How to Create Your Elevator Pitch and Get Hired - TheJobNetwork

How to Create Your Elevator Pitch and Get Hired - TheJobNetworkOkay, hotshot. Youve got 30 seconds to make the impression thats going to get you the job. Andgo googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) What, you stopped to think about it? Bzzzzzt. The moment is gone, and you can sense your opportunity window closing while the interviewer awkwardly shifts and looks at the clock. If only youd had an elevator pitch ready to go.What is an Elevator Pitch?The elevator pitch is just a buzzword-y way of saying snapshot of important points, stated briefly and to the point. An elevator ride is typically short, so thats why it makes a good namesake. In a career context, it means a quick overview your best points and your goals. But in general, it can really be about anything youre trying to sell to the listener. For example, here are elevator pitches you could use to convince someone to watch a TV showGame of Thrones is a fantasy-sci-fi drama that follows se veral different political factions jockeying for power in the kingdom of Westeros. In addition to the political machinations, there are ice zombies threatening from the North. Oh, and there are dragons It has something for everybody.Basically, the elevator pitch is a brief, snappy couple of sentences that tell the listener what they need to knowor, mora specifically, what you want them to know. The goal isnt to be a dry source of facts, but rather offer a few curated points that show the highlights.When Will You Need an Elevator Pitch?Although the elevator pitch is a perfect fit for our 140-characters-or-fewer society, you may not be asked to give your spiel in every job interview. However, its a great resource to have when youre unexpectedly on the spotlike at a job fair, a networking event, or a social event where you just happen to be making small talk with a hiring manager at a company where youd love to get your foot in the door. Though if you are at a social event, pick your z eiteinteilung wisely. Your new acquaintance may just want to talk about last nights game or that hilarious viral video making the rounds, instead of talking shop.The elevator pitch is also an excellent answer to have on hand for the dreaded tell me a little about yourself question in an interview. Because youll already have some of your brightest talking points ready to go (more on that in a bit), you wont have to spend precious interview time thinking about how to distill your professional self down to the essence. That question often comes at the beginning of the interview, so having your elevator pitch at the ready can help set a smooth, prepared, and confident tone for the rest of the interview.10 Tips for Your Elevator PitchIf you dont know where to start, we have you covereduse the following 10 tips as a guide on crafting an ideal pitch that gets results.1. Keep it short.Remember, the elevator pitch is so named because its meant to last about as long as an elevator rideabout 3 0 seconds, and definitely less than 60 seconds. (Were not talking about the Empire State Building elevator here.) That means you should have a few go-to sentences you can use. And while youre writing, time yourself. If you find yourself creeping up on the minute mark, its time to revise and simplify.2. Be persuasive.That means being direct about your accomplishments and qualities, and leaving out qualifiers like I guess, I think. No time for modestymake bold, declarative statements.3. Be concise.There are times when you will have a chance to expound on your resume, your experience, or your point of view. When asked for an elevator pitch, make koranvers youre including only a few main points, and keep the sentences short and straightforward.4. Know your audience.It really depends on who youre talking to, and what the context is. If youre at a professional mixer with people who know your industry inside and out, feel free to use a little jargon. If youre talking to a recruiter or some one who may not know your professional world as well, keep your wording more general.5. Keep the tone professional.An elevator pitch is a confidence thingyoure making a straightforward statement about yourself. However, its important not to be overconfident or too braggy. You want your accomplishments and goals to speak for themselves. You dont want to turn off your listener just as youre getting started. Similarly, using wit and humor is fine toobut always keep jokes fairly mild and professional.6. Mention your top skills.Your resume is where you can really break down your skill set, but in your elevator pitch, that is the time to mention that youre a great communicator, or that youve got amazing organizational skills. Focus on the kinds of skills that add value to an organization, like leadership, teamwork, or attention to detail. Heres your chance to brag a little about your top skills, but again, be careful of using a boastful tone.7. Include (some of) your goals.This doesnt nee d to be a detailed life plan, or your five-year professional plan. Remember, this is a highlight reel, so youll want to focus on your main professional goal, or what youre seeking in this interview/conversation/etc. If youre talking to an interviewer or recruiter, you dont need to say something like seeking a job as an accountantthey already know that. Instead, go with something like, looking to take my financial skills and experience to the next level.8. Answer big questions.When writing your elevator pitch, think about some overarching questions likeWhats the fruchtwein important aspect of my hintergrund?What accomplishments do I have?What are my best skills?What do I want to get out of this pitch?Whats my biggest strength?What drives me the most?What would I like to achieve?Why did I choose my career?What do I like best about my job/career?What do I value the most?You dont need to cram all of those Big Ideas into your elevator pitch, but you can mix and match them depending on th e setting, and to whom youre speaking.9. Be ready to follow up.If youre giving your pitch to someone youve never met before and may not be talking to five minutes from now, have a business card on hand that you can reisepass along. If youre in an interview, be ready to answer follow-up questions about anything you just saidexamples that show your skills, or anecdotes about why you love your career.10. Practice like crazy.Do this in front of the mirror, your cat, or a trusted loved one. In the moment, you dont want to appear stumbling or unprepared, but you also dont want it to come off like a bored, rehearsed monologue. You want your elevator pitch to sound smooth and confident. This can help you modify things like speed (many of us talk too fast, especially when were trying to get through a set of lines), eye contact, and timing.Example Elevator PitchesLets look at some samples you can use while thinking about your own elevator pitch.Im a graduate student in Communications, with a passion for working with special needs students. After completing my thesis in advanced language strategies for children with cognitive impairments, my goal is to work for an agency that specializes in implementing everyday educational programs that help students improve their reading and writing outcomes.After five years of working in corporate absatzwirtschaft and social media, Ive decided to embrace my inner entrepreneur and start my own company. My companys mission is providing no-nonsense, data-driven metrics that our clients can take and use right away in their day-to-day business. I want to provide big company expertise for small business owners. My passion is design with a conscience. I design products that have a minimal impact on the environment, while maximizing sustainability. My background is in both design and environmental science, and I believe that we can make consumer products that combine convenience and responsibility.Im the data guy. I look at complex metrics, a nd turn them into a big picture plan. And I love working as part of a team, where diverse ideas and perspectives can lead to better ways of doing things. I firmly believe that the status quo can always be improved.Im a nurse-practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in patient care. With the challenges of working in healthcare, I know that patients often feel ignored or hustled through, so Ive made it a priority in my career to make sure that every patient is heard, and gets the highest standards of care. Im a recent grad, and although I dont yet have years of experience in the field, I do have the organizational and people skills to take my career to the next level. I was just named the Volunteer of the Year, and I bring a high level of care and focus to everything I do.So what do you think? Are you ready to go forth and make a bold statement about who you are, in 30 seconds or less?

