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Change your career in 30 seconds

If you don't brag, how else will people know who you are and what you can do?

If were introduced to the leader of your dreams, would you be able to pitch your talents and abilities to them before losing their attention? What sets you apart from others? What are you good at? What are your unique skills that sets you apart from the rest? Can you describe yourself as a professional in under 30 seconds? If your answer is no, it is time to develop your Elevator Speech, otherwise known as your 30-second Commercial. This will put you in the position to sell yourself and will guarantee that you're ready for career opportunities that pop up when you least expect them to.

Has this ever happened to you? You get on the elevator and there's your former manager, recently appointed as Vice President for the company. They are a leader that you remember admiring and you had an excellent working relationship them. But when they asks you what you've been up to and what you plan to do next, you start babbling uncontrollably. Why? Simply because you were not prepared.

That moment with your former manager was your opportunity to tell them about the new talent, skills, and experience you bring to the table since they last worked with you. It was your chance to make sure they remembered you when the walked away. It was your chance to use your Elevator Speech, a tightly packaged self-ad, no longer than 30 seconds but leaving a lasting impression.

Your Elevator Speech is as important as your resume. It's actually a brief summary of your resume that you can It can be used to capture the attention of recruiters, to introduce yourself at network opportunities, or just a brief description for your career profile. Stetson University's Office of Career and Professional Development article, Developing Your 30-Second Commercial on describes it as "a brief monologue describing the benefits of buying a product --YOU!". Some folks find it hard to say great things about themselves. They find it hard tell people about their talents and skills because they think it comes across as bragging. If you don't brag, how else will people know who you are and what you can do? They have to hear it coming from you and they'll need to hear the confidence in your voice to actually believe it.

Your elevator speech must be 30 seconds or less. It must sound confident, steady, and natural. You should not be racing through it and you should try to maintain eye contact (without freaking the person out of course). The key is to give the impression that you are professional, organized, and ready for the opportunity.

You'll need to practice your elevator speech, over and over again. When you're speech is ready and your confident with the way it flows, practice saying it to your friends and family. Once you start putting it into action, you'll be able make a positive and lasting impression every time the opportunity arises. Be prepared to brag about yourself. If you're shy, you'll have to get over it to advance your career, product, idea, whatever it is you're promoting. If the your elevator speech is for the advancement of your career, keep in mind that great leaders have the confidence required to make staffing decisions and when they chose you, the usually stand by that decision by supporting you. Leaders look for confidence when selecting who will work for them.

Developing your 30-second commercial won't be easy but once you have it down and put it into action, you will reap the rewards.


Now get out there and sell yourself!


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