If you’re looking for a job, one of the first tasks on your to-do
list should be crafting an ideal “elevator pitch.” It’s the 30-second
speech that summarizes who you are, what you do and why you’d be a
perfect candidate. You should be able to reel off your elevator pitch at any time, from a job fair to a
job interview even at a cocktail party conversation with someone who might
be able to help you land a position. Regardless of where you are in your career path, having a well thought out elevator speech is critical.
1. Clarify your job target.
Nail down the
best way to describe your field and the type of job you’re pursuing.
Until you can clearly explain the type of position you want, nobody can
help you find it or hire you to do it.
2. Put it on paper. Write down everything you’d want
a prospective employer to know about your skills, accomplishments and
work experiences that are relevant to your target position. Then grab a
red pen and mercilessly delete everything that’s not critical to your
pitch.
Keep editing until you’ve got the speech down to a few key bullet
points or sentences.I recommend 3 to 4 bullet points
3. Format it. A good pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for?
“Hi. I am Jessica Hill. I am an accountant with 10 years
experience in the insurance industry and I’m looking for opportunities
in the Dallas area with both insurance and finance companies.”
That speech would take about 15 seconds. Jessica would then want to
use her next 15 seconds to add details about her unique selling
proposition, special skills and specific ways she could help a potential
employer.
If you are a new grad Hi. I'am Jessica Smith . I have the experience and the attitude to excel in this production
assistant position. I have almost two years of television production
experience — including two summers interning at The Ellen Show, where I
was exposed to all aspects of TV production and worked so hard the first
summer that they invited me back for a second summer and gave me more
responsibilities.
4. Tailor the pitch to them, not you. It’s
important to remember that the people listening to your speech will
have their antennas tuned to WIFM (What’s in It for Me?) So be sure to
focus your message on their needs.
For example, this introduction: “I am a human resources professional
with 10 years experience working for consumer products companies.” The
pitch would be more powerful if you said, “I am a human resources
professional with a strong track record in helping to identify and
recruit top-level talent into management.”
Using benefit-focused terminology will help convince an interviewer
that you have the experience, savvy and skills to get the job done at
his or her business.
5. Eliminate industry jargon. You need to make your
pitch easy for anyone to understand, so avoid using acronyms and
tech-speak that the average person or job interviewer might not
understand.
The last thing you want to do is make your listener feel stupid or uninformed.
6. Read your pitch out loud. As Fast Company’s Deborah Grayson Riegel recently pointed out in her article “The Problem With Your Elevator Pitch and How to Fix It,”
writing is more formal and structured than speaking. If you’re not
careful, your elevator pitch can come off sounding more like an
infomercial than a conversation.
Reading it aloud then tinkering with the words will help you sound more authentic.
7. Practice, practice, practice (then solicit feedback). Rehearse
your pitch in front of a mirror or use the recording capabilities of
your computer, so you can see and hear how you sound.
This might feel awkward at first, but the more you practice, the smoother your delivery will be.
8. Prepare a few variations. You might want to say
things slightly differently to an interviewer than to a former
colleague. Also, sometimes you’ll just have 15 seconds for a pitch (kind
of a short elevator ride), other times you may have a minute or two.
So focus on mastering a few key talking points then work up ways to customize your speech for particular situations.
9. Nail it with confidence. The best-worded elevator pitch in the world will fall flat unless it’s conveyed well. When you give the speech, look the person in the eye, smile and deliver your message with a confident, upbeat delivery.
Get your pitch right and you might soon find yourself riding an actual elevator at your new job.
Reference: http://www.forbes.com/
Focus on Follow-up
Focus on Follow-up
Within the week following the meeting, send a thank you email or note. This will ensure that the employer remembers you and makes another good impression. Sending a thank you email or note is a professional gesture that shows your interest and maintains an open line of communication. I would strongly recommend that you connect with your potential employer on Linkedin
- Keep your thank you note or email professional and to the point, and remember to proof read it as well as you did your resume.
- Thank the recruiter for his/her time and express that you have a great interest in the company and position. You may want to mention why this job is such a great fit for you.
- If after sending your note you have not heard from the employer, do another follow up and ask about the status of the position and next steps.
Using Facebook to get Hired.
Just about everyone is using Facebook for personal networking, but you can use it for professional networking,
as well. With lots of job search applications to choose from, Facebook
is becoming more than a social networking site. These Facebook
applications can all be used as part of your job search.
Before you start, be sure to adjust your privacy settings so professional connections and potential employers aren't viewing too much of your personal information.
How to Get Facebook Job Search Applications
Login to Facebook, click on Profile, type the application name in the search box, then follow the instructions to install. Or, visit the Facebook Application Directory and search using "job search" "career" or "jobs" as keywords.
