The Elevator Pitch

As a follow up to the story telling post last week, I thought it might be helpful to remind job seekers and those interviewing of the important of your quick pitch....commonly known as the elevator pitch. Aptly named in my opinion because you should be able to get through it in a quick elevator ride, I would say between 90 seconds and 2 minutes.

Having your pitch perfected is important for the job seeker as it helps summarize what you are looking for before your audience looses interest. The goal is to help them understand your background, your career goals and how they can help. Seems like a lot in under 2 minutes, but I assure you it can be done.

Step 1:  Know your audience!
The most common audience is someone who can connect you within an organization or career area. Make sure your pitch is something they can digest quickly and start developing ideas as you are going through your story. People are more likely to offer help if you can make easy for them. Doing research on their background to understand their connections or level of experience.

• For example: "Given your decade plus years of experience in advertising, I was hoping to set up some time to understand the most important milestones to achieving this type of role." You will be surprised how often people are willing to help out. 

Step 2: Summarize
Keep it short and sweet. You are not providing your lifetime biography here. Keep it to what they need to know. Once you have them engaged you will have the opportunity to share more as needed, but this is the quick catch. Think of it as the billboard you are passing by during your commute....does it engage you enough to remember it, would you visit the website. Think of yourself as that billboard, you want your audience to be enticed to visit the website for more details.

Step 3: Have a point
Make sure you communicate next steps. What are you asking of your audience? Are you asking for an introduction? An information interview? A resume submission? It doesn't need to be forceful, but remember to make it easy for them, tell them for what you want.

Practice with a friend. Pitch your story and see how it goes. If you are like me, sometimes you get going too fast, or head off in a different direction away from the point of the discussion.

Finally, remember that this is a work in progress, you are going to be editing your story as your life develops and you learn more about what you want. Just remember you are not adding to the story, but rather refocusing on the current important pieces that are relevant to where you want to go.

Telling your story

If you are on a similar path as mine, you know that it can be hard to make the transition from what you have been doing to what you want to do.  Employers ideally want a person who has experience doing the job they are hiring for.  While some level of ramp up time is expected (finding the printer, coffee and tech help) a hiring manager needs you up and running ASAP.  My "funemployed" friends and I were talking about this today amongst the coffeeshop/laptop crowd, chatting about how detailed job descriptions were and the option of using a headhunter and how much a company has to invest when hiring a new employee.

Given the actual cost of hiring a person (which can range depending on the experience level), it is important to think about what the hiring manager needs from their personnel. If your resume does not directly read into your desired role, it is your responsibility as the job seeker to help the hiring manager understand your transferable skills. Don't expect a recruiter or resume screener to read between the lines of your resume and understand your underlying desires. I speak from experience, a recruiter will generally spend no more than 30-45 seconds reviewing a resume. The lesson here....give them a reason to read through it more carefully. This is why I always recommend a cover letter.

You will find a number of websites with examples of cover letters to assist you with whatever role you are applying for. What I recommend is keeping it specific to the position you are applying for and specific to your skills. Take the time to read through all those bullet points in the job description and take the same approach in your cover letter. If they are looking for a strategic thinker, bullet that in your cover letter and give a short sentence where you have demonstrated those skills. Remember, it is your job to sell yourself for this position, the easier you make it for those reviewing your application, the more likely they are to want to learn more.

When its not the right fit

Much of the search process for finding the right career seems to be focused on getting the job offer first. What happens when you find out it may not be the right place for you during the interview process?

My friend Megan recently has this experience. She had worked hard to get an interview at a place she thought she could really develop into the career she had envisioned for herself.  One of the things that was important to Megan was balance. A balance between creating and maintaining, a balance between learning and providing value, and most of all, a balance between work and life.

I am the first to admit that I can get caught up in the excitement of a potential career opportunity, thinking that if I really loved it, I would want to dedicate as much time as it takes, and look past the red flags. Megan kept her priorities in order though, and while it was a good option, she realized quickly and clearly during the interview process that the lifestyle led by her interviewers was not the one that she wanted for herself. Instead of continuing through the process, she sent a polite email, thanking them for their time, expressing her continued high impression of their work, but explaining that she was looking for something different.

Many folks may recommend sticking it out through the interview process for the experience, or just to see if you can get the job. If you are uncertain about things, for example, the lifestyle of your potential new team, or how much mentoring you would get for a role, don't be afraid to ask questions. However, if you are sure that there are some serious red flags and it doesn't at least move you in the direction you want to go in, don't be afraid to walk away.

In the end the company has dedicated time and money to consider you for this position. If you are certain that this is not the opportunity for you, save time and energy for both sides. Its the right thing to do and could lead to other options down the road especially if you leave a favorable impression with the company.

Finding passion...

Newton:

A body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion. 

Just a good gentle reminder to get myself moving each day.


How this all got started...
I recently became unemployed. My friends and family have been supportive of my decisions thus far and encouraging me with things like "this is the best thing you could be doing" and "now is your chance to do it right." Don't get me wrong, I love the boost of confidence I get whenever I talk to folks about it, but it doesn't change that fact that it still feels a bit weird every morning, getting out of bed and having no job to go to.

So part of my plan was and still is to enjoy this time...and spend it wisely. I quickly recognized that I was defining myself based on my employment status....and this is the first thing I need to fix. What I have also recognized is that I am not the only one going through this type of situation. Many people in various stages of their lives are looking for their passion. I thought it might be helpful to share my experience and let people know they are not alone in seeking a better way to spend their precious day.

What I have found thus far is that I enjoy helping others. I thought it would also be helpful to incorporate some helpful hints I have learned in my career regarding the job search process, once you've found your passion.


Interview Tip:
In finding your passion, it also helps to share moments of passion during your interview. Outside of case interviews (generally used for consulting positions), most interviews are focused on the same goals. Based on your skills, experience and the needs of the position, are you going to be a good fit.

Questions that start with "tell me about a time when..." are generally trying to dig into your background and determine if you think strategically, handle conflict well, understand budgetary contraints and similar such skills. As a candidate with some level of experience, you should have at least 2-3 different accomplishments in your background (school or work experience) that you can draw upon to answer any one of these questions.

The structure can differ based on what the interviewer is asking, but generally, you should be able to summarize the situation, articulate the conflict (without placing blame - I generally try to describe the situation from an outside view perspective to minimize this issue) discuss your role and course of action and the resolution. The key here is let your passion come through when discussing the outcome, its okay to be proud of your accomplishment or even a lesson learned. Displaying this passion and enthusiasm shows a potential employer that you are proud of your work. That is something they cannot train you for, but is a key element to a successful employee.

This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good. - Author Unknown