High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Networking and Getting the Most Out of a Conference

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• How to Get the Most Out of a Conference: "Perhaps one-on-one meetings are better for you or small group settings. If so ... mak(e) a reservation at a local restaurant for about eight people before the conference. Then invite people from your wish list."


• Become a Networking Beast: "Avoid rambling off the reasons why your product or service is the best. Instead, ask everyone whom you speak with if there is anything you can do to help their business."


• Mika Brzezinski on Leadership and Knowing Your Worth: "Don't ever say that you will walk if you won't, but if you get to the point where you can no longer do your job knowing that you are not getting what you are worth, it might be time to take that drastic step. Plan ahead for future employment if you find yourself in a place where you have to make demands."


• 6 Interviewing Mistakes: "As with the elevator pitch, it’s best to have a smart, genuine question prepared before the interview. All too often, people to go into the interview with the expectation that a brilliant question will materialize somewhere between the hellos and the wind-down, but it just doesn’t work that way."


• 3 Steps to Mapping Your Career Path: "Your values, strengths, interests and compensation are building blocks that make up the cornerstone of fulfillment in your career."

Your Self Introduction: Where Can You Use It and What You Should Say

Whether you call it an elevator speech, a 30-second commercial, or a self-introduction, the bottom line is that you need to have the ability to quickly and succinctly introduce yourself in a business setting. It is hard for many of us to talk about ourselves, much less to do it in public! In order to increase your effectiveness and ease your stress, prepare your intro to use in a variety of settings.

Where Can You Use It?
A self-introduction can be versatile enough to be used in a variety of business settings. If you are a job seeker, you can use it when networking with people you have never met before. You can use your commercial at a career fair when introducing yourself to a recruiter. Use the introduction to answer the question "tell me about yourself" in an interview. You can even use your self-introduction to help shape your LinkedIn profile.

As a business person, your self introduction can be used at company meetings. It can be used when you meet new co-workers or a new supervisor. You can also use the self introduction to build rapport and create relationships with potential vendors or suppliers.

What Should It Contain?
As I mentioned, the personal introduction should be short, sweet, and to the point. It is often called a 30-second commercial for this reason. I don't expect you to time yourself, but keep the intro to right around 30 seconds so that you don't monopolize the conversation and you keep your listeners' attention. Your self introduction should answer the following questions:

• What is your area of specialization?
• How many years of experience do you have?
• What are your key skills or traits that make you good at what you do?
• Can you offer an accomplishment or story that demonstrates your abilities?
• What makes you unique or sets you apart in your industry?
• What are you looking for out of the conversation? (In other words, what is the purpose of your conversation with this person: a job, a networking lead, an introduction, new business opportunities, etc.)

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Elevator Pitch, Promotions, and Career Killers

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. Tips for Making a Short and Succinct Elevator Pitch
"With a well-planned, succinct, targeted introduction, you'll inspire additional conversation with your networking contacts."

2. 8 Gimmes You Need to Include on Professional Emails
"Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, are extremely valuable to employers. Every message they receive from you will serve to form an impression."

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3. 8 Things to Consider if You Were Passed Over for a Promotion
"Don’t let this derail you or your career goals.  Learn from this situation and take the right actions that will get you where you know you can go."

4. 5 Career Killers to Avoid
"A surefire way to ensure you never move up the corporate ladder is to become complacent in your job."

5. 10 Scary Job Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
"Sometimes, reality is even scarier than our dreams, and these common job interview mishaps are too nerve-wracking to ignore."

Be Prepared to Act on Hot Job Leads

Recent favorable news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a steady rise in the number of jobs being added to the U.S. economy. Job seekers should be encouraged by the possibility of increased job opportunities and prepared to act promptly on relevant job leads. The following suggestions can help.

Keep Resume and Cover Letter Updated

Your resume and cover letter should always be current, professional, and polished. Use it to succinctly communicate the skills, experience, and knowledge that make you a great candidate for the job. Remember to add some tailored points to both the resume and cover letter to address the specific job you are pursuing. If you always keep a great resume and basic cover letter at the ready, customization should be quick and easy.

