West Virginia University Career Services Center

A lot of people in business talk about the “elevator speech.” If no one has explained it to you yet, the premise is simple: if you walked into an elevator with someone who could hire you for you dream job, how could you convince him/her of your value in the time it takes to get up to the top floor?

This is not a valuable skill because it is particularly likely that you will end up with someone important confined with you in a small space and at the mercy of your eloquence. The elevator speech is a good concept because it puts the speaker in the right frame of mind: prioritizing the most important information, wasting no time.

Often people new to the professional world are much more experienced with informal communication: we practice telling stories, talking at dinner, and chatting with strangers. What all these forms have in common is that they are indirect—we don’t sum up the story, we lead up slowly to the punch line. You can talk to anyone about the weather, but not question his or her political leanings or why he/she bought that coat. Being indirect is polite and safe. As we become closer to people, one can be more and more direct—still, everyone appreciates small talk (how are you? Nice coat!) before the serious stuff (so, are you going to stay with him or not?).

Professional communication has different rules than informal communication, particularly when it comes to interviews and job fairs. All that indirect, polite ritual we do in social situations is inappropriate when done in the context of a professional interview. Professional and technical communication is about putting the most important information up front. Most of the time, the model is to summarize the most significant points first, and then elaborating and offering specific data if there is time to do so. It’s also the journalistic model of communication—answer the most important questions in the first paragraph, then elaborate in each following paragraph, always in the order of most significant information to least.

So how can you make a good elevator speech? Make a list of your best qualifications, pick out several of them for your speech, rehearse alone, then rehearse with others and get some feedback.

Start with a list: what are your best qualifications? If you are just starting out, probably your degree is a significant part of your training. Once you have five or ten years in the workforce, your work experience will be more important than your degree. Think about any internship, summer job, volunteer work, or other work experience you might have had that would have given you some valuable skills. Feel free to brainstorm anything and everything, then go back and decide on your best two or three qualifications. Consider what you want: you should finish the speech with a few words about what position you are interested in. Make sure that when you are done, your speech takes only 3 to 5 minutes.

The structure of the speech is fairly simple:

Hi, I’m [full name]. I have [degree] from [school] with a particular interest in __ [or mention your minor or even your academic honors]. I have worked at [business or department] as a [position title] getting experience in [name some transferable skills]. I am interested in an entry level position in [type of work—human resources, sales, etc.]

For example:
Hi, I’m Maria Ochona. I have a bachelor’s degree in business from West Virginia University, specializing in leadership and marketing. I participated in the WVU leadership minor, and had an internship with the West Virginia Governor’s program working with Horizon Advertizing. At Horizon, I created and administered surveys to discover consumer attitudes towards a new hair product. I’m interested in working with demographic analysis further, if you have any entry level positions?

The more you work on it, the better you can get at packing in a good amount of information in a short speech, focusing on the kinds of things employers want to know, and saying it in a way that seems energetic, but natural. You should be able to give the speech at moment’s notice, with a smile and handshake.

You will probably start rehearsing it alone, but you need to try it out on various people to really get your speech right. You might even have two versions and try them out to see how listeners react. Specifically, try to get some active professionals to hear it and give their opinion. If you don’t have any connections to people in the field you are trying to enter, try to get some of your professors to listen. Also, you can try your speech out on a career counselor (finally, another shameless plug for Career Services). The great thing about the elevator speech is it doesn’t take more than five minutes at most to listen to, so it’s really easy to get just about anyone to give you a moment and critique it.

What’s a good speech? It’s short, has specific information, and gives a clear picture of your qualifications and goals. A bad speech is slow to start (a joke or excuse up front), vague (I have great communication skills, do you have a job for me?), or doesn’t focus on useful information (I majored in chemistry and I love cats?I have four cats right now?). Some people will want to write the speech down—that’s okay, but generally if you write down a speech, it will end up sounding rote. The elevator speech always sounds a little rehearsed because it’s so much packed into a short time, but you don’t want to sound like you’re reading a 3×5 card. Practice out loud so it comes out smoothly, but not memorized word for word.

How do you know if you have dressed properly for an interview? Simple, look at who is interviewing you. If you are as formal, professional, and conservative as you interviewer?congratulations, you have done the right thing.

How can you manage to hit the mark for your next interview? A little research is all it will take. If you have access to the store/workplace/department, check out what the manager is wearing. Whoever is hiring you will be at least a level above the job you will be doing—that’s what you want to aim for. Not the clothes that you will be wearing to do the job, but one level up.

What if you don’t have access to the company or department until your interview? Just ask. It is perfectly okay ask the people who are interviewing you about the company dress code. If possible, ask when they call you about the interview, but if you forget, call again and ask for clear directions and, by the way, what is the company dress code?

