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College Student & Recent Graduate Career Tips.
Join our group on Linkedin
College Student & Recent Graduate Career Tips.
3 TIPS FOR SELLING YOURSELF
1. Know exactly where you want to go.
You need to know exactly what you want to achieve or no one can help you get there. Your elevator pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? Where do you want to go, or what are you looking for?
2. Eliminate Jargon.
A good strategy is to imagine explaining what you do to your parents and using a similar formula in your elevator pitch. Making sure your pitch is in layman’s terms is especially critical for those in accounting, finance, and technology. Dumbing down complex ideas is a “real art,” says McDonald. You need to be able to explain what you do and who you are in a way that appeals to most people. This means avoiding acronyms or terminology that wouldn’t be understood by someone outside of your industry.
3. Pitch it to your friends and colleagues.
Keep practicing and tweaking your pitch until it’s natural for you to say aloud and convincing to the listener. After you’ve got your story down, practice your elevator pitch with friends and colleagues. Ask them to give you feedback. Ask them what you should do to make it better. “Most people can’t present what they’ve done effectively,” Paul McDonald, a senior executive director at staffing firm Robert Half, tells Business Insider. “They’re not used to giving sound bites of what they do.”
First published on MyCareerCatapult blog. Thank you to Buisness Insider for the article below which inspired our top 3 tips. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-your-story-in-30-seconds-2013-11#ixzz2kf4xxdqV
1. Know exactly where you want to go.
You need to know exactly what you want to achieve or no one can help you get there. Your elevator pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? Where do you want to go, or what are you looking for?
2. Eliminate Jargon.
A good strategy is to imagine explaining what you do to your parents and using a similar formula in your elevator pitch. Making sure your pitch is in layman’s terms is especially critical for those in accounting, finance, and technology. Dumbing down complex ideas is a “real art,” says McDonald. You need to be able to explain what you do and who you are in a way that appeals to most people. This means avoiding acronyms or terminology that wouldn’t be understood by someone outside of your industry.
3. Pitch it to your friends and colleagues.
Keep practicing and tweaking your pitch until it’s natural for you to say aloud and convincing to the listener. After you’ve got your story down, practice your elevator pitch with friends and colleagues. Ask them to give you feedback. Ask them what you should do to make it better. “Most people can’t present what they’ve done effectively,” Paul McDonald, a senior executive director at staffing firm Robert Half, tells Business Insider. “They’re not used to giving sound bites of what they do.”
First published on MyCareerCatapult blog. Thank you to Buisness Insider for the article below which inspired our top 3 tips. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-your-story-in-30-seconds-2013-11#ixzz2kf4xxdqV
Networking is a key part of the job search and career advancement, right?
Yes, and no. Avoid the pitfalls in this article to ensure your networking overture is well received. And when starting the process, start with "warm" contacts; no cold calling until you strategize on a way to warm up to your cold (networking) contact... Read more
Yes, and no. Avoid the pitfalls in this article to ensure your networking overture is well received. And when starting the process, start with "warm" contacts; no cold calling until you strategize on a way to warm up to your cold (networking) contact... Read more
Liberal Arts major?
Don't worry -- you are more attractive to employers that you think:
-Use your Critical Thinking skills to analyze what skills you have enjoyed using, what you do well, and what careers benefit most from these skills.
-Your Communication and Writing skills will help you craft a great resume and cover letter, and your interpersonal skills will come through in interviews.
-All those Extracurricular Activities, Projects and Summer Jobs? That's where you learned leadership, teamwork, time management and getting things done!
Need help with resume, cover letters or target careers? Try "Yes! The Job Is Mine. 4 Steps to Get the Job" for a complete and easy guide book on how to get a job.
Still thinking you should have switched to a Computer Science major? Read this to see successful people with "soft" majors.
Don't worry -- you are more attractive to employers that you think:
-Use your Critical Thinking skills to analyze what skills you have enjoyed using, what you do well, and what careers benefit most from these skills.
-Your Communication and Writing skills will help you craft a great resume and cover letter, and your interpersonal skills will come through in interviews.
-All those Extracurricular Activities, Projects and Summer Jobs? That's where you learned leadership, teamwork, time management and getting things done!
Need help with resume, cover letters or target careers? Try "Yes! The Job Is Mine. 4 Steps to Get the Job" for a complete and easy guide book on how to get a job.
Still thinking you should have switched to a Computer Science major? Read this to see successful people with "soft" majors.
Interviews --When One Word Answers are OK
Below are several quick excerpts about favorite interview questions- – these are 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?”
Below are several quick excerpts about favorite interview questions- – these are 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?”
