from Mind Tools is about learning how to improve your ability to come up with good answers to questions or situations you may not be prepared for. For example, you're in an interview and the interviewer asks a question you did not prepare for. What do you do? You can't sit there too long and do not want to say something you didn't mean. The article suggests that you should limit your "ums" and "ahs" increase the interviewer's confidence in your words. It also suggests that you should use certain stall tactics to give your mind more time to come up with an appropriate answer.

Source: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ThinkingonYourFeet.htm

Image source: http://www.mummypreneurs.com.au/storage/blog-posts/shutterstock_121961872.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1374799369017

Tips on How to Improve Small Talk

Small talk is an important aspect of workplace communication. It can help you network better and get to know your co-workers. This article from PsychologyToday lists 10 tips for improving this skill, which includes listening, not oversharing, and knowing when not to talk.

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201107/10-tips-talk-about-anything-anyone

Image source: http://cambridge.tab.co.uk/files/2013/10/small-talk.jpg

Post-Interview Thank You Letters

After an interview, you should compose a thank you card or letter for the person (or people) that interviewed you. This article from Virginia Tech explains the purpose, different formats, and provides examples of appropriate thank you letters. The photo above is a good example of a thank you card. After my last interview, I wrote 9 handwritten thank you cards for all the people involved in my interview. If you don't receive a business card, be sure to remember their name(s) or do your best to find out.

Source: http://www.career.vt.edu/interviewing/afterthanksfollowup.html

Image source: https://www.southeastern.edu/admin/career_srv/ace_the_interview/post_interview_tips/images/thankyou.jpg

More on Interview Questions

This Forbes article lists the 50 most common interview questions and some examples on how to answer some of them. In addition, it provides steps on how to prepare for your interview. I'm confident this was another article I referred to when preparing for my CPA firm interview, and I highly recommend it.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/01/11/how-to-ace-the-50-most-common-interview-questions/

Image source: http://beta.theartofcharm.com/wp-content/uploads/files/2013/06/job-interview.jpg

Business Cards

As a new owner of business cards, I wondered what was the best way to give one out. I'm new to networking, and decided to do some research. This article explains the importance of your business card and the proper way to give it out to others.

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/159492

Image source: http://moozup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/9282538711.jpg

CPA Firm Interview Questions

This article lists several questions that may be asked in an interview with a CPA firm. It states that these are questions the Big 4 would ask, but any CPA firm is likely to ask them. As an accounting major, this article proved to be very useful in my first interview with a firm. It prepared me for most of the questions I was asked and made me feel confident.

One question I'd add is "What do you do in your free time?"

If you plan to interview with a firm, practice beforehand and remember to write thank you cards. Even if you were interviewed by 9 people like I was. These tips helped me land that internship, and it can do the same for you.

Good luck.

Source: http://www.vault.com/blog/interviewing/21-interview-questions-the-big-4-ask

Image source: http://www.insightperformance.com/Portals/61790/images/C--Users-nsaperstone-Desktop-Interview.jpg

LinkedIn Tips

This article provides some helpful tips for students who want to use LinkedIn to help them get a job after school or even an internship.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2013/dec/30/linkedin-tips-for-students-employability

Image source: http://www.inc.com/uploaded_files/image/970x450/linkedin-screen-1940x900_34192.jpg

Professionalism and Social Media

Maintaining a professional image on social media is incredibly important today. Anything you post can either be positive or hurt you, especially when you're friends with coworkers or have a public profile. This article provides tips on how to maintain a professional onine presence.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/jun/11/professional-reputation-social-media-tips

Image source: http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-620/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/6/10/1370882030671/man-holding-a-smartphone--008.jpg

Business Etiquette

This article from Business Insider provides some rules for business etiquette when establishing professional relationships, which can be helpful for interviews and networking.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/business-etiquette-you-need-to-know-2013-7?op=1

Image source: http://dculs.dcu.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/etiquette.jpeg

Improving Body Language

The following article provides tips on becoming aware of your current body language tendencies and how to improve them.

Source: http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2006/10/27/18-ways-to-improve-your-body-language/

Image source: http://www.tooraktimes.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=16005&d=1410215056&stc=1

Power Posing

Amy Cuddy: Body language shapes who you are

I watched this TED talk the night before my interview with the CPA firm I currently work for and found it very helpful. Amy Cuddy speaks about body language and how you can improve it with power posing.

Source: http://youtu.be/Ks-_Mh1QhMc

Image source: http://img.tedcdn.com/r/images.ted.com/images/ted/40f7b85070d71cd4b0ffb7f076a1d06d90cb4439_2400x1800.jpg?ll=1&quality=89&w=800