Want a Job? You Have 60 Seconds to Convince Me…Create a Fantastic Elevator Pitch

July 17th, 2012

Finding a job today is not much different from a typical sales job….you are just selling yourself.  Therefore, if you want to land a job, you need to master one of the most basic sales techniques out there – the so-called “elevator pitch.”

An elevator pitch is not meant to only be used in an elevator.  It is simply a term that is used when someone needs to quickly pitch an idea to a client.  In the job search, it is used when you need to quickly pitch yourself as an ideal candidate.  It can be used anywhere – even during an interview to answer that notorious question: “Tell me about yourself”.  It gets its name because the pitch should only take the amount of time it takes to ride up a few floors in an elevator.

A correctly delivered elevator pitch can be a huge differentiator.  Job seekers today need all the differentiation they can get, because there are a lot of people vying for the same job.  According to the Labor Dept’s latest monthly survey on job openings and labor turnover (JOLTS report), there are 3.5 people for every job opening.  A healthier ratio would be around 2 to 1. …Continue Reading!