Marc Cenedella on "the elevator pitch"
As I travel around the country speaking with job-seekers like you, I'll ask:
"So what are you looking for?"
And all too often I'll hear back:
"Oh, I'm looking for anything."
Which is a problem.
Because in today's economy, no employer is looking for a "VP, Anything." They're looking for an experienced professional who can solve specific problems.
Whether you're speaking with me, a former colleague, or a new connection, you need to have a brief, pithy assertion of who you are and what you're qualified to do. As a matter of fact, you need to be able to describe what you're looking to do in 30 seconds or less.
That's what's called an "elevator pitch" — a concise statement of your background and abilities and what you're looking for that can be shared in the time it takes an elevator to go to the top floor.
So it's not "I'm a saleswoman" and it's not "I'm in logistics" and it's not "I'm a finance guy".
No, in the 21st century you need to be more precise and more concrete. You need to describe what you've done and what you're looking to do... specifically.
So you'll need to share your ambitions more directly. It's not "I'm a saleswoman" but rather "I'm a sales management professional looking to lead a 100+ person sales organization, and am particularly interested in opportunities leading sales teams going through the transactional-to-relationship-selling transition."
It's not "I'm in logistics" but rather "I'm a logistics team leader who specializes in driving efficiency improvements in established groups, bringing down the cost of production year after year."
And it's not "I'm a finance guy" but rather "I'm a finance guy who enjoys rationalizing finance teams in multi-unit businesses and creating metrics and operating procedures that partner with the business to drive understanding of the underlying levers of growth."
You need to be specific and concise in your description of your ambitions, so that your network contacts, your future boss, or I can understand how and where you'll add value and improve the business.
So please, avoid the easy temptation to say that you're looking for anything, and be specific in your job search.
It's the best way to let people know how to help you, and to let companies know how you'll help them. (For more advice on creating your elevator pitch, see my newsletter from August on the topic.)
We've got six weeks left in job-hunting season before the year-end holidays, Readers. Let's make the most of it!
"So what are you looking for?"
And all too often I'll hear back:
"Oh, I'm looking for anything."
Which is a problem.
Because in today's economy, no employer is looking for a "VP, Anything." They're looking for an experienced professional who can solve specific problems.
Whether you're speaking with me, a former colleague, or a new connection, you need to have a brief, pithy assertion of who you are and what you're qualified to do. As a matter of fact, you need to be able to describe what you're looking to do in 30 seconds or less.
That's what's called an "elevator pitch" — a concise statement of your background and abilities and what you're looking for that can be shared in the time it takes an elevator to go to the top floor.
So it's not "I'm a saleswoman" and it's not "I'm in logistics" and it's not "I'm a finance guy".
No, in the 21st century you need to be more precise and more concrete. You need to describe what you've done and what you're looking to do... specifically.
So you'll need to share your ambitions more directly. It's not "I'm a saleswoman" but rather "I'm a sales management professional looking to lead a 100+ person sales organization, and am particularly interested in opportunities leading sales teams going through the transactional-to-relationship-selling transition."
It's not "I'm in logistics" but rather "I'm a logistics team leader who specializes in driving efficiency improvements in established groups, bringing down the cost of production year after year."
And it's not "I'm a finance guy" but rather "I'm a finance guy who enjoys rationalizing finance teams in multi-unit businesses and creating metrics and operating procedures that partner with the business to drive understanding of the underlying levers of growth."
You need to be specific and concise in your description of your ambitions, so that your network contacts, your future boss, or I can understand how and where you'll add value and improve the business.
So please, avoid the easy temptation to say that you're looking for anything, and be specific in your job search.
It's the best way to let people know how to help you, and to let companies know how you'll help them. (For more advice on creating your elevator pitch, see my newsletter from August on the topic.)
We've got six weeks left in job-hunting season before the year-end holidays, Readers. Let's make the most of it!
No comments:
Post a Comment