Tell me about yourself...your 30 second elevator pitch

"Tell me about yourself…" Scary, huh? Most interviews start with an opener like this, especially in marketing jobs where the ability to articulate yourself well and convince others are often important qualities. It can be quite daunting to just start talking about yourself straight off the bat, but the impact you have in the first few minutes of the interview is hard to shift so make sure you make a good one. It is useful to be able to summarise your background, achievements and objectives in between thirty seconds and three minutes, and here are some tips to help you do that:

Focus on three areas • Your background • Your achievements • Your current career goals When it comes to editing your career highlights into a manageable pitch, it helps if you start by filling a whole page with what you would want to say to a potential employer. Cut that down to half a page. Keep cutting until you get to a quarter of a page. Then pull out your bullet points that give a snapshot of your career.

Try to cover • Your most recent role • Your key achievements and responsibilities • Your USP • Your skills / strengths • What you want to do next

Practice and practice some more Always rehearse out loud, in front of a mirror, to a friend or into a tape or video recorder. Force yourself to sound enthusiastic. Too often job candidates recite their pitches in a monotone or rush through them without passion. Remember - your tone of voice and body language account have a greater impact than the words you say! The first few times you try out your pitch may be a bit uncomfortable, but it gets easier. After a while, it will become second nature to you, and when it does, you will be glad you practiced.  

Example 30 Second elevator pitch I have 5 years' experience in retail marketing. My principle skill is managing a team to deliver against business and marketing objectives. At my last company I was responsible for a profit rise of 30%. I also set up a team of four people who I trained and managed. I’m looking for a marketing manager position with hands on e-commerce and website management as part of the role using my team building and leadership skills as well as my marketing experience. Simple!