So you got the interview for that position you have dreamed about. Now what?
Interviews involve questions - usually a few and one of the most terrifying questions is the innocuous-sounding leading question: “so can you tell us a little about yourself” …?
You will need to be ready because this is your moment to hit your stride in assuring this HR committee you absolutely know your value in relation to this role. To set a wonderfully memorable tone for an interview for both your own confidence and for their impressions of you - this must go well - your elevator pitch.
What your elevator speech CANNOT have: dry tone or incomplete delivery
- It cannot be long-winded or confusing - keep it to no more than 2- 2.5 minutes and ideally shorter. Keep it on target and building on content and momentum throughout.
- It cannot be too fast - speak normally or more slowly than normal and give proper inflection and tone throughout. Speak clearly, not breathlessly, nor flashily, but calmly, coherently, and with a decisive energy that is directly addressing the entire committee with your eyes, your countenance, your words.
- Be dressed appropriately for the occasion, turned out well so that no aspect of what you are saying is distracting your listeners from hearing what you are actually saying. In other words, poor taste or extravagant taste is all wrong.
- You cannot speak in too high a tone - practice and find a timbre for your voice that is natural, pleasant, and sounds more relaxed. Some people, when anxious, the tone of their voice rises even an octave or more - or squeaks. Practice to control this….find a tone that is sonorous, and easy on the ear.
- It cannot be robotic - instant disaster. Don’t practice until you are so bored with your pitch you cannot stand it anymore. Don’t memorize it entirely. But get your content down, and practice saying it in different ways, and record yourself.
- Get your tone right, and your pace. Find those apt phrases that best describe you and be sure to find memorable ones - enlist the help of family or friends to find the most apt and positive descriptions of yourself - those phrases. Others might have a better sense of this than you do yourself - you need to get this vital information down. The whole of the pitch has to sound perfectly like you - and what they need.
What your elevator speech CANNOT have: inarticulate language or poor attitude
- It cannot include language with is jargoned, informal, too formal, inappropriate, or otherwise offensive or misdirected in content, tone, or reference. [how do you do this? Be aware in advance - be very aware of your language and tone - for that specific audience.]
- It cannot be full of exaggerations or braggadocio or too many adjectives - keep your language simple, direct, and apt.
- It cannot be boring. If it sounds boring to you, it doubtless is to your audience. If you need help to make it more interesting, get help to breathe life into your elevator pitch - hire a career counsellor.
- You can’t talk about yourself ONLY in the past tense. You describe, yes, who you are now, and how you built your career to this point, and then you very strongly project your professional self into the role you are interviewing for. Let this committee see that, visualize that clear projection.
- Do not be afraid - engage with yourself and whoever you need to in order to accomplish this critical element. Know thyself, and discover how to project that identity to others.
- Be ready to make a positive, dynamic first impression and circle back to this positive impression at the end of the interview when almost certainly you will be asked - “do you have questions for us?”
- Be sure you are ready with a number of intelligent questions. Ask the most relevant of these - 2 or 3 - and then when those are answered, ask them - “is there anything that I have said today that leaves you with questions for me, or doubts about my candidacy?”
Ask for the job
Whatever they say, and however you answer to those issues [or none], as you thank them at the very end for the interview, be ready with a zinger that has them circling back in memory to the beginning with your impressive opening statement.
ASK for the job, but in such a charming way, that they understand you are underlining that unique value that you would bring, and how enthused you are - how ready to join their team. This is stage 2 of your elevator speech. Beautifully done, it is the moment they all realize that you ARE ideal for the position, and have all of the qualities they need.
Need help developing your pitch and perfecting its delivery? We can help you with that through our 1 on 1 coaching session, check us out and get in touch today!
