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An Elevator Pitch is the perfect tool to have in your arsenal during your job search!

An Elevator Pitch is a 30-second speech that includes:

• Who you are
• What you do
• Why you are the best at what you do
• Why you should be considered for employment

This might sound simple, but it takes practice to ensure you provide a great snapshot of yourself, make a great impression, and leave with a job lead or contact.

6 Steps to Develop an Elevator Pitch:

1. Identify Goals – know your field and details of the type of job you are looking for.
2. Write it – note everything you would like to portray during your pitch including, education, skills, experience, etc. Don’t be autobiographical, be specific. The goal is to peak their interest, and land you a meeting/interview!
3. Format & Edit – your pitch should be revised and condensed a number of times. Test it out on your friends, family and co-workers and listen to their feedback.
4. Tailor Variations – your pitch should be tailored to your audience. Create slight variations of your pitch to use in different situations (e.g.-meeting a CEO, Employee, or networking with Professionals).
5. Practice – continue reciting your pitch until it comes to you naturally.
6. Deliver it with enthusiasm and confidence!

Have you already mastered your Elevator Pitch? Update your Resume, Cover Letter and References!

Don’t forget – Metro College Job Search Support Service is available to help you with your resume, interview skills and job search. Contact us today!

As a Human Resource professional, I am often asked, “What should I include in my cover letter?”

A cover letter should first and foremost address the needs of the employer. How can your experience and education benefit the organization? What makes you stand out from the hundreds of other resumes that the employer receives on a day-to-day basis?

People often make the mistake of summarizing their resume on their cover letter and never really tell the company what they can do for them or how they can assist in the needs of their organization.

Every cover letter should be unique to the job ad and should never be reused. Every cover letter has its purpose, which brings me to my point:

How do you design and word your Cover Letter so that it stands out to an employer?

A cover letter should be divided into three parts.

• Starting the first part with what I like to call “the intro” – this should be simple and engaging. You are advising the employer of what position you are applying for and how you are a suitable match for the position.

• The second part is what I call “the meat” – this is where things get more complicated. You need to review the job ad and scan it for every qualification and skill point that should be included into this part. You can do this based on your previous experience /skills or newly gained knowledge. If you don’t have the experience that the employer requires, you want to let the employer know that you can learn it and apply them fairly quickly. The important thing is not to leave out a point. You must address everything the job ad is requesting.

• The third and final part is what I call “the invitation” – this is where you tell the employer that you are enclosing your resume for review and that you are inviting them to meet with you in person to discuss, in detail, how you can both develop a mutually beneficial relationship.

Metro College also offers excellent Job Search Support Service which focus on drafting a great cover letter, resume, and selecting your references. Mock interview sessions are also available to help prepare you for your future job interviews!