Are you looking for a Job? Prepare a Killer elevator speech

Every semester we attend various college career fairs to recruit graduating students. This week I attended two career fairs that reminded me the importance of a good elevator speech. Recruiters and hiring managers at any career fair have lines of people waiting and can only spend one or two minutes with the student. It is very important that each student have an elevator speech that will jumpstart the conversation and make you stand out.

An elevator speech is a 30 second introduction of who you are. A good one should have the following characteristics

Memorable: It is important to think about what makes you stand out. In a career fair, you must think about the uniqueness you would bring to the job that makes you the best candidate. one of the phrases I use when people ask me why I do HR is "I get a kick from finding out what makes people tick. " 

Succinct: An elevator speech should not be too long because you may lose your audience. Do not try to cram too much information in a 30 second speech. Come up with a few good points that you can communicate clearly. 

Communicate value: A good elevator speech should point out how you make a difference and not just state a function or a role. An example of this is 

"Hi, my name is John and I am a mechanic." vs "Hi, my name is John and I have been working on car engines for the past 10 years. I help car owners get the best out if their engines." 

The second example will lead to another question while the first one may not get you any response. Always have a speech that gets the other person's attention and makes them want to hear more of your story. This can be difficult especially for college students who do not have any work experience. Here is a example of a student's elevator speech 

"I have been serious about programming since I was in high school. For the last two year I have experimented with various technologies and created programs to help other students become more efficient. One of my programs is used regularly as a collaboration tool on group projects. I have also volunteered to help build a database for the local animal shelter"

It tells a compelling story about the candidate and shows initiative and eagerness. If you are worried that you do not have direct experience, use your activities to show your initiative. 

" My name is Joe and I am studying to be an engineer. I have been involved in the engineering council since I was a freshman and was elected as the membership chair in my sophomore year. That year we increased membership and engagement by 40%. We achieved this by increasing communication and coming up with activities that were interesting to the potential members."

Though this student does not have work experience, it shows they have leadership and communication skills which are key to building great teams. The speech will start a conversation and leave an impression and make the person want to hear more.

Effortless: An elevator speech should be easy for you to deliver. It is important to sound genuine and excited about what you are talking about. Create a speech that matches your personality and demeanor so you do not sound too crafted or cheesy. Let it flow like a normal conversation that draws the other person in.

If you do not have an elevator speech, take a stab at creating one, share it with your friends and ask for feedback. Continue to work on it until you feel comfortable enough to share it with a total stranger.

Check out these websites to help you craft the killer elevator speech.
http://www.dalekurow.com/elevator_speech
http://www.expressionsofexcellence.com/sample_elevator.html
http://theclosetentrepreneur.com/elevator-pitch-101-intro-to-writing-a-30-second-elevator-pitch