The Elevator Pitch, or 30-second Pitch, is the best way to answer many questions: Tell me about yourself. How can I help you? Is there anything else I need to know?

With practice and a little tweaking, your elevator pitch can help you answer all of these questions and, just as importantly, help you relax and gain confidence during the encounter.  

Answer these questions and then practice until you are comfortable:
-Your Name and what you are currently/most recently doing; 
-What you are interested in;
-Your relevant experience;
-The qualities you have that would benefit them.

Write down your answers so you can get as much information in, but then practice out loud so you can edit/rephrase it until you are comfortable.

This is an art and a science- - and there are many ways to have a successful 30-second pitch- - so go ahead and get started. 

2 examples:
College Student:
-Your Name and what you are currently/most recently doing: "Hi, I’m John Doe and I am currently a Senior majoring in Economics."
-What you are interested in: “I am interested in commercial and corporate banking programs, analyst or research roles in public companies, and associate positions with public policy organizations."
-Your relevant experience:  "I had an internship last summer with XYZ organization where I researched and analyzed customer data and prepared client reports.  I really enjoyed the research and the client interactions."
-The qualities you have that would benefit them: “I am analytical, thorough and have a strong understanding of client relations. My courses and work experience have prepared me to quickly become  a contributing member of​ the team."

Employed:
Your Name and what you are currently/most recently doing: “Hi, I’m Jane Doe and I am currently an Associate in the Communications Department of 123 Corporation."
-What you are interested in: "I work with Internal Communications and am interested in moving into external relations, crisis management or PR."
-Your relevant experience: “I am responsible for all employee communications and have pitched-in to help internal crisis management. I also worked closely with the external relations team on the ABC project."
-The qualities you have that would benefit them:  “I am highly organized, responsive and efficient. I consider myself a strong communicator because I enjoy the “listening” part of the job. I have 3 years of experience in a top-notch Communications Department and know that will enable me to transition easily."

Quick excerpts below about favorite interview questions- – and they end up being easy when you know your skills, strengths and values!

“So fast-forward three years. You’re talking to your best friends and you’re reflecting on your career the last few years and you tell them, ‘Hey, this has been an amazing experience at this company because of X.’ ” And then I’ll ask: “What is X? What would you tell your best friends that that is?”

Then I’d ask another best-friends question: “If I were to ask those same three best friends to use one word to describe you, and they can’t use the same word, what’s the one word each would say? What are the three words?”

What’s funny about that question is how many people can’t describe it in a word. Everyone wants to give a paragraph of characteristics and traits. I actually love the people who just sit there and take 30 seconds to think and then just give me three words. Or I had one sales candidate say to me recently, “Well my husband’s my best friend and he would say ‘bossy.’ ” Which I thought was a great answer. And then I always ask on the heels of that: “What word would you use to describe yourself? Is it one of those words or something else?”

First published on MyCareerCatapult blog.

30 SECONDS TO BETTER INFORMATION RETENTION 
The 30 Second Review: Immediately after any lecture, conference, meeting, or other significant experience, take 30 seconds to think through (summarize; write down if you can) the most important points. That’s it. It sounds so simple—almost a useless exercise—but after several months of trying it out, Scott shares her experience and the multiple benefits:

“You learn to listen better, and ask better questions: Once you get into the habit of the 30 second review, it starts to change the way you pay attention, whether listening to a talk or participating in a discussion. It’s like learning to detect a simple melody amidst a cacophony of sound. And as you listen with more focus, and ask better questions which prompt actionable answers, so your 30 second review becomes more useful.”

Additionally, she says, it helps you interpret information and decide what really matters, capture nuance in conversations, and better help others. 


First published on MyCareerCatapult blog. Thanks to The Daily Muse and Robyn Scott.  Read her on Medium.com

A passion for the business- - yes, you can love your job.

A zeal for the industry. An excitement, an enthusiasm, a zest for the art, and the craft, and the science, of what makes a company in the field succeed. In an information economy, the measures of success are increasingly intangible.  Finding people who can make decisions well, and then execute on those decisions, is difficult for bosses.They have to figure out who is going to understand the customer better, the manufacturing process better, the marketing better, the interface better, and so on.

What’s more, bosses need to determine who’s going to stick with it — there are a lot more forks in the road, and bumps along the way, in this intangible world. Perseverance through the inevitable fumbles and fiascos is needed because without perseverance there are no victories.

Because somebody who is passionate is inherently motivated, and internally driven to succeed, they try harder to find answers. They think up clever stuff on their own. They enjoy the business, and the customers, and the industry so much that they’re always discovering new things or perceiving additional ways that the business could succeed.In short, passionate people are better employees because they care more than dispassionate people. 

First published on MyCareerCatapult blog. Excerpted insight from article by MARC CENEDELLA, THELADDERS

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