The critical importance a strong elevator pitch can play in landing a job!

You think you are ready to land that next job. You have worked on your resume, created a great LinkedIn profile and made sure your other social media sites appropriately reflect a positive image. You are starting to apply to a select group of companies that best match your career objectives. And, you’re even attending networking events.

But, have you crafted that ideal “elevator pitch”?

It’s that 30-second speech that summarizes who you are, what you do, and why you would be a perfect candidate.

Having a great elevator speech down pat and ready to reel off at any time, whether it be during a job interview or a cocktail party conversation, could be your most important asset in landing that new job.

The name “elevator pitch” is based on the following scenario:

Let’s suppose that – completely by accident – you meet a potential employer in an elevator on the 25th floor. She asks you what you do. You have an opportunity to give it your best shot before getting to the ground floor. If you have a polished elevator speech, then by the time you arrive at the lobby, she will know everything of importance about you and your skills and why she and her organization should consider bringing you on board.

You can also use your elevator speech as the basis for your next job interview, where you’ll have much more than 30 seconds to tell your story, but still need to be organized, focused, compelling, impressive and memorable.

PersonalBrandingBlog.com offered these suggestions for creating a strong elevator pitch:

Keep it brief!

For a 30-second elevator pitch, we’re talking only a few sentences long. Anything longer defeats the impact. People will tune out lengthy pitches, particularly if you are now the fourth person at the job fair they have talked to.

State your name clearly

Start with you name, and pronounce it clearly and slowly. After all, if you succeed in making a smashing impression, you want the listener to come away remembering your name!

Follow the 4 P’s

The two or three sentences of your pitch should cover three areas – previous experience (education, skills), portable skills (what you can bring to ANY job), and personal traits/passions (the things that make you who you are).

Then, practice your pitch! Write it down, then rehearse it in front of a mirror until you can deliver it easily and passionately.

Revise it as needed, maximizing the elevator pitch’s concise content to be sure you are expressing something unique about you (your USP -unique selling proposition) that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Remember – a strong, memorable 30-second sound bite can be a key tool in getting you noticed over the chatter of the competition and help you land that next job.