The job interviewer wants to know one thing: can this person help my company. Can they do the job?

Your job is to stand out amongst all the other applicants. In a world of de-valued resumes, it is becoming harder and harder to stand out.

Here are three basic ideas on how you can craft a better ‘pitch’ for your interviews. Venture capitalists are always asking for a start-up’s elevator pitch. What this is, is literally a very short summary of the business…as if you only had the time in an elevator with the venture capitalist to present your idea. The business idea must be crisp, memorable, on point…every words must COUNT. Books have been written on making these elevator pitches work hard.

The same thing happens with a job seeker. You have 30 seconds to make a good impression. The first words out of your mouth will help make that impression. You do not want to leave this impression to chance, do you? Think about it, practice it, perfect it. As Barbara Walters once said: “There are few times in your life when it isn’t too melodramatic to say your destiny hangs on the impression you make.” One of those times has to be the job interview for the job you reallyreallyreally want.

As you begin to think about your personal elevator pitch, think P-O-P.

P stands for Purposeful. Make your statement mean something. If they leave dazed and confused, you have just wasted their time. What accurately articulates your essence, and what you can bring to the company.

O stands for Original. When you are one of a kind, there is no competition. What is about you that distinguishes you from every other job applicant.

P stands for Pithy. Pithy means concise and precise. Go into every job interview with this as a given: We all have A-D-D. If you ramble on and on to the question “What Can You Do for Me?”–you will lose. You know this question is going to come up, do your research into the job and the company…and prepare prepare a concise and precise answer.

For more on this subject read Sam Horn’s book POP, Stand Out in Any Crowd.

Tags: , , , , ,