Probably this general rule is not what people expect—you may have seen a “dress for success” book or magazine article that gave you the impression that there is a secret “right” way to dress for any interview. Ridiculous. As if a wildlife rescuing non-profit, federal agency, construction company, department store, insurance company, and software development firm all want the same corporate-clone suit monkey? No, they do not. One general piece of advice: cover any tattoos and wear very little jewelry (no earrings for men, sorry).

The conservative interview suit isn’t a myth; it’s just the right thing for a particular group of job seekers. It’s good for a white collar, desk, or cubicle job. It’s the right choice for finance, government, and sales. But let’s take a look at those last three—the same suit for any of those three fields? Not exactly. For finance, go very conservative and high quality (the same goes for accessories—save up for a good watch, for example). For a government job, being conservative is more important than quality. Looking like you have a lot of money to throw around isn’t a good choice when you’re after a government job. For sales, they want current and modern look. They will know at a glance if your shoes are cheap or expensive or if your tie is the right color and width for this season.

Who is less likely to need an interview suit? People who have specialized technical and medical skills—computer programmers, lab techs, nurses, radiologists, etc. If those people are going for a job with a big, conservative institution (like the federal government) a suit might be a good idea. Still, they are not hiring a tech to look pretty, so don’t sweat your appearance too much. Okay, now I’m picturing what the computer science students consider appropriate attire, and I’m scared. Do worry more about what you’re wearing than you do for classes and hanging around. Have a dress shirt, tie, and suit jacket that fits. Wear pants that fit and don’t unzip to make shorts (or have extra pockets at the knees). Women have the option to wear a skirt and don’t need to worry about a tie. A dress can be okay, but needs to be plain, conservative, and simply cut. No flouncy rose bowl float; no sexy date looks.

What is conservative? Conservative is about cut and color when it comes to clothes. Men’s clothes are judged on fit—often trends will encourage men to wear oversized items or tight fitting clothes—neither look is conservative. A conservative suit is close to the body, but still a little stiff and boxy. It accents the shoulders and hides the waist. Men’s suit colors are grey and navy, with black now being accepted as well. A brown suit is a casual suit—good for academics and techs. Shirts need to have a long enough sleeve that it peaks out from the jacket. The most conservative men only wear white shirts; someone a bit less uptight will go for a light blue, rose, or green. Currently, there are a lot of bright colored shirts on the market. I saw a student wearing a black suit with a bright red shirt with matching tie (with a very narrow gold and black diagonal stripe). It was a great look for sales, marketing, and any other business interested in trends. If he was going for a finance job, the reaction would probably be negative, though. Your tie should be simple—plain, stripe, simple geometric or small dot. No novelty ties. Shoes should be polished, lace up, and formal. Loafers are all right if you don’t have the money for new shoes—but do clean them up.

Women can go with navy, grey, black, or brown (and many would accept any deep, jewel tone color for a women’s suit). Right now, most women’s suits are black; it’s a safe, easy to mix and match color. The most conservative look is a suit with a knee length skirt; most people also think slacks are good. The blouse or shell under the suit should be simple and flowing, or in a slightly masculine style. Just pick a color that compliments your skin tone and won’t gape or show too much cleavage. For a while, women’s shirts were very tight and the buttons started low—can look nice, but not for an interview. If you’re wearing skirt, wear nude, a hose color that matches your skin tone, or (if it’s winter) off black. Simple closed-toe pumps or flats: no higher than a two and a half inch heel. Very high heels are in fashion now, but older generations associate them with low-class, cheap women. Don’t wear much jewelry or other accessories. Keep earrings simple: a pearl stud, small hoop, or semi-precious stone in a simple setting. Limit yourself to just a couple of items. If you’re in sales or PR, follow the trends, but watch out for anything a conservative client would find offensive: a trendy color is good, a too high skirt (or shorts with a suit) is bad.

What if you’re doing a lot of interview with different companies or institutions? If you are going to a job fair or you have a variety of types of places you might apply to, you’ll want to pick out something that will please the most conservative of interviewers. At a job fair, the company representatives will mostly be in full suits, with a few in business casual (khakis and polo shirt with the company logo). In many cases, a grey, navy, or black suit, with a white shirt or blouse is the safest bet. It may seem a little generic if you’re not used to it, but that’s what most employers want. The way to make yourself stand out is by being energetic and doing research on the company, not by wearing something flashy. If you are remembered as “the girl with huge chandelier earrings” or “that guy with the tongue stud” they are not thinking about your qualifications or professional attitude.

Don’t overlook the basics. Make sure the clothes fit right. Women should check their shirts in different lighting to make sure it’s not see-though; move around in it to make sure it doesn’t gape. Men who never wear formal clothes should try them on for a few hours and figure out how to get comfortable in them. Don’t wear painful shoes—it will distract you during the entire interview. I made that mistake for a four hour interview, and it was torture. I think I looked grumpy and uncomfortable whenever my guard was down—not the image I wanted to project at all. Finding a compromise between formality and comfort will help you make the best impression.