Why You Need More Quiet And Alone Time When Youre Super Busy

Why You Need More Quiet And Alone Time When Youre Super Busy Ive coached hundreds of professional women since I startedmy business in 2007. The vast majority of unterstellung women are super busy, often juggling a challenging career and personal time. Tzu siche is never enough time Can you relate? Im sure you are probably stretched too thin as well. So the last thing you think you should do when youre overwhelmed is carve out time alone, quiet time. Yet this is precisely the time you need to do this.At work, your schedule is jam packed with meetings most of the day, right? Its a treat when you are able to have lunch somewhere other than your desk. And then there are people constantly popping by your office unexpectedly taking up more time. And though youre more than happy to help (most of the time), its another example of how your time is not your own.Next theres your to-do list. Why cant we ever seem to cross off everything on the list? More tasks get assigned regularly or we foolis hly volunteer for things because we think it will help us get ahead when in reality, it ends up being busy work. Now we have the company-wide picnic to organize on top of our normal workload.Im exhausted just writing thisIf you were to write down everything you do in just one day, Im sure the list would be daunting. Yet we do it. We do it at least five days a week, perhaps more. Certainly, our health suffers from the stress of our workload or our need for perfection. Regardless, the stress is real.Despite all this, despite the fact that you are working really hard and performing very well, you career suffers if you dont take time for yourself, quiet time to think.First of all, you run the risk of falling into what I call the Doer Trap. In your company, as a doer, you gain the reputation as someone who gets things done the go to person. And though you may take some pride in this title, the go to person is never viewed as a leader. This is a trap that many women fall into because they believe the more they do, the better positioned they are for advancement when, in fact, it has the opposite effect. You want to demonstrate your leadership potential not your capacity to complete lots of tasks, and your leadership can best develop with quiet time to think strategically.Think strategically about what? About your career.We are so busy that we never have the time to think about what we want or create a plan for how to get there. We are performing really well, but we dont take the time to think strategically about how we can leverage the results of our work across the organization for increased credibility and influence. Who else in the organization needs to know about your work and your results? Can your work help other colleagues, your boss, or your company reach its objectives? Have you thought about that?I coached Patricia for one year and over the course of that year, she received two promotions. According to Patricia, the game changer for her was my advice that s he schedule time for strategic thinking. She was a classic doer. And though she was extremely busy both at work and at home, she carved out time at least one day a week on her train commute to unplug and think. And the results were amazing. This quiet time without distractions provided her the opportunity to think clearly about what she hoped to achieve and how best to position herself to accomplish her goals.She had the time to not only plan her career, but how to build a strategic network to hilfe her career goal. During her quiet time, she planned how to leverage her work and who in her network would benefit from learning about the results of her work. So yes, I know youre busy. But if you are also ambitious dont get deckenfries in the Doer Trap or you will be stuck there a long time. Unplug and schedule time to think strategically about your career. Make it a priority. Put the time on your calendar. You will be pleased with the results.--Bonnie Marcus, M.Ed, is an executive coac h, author and keynote speaker focused on womens advancement in the workplace. A former corporate executive and CEO, Bonnie is the author of The Politics of Promotion How High Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead, and co-author of Lost Leaders in the Pipeline Capitalizing on Womens Ambition to Offset the Future Leadership Shortage.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer