The idea of this event is to practice pitching yourself to potential employers in under a minute. Not an easy task by any means. How would you describe your career goals to a complete stranger? First of all, the person you are talking to should not be a stranger. You should at least research who you’re interviewing with to be better prepared. If you don’t know the person you want to pitch yourself to, as was the case in this event, politely introduce yourself and make that connection with the person.
At the Career Action Program Conference the students learned the importance of Elevator Speeches and how they allow us to make the right impression. An elevator speech is a short (30-60 second) sound bite that succinctly and memorably introduces yourself. It spotlights your uniqueness and focuses on the benefits you provide. A successful elevator speech should be delivered effortlessly. There are 5 components to a successful elevator speech:
- Introduce yourself. Hello, my name is _________.
- What you are passionate about. Involvement in job or organizations.
- Why you’re the best at what you do. Differentiate yourself with experience.
- What you are trying to achieve. Job, internship, networking.
I’d say that the event went very well. Business professionals from several companies including UTSA were in attendance. Each student was given the opportunity to meet with these representatives and pitch themselves. All of the students seemed as though they had practiced, it was a little intimidating at first. Some of the advice we were given was to just know yourself and what you want to say. After delivering my elevator speech a handful of times, my speech noticeably became more comfortable and confident. After all I am a full-time student and a member of several organizations, so I should have a lot to talk about. By the end of the event, my final elevator speech sounded something like this:
Hello, my name is Taylor Henderson. I am a Junior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, specializing in marketing. Along with a full class schedule, I’ve joined several professional business organizations at UTSA, two of which I hold leadership positions. Being an active member in these organizations has certainly allowed me to work with a wide range of individuals, as well as manage time between several responsibilities. I am currently seeking an internship or entry level position with your company, I’d like to discuss potential opportunities with you at your convenience. How might an ambitious worker like myself benefit from working with your company?