Dr. Rachel N. Holmberg, Career Counselor

No one likes to apply for jobs; no one likes writing their own resume. Interviews make everyone sweat in uncomfortable clothes. The process is uncomfortable at best, terrifying at worst, but still, don’t panic.

The biggest obstacle I see when people come into my office to get advice about the job search is anxiety. People are worried about the job market, being rejected, and taking a job that is wrong for him or her. The answers to these worries become clear if you talk to someone about them. Good market or bad, the only way to get a job is to go out and apply. Most people don’t like being rejected, and it is hard. On the other hand, most of the time when you don’t get a job, it’s because the job is not a good match for your personality and skills. When you find a place where you fit in, you and the interviewer will know it. The last one is the easiest: try out a new job and if you don’t like it, leave. As long as you are not unprofessional about leaving, it’s good experience and an opportunity to learn. Instead of worrying about what might happen, you have to commit to trying to get a job.

What can you do to stem the tide of fear surrounding the job search? There are three key steps to overcoming your fear: deal with your negativity, find help, and get organized.

First, stop telling yourself you can’t do this—whenever you find yourself being negative about yourself and your prospects, consciously say “no” to yourself and list at least three of your good qualities. Sounds cheesy, yes. Does it work—yes, a lot better than worrying and being negative.

Second, find yourself a job coach or search buddy. In other words, a supportive person who understands what you are going through and will offer a little help and reassurance. Avoid using your parents for this: many times they see you more as a child than a professional adult worker. A job coach needs to be objective enough to criticize your resume and you need to feel objective enough about his or her advice that you take it like a professional. I’m a career counselor, so I think counselors are great job coaches, but you probably have an uncle, pastor, ex-teacher, or a friend’s parent who might work just fine for you. A friend or love interest can be a job search buddy, but he or she will have the same problem that a parent might—he or she is too close to you to offer anything but emotional support. That might be all you need, or you might want to find some professional contact to help.

Third, get yourself organized. Start making a list of what you need to do, and work on things one step at a time. Accomplishing small goals will help you progress and restore a sense of control over the situation.

Next Blog: Sharpening Your Tools: Preparing for the Job Search

Dr. Rachel N. Holmberg, Career Counselor

Job hunters fit into two groups: people who are trained in something specific and are looking for that kind of job (e.g. a paralegal looking to be…a paralegal at a law office) or people with general skills who aren’t sure what kind of job they want exactly.

If you are trained in something specific, you need to: write a resume, gather a list of references, and search for open positions. If you are more of a generalist looking for direction, I recommend first looking for job openings and get a sense of what openings are available and what is appealing to you. Then develop one or several versions of your resume to suit the kind of jobs you are looking for. Finally, put together a list of references and start applying for positions.

When you write a resume, use an up-to-date resume book as a guide. You can find one at any bookstore—study the book at the store if you don’t want to buy it. Your Career Services Center also will have free copies (first shot at shameless self-promotion). Don’t use as a model resume: a Word template (they are twenty years old and scream “my first resume” to the reader) or a copy of a resume written in the seventies. I also suggest not using an online sample: while you never know when a good site will crop up, my searches has found nothing but bland, out-dated samples online. Write up a draft and have everyone you know look it over. Have them check for errors and give you their impressions. Weigh most heavily the opinions of people who hire in your field, people who have been recently on the job market (and have found jobs), and writing professionals. Career counselors are great at reviewing resumes (second shot at shameless self-promotion).

If you have more than one kind of position in mind, don’t try to make the perfect-for-all-occasions resume. It can’t be done and trying will drive you nuts. If you could be an event planner or a human resources trainer, make a resume for each of those fields. The resumes won’t be radically different, but one might emphasize your degree in human resources and the other would put your job experience in party planning first.

You will need to have three to four people you can use as references. Most jobs want professional references—teachers or employers who know your work. Sometimes security jobs also want personal references—friends of your family that have known for many years are good personal references. Always ask your references if they feel comfortable giving you a positive recommendation for a job. Never pressure anyone to be a reference—a bad or reluctance reference can ruin your chances at a job.

Gather information about your professional references on a single page with the following information: the reference’s full name and title, company or institution name, address, phone number (with extension), and email. It is also a good idea to include a sentence or two under the person’s name and title that summarizes your connection to him or her (e.g. “supervisor for two years” or “teacher for three semesters”). Often you will need to put this information on an application, so keep a copy on hand when you are filling out applications online or in person.

Where can you find job listings? Your Career Services Center will list postings and have links to job lists (okay, third shameless self-promotion). For seniors and grad students, we offer Career Shift as a free online job search engine (normally it is available to people for around thirty dollars a month). There are several job search sites: Monster and Career Builder are the most popular (it’s also very hard to stand out in those huge databases of resumes). Craig’s List has free online classifieds; often they list an interesting selection of jobs. Most newspapers around the country have free online job classifieds, just search for “newspaper” and a city name if you don’t know the papers in that area.

Next Blog: Going on the Hunt: the Job Search