It may have looked and sounded really silly, but it was a serious introduction to some career enhancement tools.
At a meeting of the Kansas City chapter of the Association of Career Professionals International, vocologist Riva Capellari led relaxing, stretching and breathing exercises.
Vocologist? That’s a professional trained to help people use their voices well.
Professional singers and actors know the trade, but Capellari said anyone preparing for a job interview or a presentation is well served by the drills.
Anger, fear, stress – any emotionl, really – can be reflected in one’s voice. And that’s not going to help make a good impression if one’s tempo, dynamics, pitch and volume bothers listeners.
Career professional Jim Voska pointed out that he advises job hunters to stand up when they’re doing phone interviews. Standing tall, Capellari agreed, makes it easier to breathe correctly, which, in turn, helps vocal delivery.
The career counselors noted that mnay first-round job interviews are conducted on the pone and that the applicant’s voice can be the primary asseto or drawback, given the absence of any visual images.
Job hunters who harbor anger or frustration need to work especially hard, perhaps with professional counseling, to eliminate those emotions form their voices, Capellari said.
And, with some women in particular, she’s worked to help them better project their voices. When they’re too quiet, they seem too timid or unsure.
Capellari suggested several resources for voice-related advice, including the National Center for Voice and Speech, www.ncvs.org; the Voice Academy, www.voiceadacemy.org; The Voice Foundation, www.voicefoundation.org; and The VoiceCare Network, www.voicecarenetwork.org.
Published in the Kansas City Star
Dianne Stafford
Kansas City Star, Sunday, September 3, 2006