Thursday, July 8, 2010

How to Land a Job in 30 Seconds; Improving Your Job Search Elevator Pitch

“Elevator Pitch” is an art of summarizing important information into a concise conversational speech and “selling it” it to someone in 30 seconds or less (during an elevator ride). Applied to job search, an elevator pitch is a tailored and benefit-focused description of your career background and qualifications that can be delivered to someone who has the potential of helping you land a job.

How can it help me get a job?

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who could help you land a great job but you felt you didn’t take the best out of that situation? Maybe the conversation didn’t work out or you failed to explain what’s so unique about you and how you would make a great asset?

The key to such situation is to concisely and effectively communicate who you are, what you want and why they should be interested in you. In social settings people tend to relax and their brains work “at lower power settings”, making lengthy and complicated explanations ineffective. This is why “elevator pitch” was invented as a highly valuable networking tool

What can I manage to say in 30 seconds?

An effective job search elevator pitch should answer to a frequently asked first interview question: “Tell me about yourself”. Here’s how to create your own personal 30-second elevator pitch:

* Clarify who you want to work for (the employer and the position)
* Clearly define your competency and qualifications.
* Explain why you are an asset and a good fit for the job
* Cover your experience, emphasizing the benefits you brought to previous employers
* If you have any time left, talk about you can achieve what you said you can do for the potential employer

How to craft an effective Job Search Elevator Pitch?

Use the following tips to create and improve upon your personal job search elevator pitch:

* Write it out. Connie Thanasoulis, a career services consultant with website Vault.com, recommends the following technique: write a snapshot on a single page, then reduce it to half a page, then a then a quarter page and finally condense it to three bullet points. These three bullet points ARE your elevator pitch.
* Practice your pitch in front of a mirror or with friends. Get it to the point where reciting it becomes a second nature and you can do it comfortably and in any situation or setting.
* Show that you can be a great asset and highlight the benefits that you can confer. What value can you bring and how can you solve their problems?
* Prepare two versions: a formal (for settings like job interviews) and an informal pitch (for social gatherings). When going to a job interview, tailor your pitch to the specific employer and the particular job’s requirements.
* Talk enthusiastically. Don’t let your pitch turn into monotone reciting. You have to express enthusiasm and wake the listener up, not put them to sleep

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