Your Pitch - Making an Impression

Every job-seeker must be prepared to answer the question, “Tell me about yourself?” One of my core team members at St. Raymond JobLink is an experienced hiring manager for one of the largest employers in Silicon Valley. He always asks this question and has seven other questions designed to get the information that he wants to learn from the job-seeker. His face to face interviews are only 30 minutes long. He is a busy guy and he hires a lot of people.

The job-seeker has to be ready to answer the interview question “Tell me about yourself?” with what is commonly known as “The Elevator Pitch.” But this is only partially correct, basically you have 2 minutes to set yourself apart and get the attention of the interviewer. In the case above, you need to know that you have 30
minutes to make an impression. Find out how much time is allocated for the interview. Don’t cut yourself short by giving a rambling off the cuff answer that takes up precious time and doesn’t make an impression on the interviewer.

It makes sense to practice a personal opening so that the pitch has a natural feel. Here is an example that I have used: “When I was young, I wanted to be a professional baseball player. My early plans were sidelined when I was drafted during the Viet Nam era. In the Air Force I learned to copy Morse Code at 60-80 words a minute and I had a top secret classified job at NSA. I graduated from the University of Maryland shortly after I left the Air Force and embarked on a career in data processing. I became involved with Bar Codes when they first came in use. I was a systems engineer on the Giant Foods project using Bar Codes for the first time in a grocery store. From that point on I dedicated myself to becoming an expert in Bar Code and RFID technologies.”

The above pitch takes less than 30 seconds to deliver and it is a true story about my early career. It gives a little personal information which hopefully is interesting for the listener and will generate more interview questions. I also “branded myself” as an expert in Bar Code and RFID in 9 words. I could enhance this pitch by
having some achievements ready to describe my claims as an expert in Bar Code and RFID technology. This would take us into the classic Two Minute Pitch as advocated by The Five O’Clock Club. The Two Minute Pitch really is a longer version of your elevator pitch which positions you as an expert in your field. It offers some personal insight and then offers evidence with 3 to 5 examples of your achievements. A good resume has the top 1/3 of your resume identical to your Two Minute Pitch.

“The Eight Word Message” is another Five O’Clock Club methodology that helps people to position themselves. In this case I used 9 words to position myself as an expert. Imagine that you are caught in an elevator with the CEO of a company where you are applying for a job. Most people would get on the elevator and look at their feet and waste the opportunity to develop a relationship. I might take the
opportunity to be courteous and say “Hello, Mr. Big, I am a Bar code and RFID expert and I am interviewing for a job position today. Mr. Big might respond with a courteous message wishing me luck. And
that opens the door for me to talk with him again maybe later in the day. “I read your last quarterly report and I think that I could help with the new service you are planning for your customers. Maybe I will see you later today when the initial interviews have been completed.” I hand him my card which identifies me as a Bar Code
and RFID expert. Hopefully, I have made an impression.

Let’s review the process: The 8-Word Message; The 30 Second Elevator Pitch; and The Two Minute Pitch. All are solid methods designed for you to make an impression when talking about yourself. It is important to
write these down and practice giving these pitches. We don’t always get chance to tell the whole two minute pitch; often we have to do it in stages. The important point that I want to make is that you must have a strategy associated with your pitch which positions you as achiever in your chosen field. Your pitch is designed to make an impression that interviewers will remember after you have left. They may not remember your name when you call back but you can refresh their memory by referring information in your pitch that sets you apart from the other job seekers. “Hello, Mr. Big. I’m the RFID expert that you met in the elevator, remember me?”