6/19/2019
Tri-Valley Career Center
A TED talk is a video created from a presentation at the main TED (technology, entertainment, design) Conference or one of its many satellite events around the world. TED Conferences posts TED talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading."Click on the links below to listen to TED talks that may inspire or motivate you to make the most of your job search and career decisions.
Scott Dinsmore: How to find and do work you love
Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it.
Jason Shen: Looking for a job? Highlight your ability, not your experience
Very few of us hold jobs that line up directly with our past experiences. Jason Shen shares some new thinking on how job seekers can make themselves more attractive -- and why employers should look for ability over credentials.
Amy Cuddy — Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
Amy Cuddy explains how you can use body language to trick yourself into being confident.
Neil Pasricha: The 3 A’s of awesome
Neil Pasricha outlines the 3 A’s of how to lead an awesome life: attitude, awareness, authenticity. These can all be applied to what employers are looking for. Show the right attitude (grit, hustle), self-awareness as well as awareness of the job role and company, and be as authentic as possible. Show all of these and you’ll be well on the way to success on your job search!
Carol Fishman Cohen: How to get back to work after a career break
Carol Fishman Cohen talks about her own experience returning to work after a career break, her work championing the success of "relaunchers" and how employers are changing how they engage with return-to-work talent.
Julian Treasure: How to Speak So That People Want to Listen
As a job hunter, have you felt sick of job interviews at least once? Do you give the same speech over and over again? How you conduct yourself in an interview significantly shapes the hiring manager’s decision. Oftentimes, we find ourselves memorizing scripts or sample answers found online. But has it ever occurred to you that recruiters and hiring managers hear the same stories every day? They know you’re qualified for the job based on your resume, but they want to know you as a person, standing out from the crowd. Watch Julian Treasure as he shares the seven deadly sins of speaking and how to speak so that people want to listen.
Tali Sharot: The optimism bias
The simple idea here from Tali Sharot is optimism leads to success. If you think positively about your job application, that positive attitude will come across to the employer or hiring manager. The theory is that optimism makes you try harder and reduces levels of stress and anxiety, all increasing your performance.
Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend
Do you find job applications and interviews stressful? Do you think your performance suffers because of this? Kelly McGonigal suggests there is a common misconception that stress is bad for your health. The thing that is bad for your health is believing that stress is bad for your health! We should see the symptoms of stress as your body energizing and preparing you (in a positive way) for the challenge to come.
Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do
Tony Robbins suggests that for real fulfillment we need two things: to grow and to contribute beyond ourselves. So, when you’re looking for a role in a new company, look for career growth in the role and a company vision / mission that you believe in.
Sarah Lewis: Embrace the Near Win
At her first museum job, art historian Sarah Lewis noticed something important about an artist she was studying: Not every artwork was a total masterpiece. She asks us to consider the role of the almost-failure, the near win, in our own lives. In our pursuit of success and mastery, is it our near wins that push us forward?
If you’d like to view other TED Talks, visit TED Conferences. To search for additional topics, click on the DISCOVER tab at the top, then click Topics from the dropdown menu, where you’ll find an alphabetical listing of topics. If you click on Business, you’ll find such topics as How we make choices and Counterintuitive career advice.