ECONOMY
MORE THAN MY CV
Lingerie, Third Floor; Selling Yourself,
Top Floor — Going Up!
Can an elevator speech determine whether you
ride up the express — or the dumbwaiter?
By Jackie Headapohl
t's trite, but true — you never get a sec-
ond chance to make a first impression.
Studies show that 30 seconds after you
introduce yourself, the impression that's
made is firmly set — so how do you make
it count?
That can be a frightening notion to
someone looking for a job. Choosing what
to say during that first half-minute can
potentially mean the difference between a
good impression and, at best, an indiffer-
ent one.
And for the job searcher, indifference is
deadly. Unless you stand out and make an
imprint, you're likely to be passed over.
To make a great first impression, arm
yourself with an elevator speech (so
named because, from the time the eleva-
tor doors shut until you reach the 20th
floor, you have a captive audience for
about 30 seconds).
If you're on the hunt for a job, you
should have this 30-second snippet, which
describes your unique skills and value
proposition, locked, loaded and ready
to spew every time you meet someone
new who can lead you closer to gainful
employment.
"You've got to grab their attention and
make it compelling," says Kris Plantrich,
professional career coach and owner of
ResumeWonders.com in Ortonville."And
it has to come across as conversational —
not robotic. You need to sound authentic
and sincere!'
Plantrich suggests you start by writing
it down. "Start with who you are and what
you do; then begin listing some achieve-
ments. Are you a cost cutter? A good
promoter? Try to show what solution you
bring to the table," she says.
Have three to six specific skills or
achievements at the ready and think up a
response to any likely follow-up questions.
For example, if you're a "cost-cutter," be
prepared to tell a story about how you've
reduced overhead. "You should be able to
shrink or stretch a good elevator speech to
fit the situation," Plantrich adds.
To make your
elevator speech
tight and effec-
tive, focus on
your skills and
not just your per-
sonal attributes,
recommends
Larry Frazho,
I
oga, pilates, spinning, bikram, kickboxin
and other active wear for men and
next to baby & me : www.ilovetobefree.com
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Let the entertainers from
Joe Cornell Weddings
build on your excitement.
president of Career Consultants in West
Bloomfield. "We recommend that our cli-
ents 'inventory the product;" Frazho says.
"The product is you:'
Frazho provides an example:"When
most people are asked to describe
themselves, they'll say something like,'I'm
creative, dependable and hard-working,"'
he says."Problem is everybody else is cre-
ative, dependable and hardworking, too.
You need to stand out. Why should this
person be interested in you?"
Try not to include overused words and
phrases. According to the social network-
ing site Linkedln, the following words
have lost their effectiveness: extensive
experience, innovative, motivated, results-
oriented, dynamic, proven track record,
team player, fast-paced, problem solver
and entrepreneurial.
If you want to stand out, dig deeper. Use
specific, meaningful phrases. Are you an
analyzer? A planner? An IT guru? A logisti-
cal wizard? A motivational trainer?
"Look back at your career and analyze
the skills that brought you success. Com-
municate those skills in your elevator
speech;' Frazho says.
Remember, the elevator speech is
supposed to be a conversation starter,
not a soliloquy, so keep it short. If you've
intrigued the person you're speaking with,
he or she will ask a question (which, of
course, you're prepared to answer).That's
the kind of give-and-take that leads to a
relationship; and relationships — the face-
to-face kind — are what most often lead
to landing that job.
GIGS
Labor Market Continues to Mend —
Especially for Sparkies and Tech Geeks!
ichigan's employment outlook continues to brighten (relatively speaking) — especially for
engineers and IT professionals. Of course, the unfolding events in Japan don't help mat-
ters — on several fronts. This month we are running the GIGS column on online; below is
the events calendar. For the full listing and thousands of career opportunities, please visit our
website at redthreadmagazine.com .
M
US1C. ANCE. FU
We make it happen.
Call Joe Cornell Weddings TODAY
to book one of our sophisticated,
confident entertainment teams.
16 May 2011 I
ItED THREAD
May 5, 12, 19 and 26: Job seeker support and networking group meeting every
Thursday at JVS, 29699 Southfield Road in Southfield. Register at
parnossahworksdetroit.org or by leaving a voicemail message at (248) 233-4245.
May 9: Jewish B2B Networking meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden
Inn, located at 26000 American Drive in Southfield. Call (888) 477-4466 for more
information.
May 11: 3rd Annual Back to Work Fair from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Arab-American
Chaldean Center, located at 9019 Joseph Campeau Street in Hamtramck. (MyACC.
org)
May 12: 6th Annual Career Expo from the Michigan Institute of Aviation and
Technology, from noon-5 p.m. at 2955 S. Haggerty Road in Canton. Call (734) 423-
2100 for more information. (http://miat.edu )
May 12: WomenJobFairs.com's Job Fair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Embassy
Suites Detroit-Livonia/Novi at 19525 Victor Parkway in Livonia. For additional infor-
mation, call WomenJobFairs.com at (516) 433-1148.
www.redthreadmagazine.com