Remember References, Work Samples, and Professional Attire

If a company is moving fast to fill a position or you join the candidate pool late in the process, be ready to respond quickly to inquiries. Have professional references already lined up and professional attire available for an interview or meeting. Additionally, if you are pursuing an occupation in which samples of work are commonly requested, be sure you’ve identified samples you can share.

Create an Elevator Pitch

Every job seeker should have an elevator pitch¾a short speech, typically two minutes or less, that summarizes your qualifications and skills and highlights your potential value to an organization. This pitch should be succinct and compelling, and the best ones will pique the listener’s interest and spark further dialogue.

Follow Up Immediately

When you hear of a hot job lead, follow up immediately to demonstrate interest as well as professionalism and motivation. Find a way to organize and track your job search, including actions already taken and next steps. If your efforts lead to an interview, be sure to send a prompt thank you note.

5 Steps to Creating an Effective Self-introduction

You may have heard it called an elevator speech or a 30-second commercial. No matter what it is called, it is imperative that you prepare – and memorize – your self-introduction before you take on networking as a job seeker or even as a career professional.

We have all been to those professional events where the first question we are asked is “What do you do?” How often have you blown this golden networking opportunity by simply telling the person what career field you are in? Use this 5-step approach to prepare your message in advance and take advantage of the next time you have a chance to shine in a networking situation.

What is your background?
Let your listener know what your background is, how many years of experience you have, and what the scope of your responsibility has been. Don’t just be satisfied with saying “I am a project manager,” instead say “I am a project manager with more than 8 years of experience leading cross-functional teams of up to 25 personnel complete projects budgets up to $25 million.”

What certifications or education do you have that are important?
This section is more important in some career fields than others. Only mention certifications and education if it is relevant to being considered a candidate in your chosen career field. Unrelated degrees or education need not be mentioned in the networking arena.

What are your strengths or areas of specialization?
Think about what you want the person to remember you as. Last week I talked about defining your personal brand. This is one of the ways that you will use the brand to discuss your area of expertise. To continue our earlier example you might continue on to say, “One of my areas of expertise is bringing together a diverse team and creating an effective project implementation schedule that ensures project milestones are met within the scope of the project budget.”

Offer an example of one of your accomplishments.
I am a big believer in proving my skills and knowledge with examples and accomplishments. Don’t just tell someone you have a skill or expertise, prove it to them. Our project manager example may continue in their introduction as follows, “I took over my last project that I led to completion when it was 6 months along. The project was in trouble; it was behind schedule by at least 6 weeks and was running about 20% above budget. I met with the team and revised the schedule to try to make up lost time, I identified and corrected the key areas where the project was over budget, and involved the whole team with making some major changes. In the end, we were able to come in 7% under budget and completed the project on schedule.”

What are you looking for?
This is the most important part of networking, and often the hardest part for most people. You have to ask for assistance. Most people really want to help you, but they can not help you if they have no idea of what you need. Whether you are looking for a new employer, networking contacts to expand your client base, or just to make connections with industry professionals and expand your knowledge, be sure to tell your listener what you need.

Creating a Terrific Elevator Pitch

At an industry networking event, you’ve managed to meet a person of influence who happens to work for one of your prospective target employers. You have just a few captive minutes to make a positive first impression and to pitch why you would be a great addition to that organization. With some advance planning and practice, you can be prepared and ready to shine.

Let the ideas flow: Emphasizing action verbs, write down what you do in several different ways. Describe what you do for others. Use language to create a visual and combine the best thoughts together. Rather than “I am a marketing manager in the automotive industry,” say, “I understand the intricacies of the automotive market and create ideas and solutions for decision makers.” Remember to ask yourself, “Why am I making this pitch and what do I want from it?” Maybe you want a formal interview, a referral, or an exchange of business cards. Be sure to specify what you want.

Tell a story: Using those action verbs and keeping your goal in mind, weave what you do into a short story. This is not the time to rattle off your resume. Instead, leave your audience with a memorable snapshot of the best you have to offer.

Practice and record: Practice and record your pitch until it sounds natural, making improvements as you go. Timing your pitch is also important, as you will want to keep it between 30 and 60 seconds.

Make sure you come across as likeable and credible. Leave your audience wanting to hear more.