BeKnown
Monster's Facebook app BeKnown provides an easy way for job seekers to search for and apply for jobs without leaving Facebook. The app is fully integrated with Facebook, but enables users to keep their personal Facebook information private.
BranchOut
BranchOut is a Facebook app for career networking. Your LinkedIn profile can be imported to BranchOut, so you have a professional profile on Facebook. You can browse your friends on Facebook to see where they have worked. You can browse and share jobs that people within your career network have posted. If you're hiring, you can post jobs for free.
Business Cards
Business Cards allows users to network better on Facebook. You can personalize your card and attach it to your Facebook messages. This application is much like the signature common in email messages. Users can enter information they want to appear on their virtual business card.
CareerBuilder Facebook App
Users can have updated job and internship postings delivered directly from CareerBuilder to their profiles. Information such as location and career interest is used to send you the most relevant job profiles. You can follow a link directly from the job listing to apply for it. Users have the option to search by keyword, location and category.
CareerFriend Facebook App
CareerFriend uses your Facebook friends employment information to find potential job opportunities within your network. After connecting with your Facebook login information, CareerFriend creates a report that includes your friends' employers, occupations, and reviews of related careers.
Hire My Friend
Promote your Friends who are job searching to your other Facebook Friends with the Hire My Friend Facebook App. You can include a brief description of their skills and a link to their LinkedIn Profile.
to compare salaries and to find information on top-paying careers. Work With Us by Jobvite
The Work With Us application displays jobs on profile or fan pages. Users can browse interesting opportunities at companies where friends work, apply to the jobs and send Jobvites to their own friends and contacts. To use this application, your company must subscribe to it. You must be invited to use the application by authorized users, and then you can view job opportunities at their companies.
I recommend that you go through all the apps a choose 2 or 3 that best met your needs and use the often.
Like us on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/myjobsearchtips
Before you start, be sure to adjust your privacy settings so professional connections and potential employers aren't viewing too much of your personal information.
How to Get Facebook Job Search Applications
Login to Facebook, click on Profile, type the application name in the search box, then follow the instructions to install. Or, visit the Facebook Application Directory and search using "job search" "career" or "jobs" as keywords.
BeKnown
Monster's Facebook app BeKnown provides an easy way for job seekers to search for and apply for jobs without leaving Facebook. The app is fully integrated with Facebook, but enables users to keep their personal Facebook information private.
BranchOut
BranchOut is a Facebook app for career networking. Your LinkedIn profile can be imported to BranchOut, so you have a professional profile on Facebook. You can browse your friends on Facebook to see where they have worked. You can browse and share jobs that people within your career network have posted. If you're hiring, you can post jobs for free.
Business Cards
Business Cards allows users to network better on Facebook. You can personalize your card and attach it to your Facebook messages. This application is much like the signature common in email messages. Users can enter information they want to appear on their virtual business card.
CareerBuilder Facebook App
Users can have updated job and internship postings delivered directly from CareerBuilder to their profiles. Information such as location and career interest is used to send you the most relevant job profiles. You can follow a link directly from the job listing to apply for it. Users have the option to search by keyword, location and category.
CareerFriend Facebook App
CareerFriend uses your Facebook friends employment information to find potential job opportunities within your network. After connecting with your Facebook login information, CareerFriend creates a report that includes your friends' employers, occupations, and reviews of related careers.
Hire My Friend
Promote your Friends who are job searching to your other Facebook Friends with the Hire My Friend Facebook App. You can include a brief description of their skills and a link to their LinkedIn Profile.
to compare salaries and to find information on top-paying careers. Work With Us by Jobvite
The Work With Us application displays jobs on profile or fan pages. Users can browse interesting opportunities at companies where friends work, apply to the jobs and send Jobvites to their own friends and contacts. To use this application, your company must subscribe to it. You must be invited to use the application by authorized users, and then you can view job opportunities at their companies.
I recommend that you go through all the apps a choose 2 or 3 that best met your needs and use the often.
Like us on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/myjobsearchtips
Have you submitted countless online job applications?
Have you submitted countless online job applications with no response? Stay tuned!
How your facebook friends can help you get hired.
Quick tip of the day.
Once you have identified your targetlist (this is a list of companies you would like to work for) send a personal private message to your facebook friends.
1. Ask them if they know of anyone who works for the companies on your target list.
2. In the same message ask them to connect you and don't forget to attach your resume.
Stay tuned in the next week, I will blog on the following.
Target Lists
Reaching out on Facebook
Once you have identified your targetlist (this is a list of companies you would like to work for) send a personal private message to your facebook friends.
1. Ask them if they know of anyone who works for the companies on your target list.
2. In the same message ask them to connect you and don't forget to attach your resume.
Stay tuned in the next week, I will blog on the following.
Target Lists
Reaching out on Facebook
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