What’s your job search elevator pitch? If you make a 60-second (or less) video and submit it to Graduate Career Coaching, you have a chance to win one of two $500 career coaching packages.
For those who don’t know, an elevator pitch is “the sound bite you deliver when given the chance to explain who you are and what you seek, in about the time it would take to ride an elevator 20 floors up,” said Christine Bolzan, CEO of Graduate Career Coaching. “It was made famous by Melanie Griffith in the 80's film Working Girl, which you can check out on You Tube for inspiration. The best pitches are less than a minute, about 200 words, and give the listener both everything they need to know while leaving them wanting more.”
In general, your elevator pitch should consist of your name (if meeting for the first time), current status, what you seek and your unique selling points, qualifications and passions.
“I believe the elevator pitch is an inherently critical part of the job search that so many great candidates can get wrong,” said Bolzan. “It can stop short or drag on. Provide way too much information or leave you empty-handed. A fine-tuned 60-second description of what you seek and what you offer can come in handy throughout the job search when networking casually or formally, or even when asked the dreaded ‘Tell me about yourself’ question in an interview.”
The contest began on June 1, 2009, and will conclude on July 31, 2009. Winners will be announced on August 3, 2009. Entries will be judged by a panel of five experts, including myself, on the following criteria:
- Overall effectiveness of your pitch.
- Memorable content and delivery.
- Clear, specific message and call to action.
- Unique selling qualities.
Any current college student or recent graduate from the Classes of 2009, 2008 or 2007, currently residing in the U.S. qualifies to participate. Visit Graduate Career Coaching for full contest details.
“Our goal is to get candidates thinking about their pitch, practicing it, sharing it with one another and with potential hiring managers online,” said Bolzan. “A terrific group of professionals agreed to judge our contest, and they have all been hiring managers themselves with a broad range of experiences including advertising, film, law, education, technology, recruiting, public relations, journalism and entertainment.”
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