I love success stories. When a job seeker comes back and says they got the job, it makes my heart happy. I recently received an email from a job seeker who attended some classes on job search and interviewing and had put her newfound knowledge into practice. The big takeaway she had was what she learned about the 30-second intro or “elevator speech.”
I know I have talked about this is the past, but first impressions are so important. Whether you meet someone at a networking event or on a phone or in-person interview, what you say when you are asked about yourself matters.
I always joke around when I teach the 30-second intro and say “My name is Sandi, I am married, have three children and I am a dog lover wannabe.” This tells them nothing about who I really am and how I could help their company. The better response would be “I have 15 years of human resources and recruiting experience, and I have been working in non-profit for the past four years. My passion is connecting people with their next job.” This gives a brief summary of experience and how I could be a fit.
Practice your 30 seconds on friends and family and then in networking situations. Join networking groups to meet more people and become more comfortable talking about yourself.
The other very important note is to make sure you take some time to stop and listen to the other person. One of the worst things you can do in networking and interviewing is talk too much. Don’t leave the interviewer or person you are speaking to trying to figure out how to end the conversation. Instead tell stories that will keep them interested.
I would love to hear your 30 seconds. Please email me.
Questions? Write me.
sandi@christianhelp.org
407-834-4022
Fax: 407-260-2949
Mail: Ask Sandi C/O Christian HELP
450 Seminola Blvd, Casselberry, FL 32707
Our goal is to answer many of the questions you may have about your employment search, resumes, networking, promotion opportunities, and other employment related questions you may have.
Note to employers: If you e-mail your job leads to cfec@cfec.org, we will share your job openings with Christian HELP clients.
Until next time-
Sandi
Sandi Vidal is the Executive Director for Christian HELP and the Central Florida Employment Council. She has over 15 years of Recruiting and Human Resources Experience. Visit the website at www.cfec.org.