How are you handling the question, “So, tell me about yourself?”

Let’s face it, in any economic situation it pays to be a strong networker. However, if you aren’t one now you are losing out on many many opportunities…and you will never know it.

The Super Bowl Commercials prove how a single message can be a strong catalyst for action, prompting viewers to BUY in a matter of a few seconds.

An effective two-minute personal commercial is the backbone of your job search!  You will use your two-minute pitch during job interviews, in your cover letters and when you are networking.
In fact, this answers the difficult question: "Tell me about yourself?"

This personal commercial will change throughout your career, but helps you advance your career and become an effective networker throughout your entire career.  It is important that you constantly change this pitch.  It is also important to MASTER more than one, depending on your audience.
Keep the following in mind:

1.      Who you are pitching to?

2.      Why would they be interested in you?

3.      Who is your competition?

4.      What you bring to the table that your possible competitors do not?

Too often, the pitch is too long! This is not your "life story" it is your two-minute commercial which usually takes only 30 seconds once you have it mastered.

The primary goals of a Personal Pitch in a Job Search include:

1.      Let the decision maker know you are intelligent

2.      Display your high level of interest

3.      Share only relevant information

4.      Come across at the right level

If you are not currently employed and someone asks you, "What do you do?" an effective answer could be, "I’m currently a free agent on the open job market and it’s really exciting!" Then you give your two-minute pitch to let this listener know who to refer you to!

How many times have you met someone not employed and when you ask that question, they focus on why they are not working?  You have no idea what they have to offer a prospective employer.

Your pitch needs to be enthusiastic, positive and make the listener want to ask you additional questions.  You need to practice, practice, and practice until you are very comfortable with the various pitches you write.  Finding a job involves SALES SKILLS.  If you are not a salesperson, you need to become one and mastering your pitch is your first step in selling yourself.

You will be amazed how many more interviews and job offers you will receive when you know how to make an excellent first impression with a prepared pitch!  A good pitch is also very empowering and helps increase your confidence level, which is critical when you are in transition.
The primary goals of a Personal Pitch throughout your Career include:

1.      Career Advancement with your Current Employer

2.      Enhance your effectiveness as a Networker

3.      Share Accomplishments with Potential Employers

4.      Inform others of WHO and WHAT to Refer to You

Think for a moment of the last social or business networking event you attended.  Did you have an effective way to approach other attendees?  Do they know what you do?   Do they know who to refer to you?

Master your Two-Minute Commercial and You Will Enjoy Amazing Results in Your Job Search and in Advancing Your Career!

Survival Tips for the Unemployed

Due to a few factors; unemployment rate north of 7%, a large majority of those have hit friends and family of mine all around Indiana, and I get the call at least four times a day asking – “Kyle, what else can I be doing to find my next position?”

Here are a few survival tips I have developed (or gathered) over the years.

Ideas for recreating your career, staying sane, and/or finding the perfect position:

-Make sure you use your extra time productively.

Being out of work can be a shock to the system in many ways not the least of which is all of the free time you have on your hands now. Make sure you still plan your days and be as productive as you can. It might be easy to get into a trap of lying in bed for a few extra hours. You have probably gotten up at 5 or 6 o’clock for the past 15 years straight…ok maybe you deserve one morning of sleep, but that’s it! Get up and be productive.

–Keep networking

In your daily plan make sure you have 2-3 meetings per day where you might just be “picking someone’s brain”. Call your past supervisors from previous jobs, former co-workers, friends from the basketball league, friends at church, the father of a friend of your daughter’s at soccer practice who you know is an executive but you have never had the guts to get to know him – well there was a reason he is in your life and now if your chance!!

Oh by the way – Never Eat Alone.

–Stay Positive

Statistics have proven over the years that good things happen when you are expecting good things to happen. It might be easy to get down because part of most American’s identity is tied to their vocation. But don’t let it happen to you. Like most things your period of unemployment will be what you make of it. 

You’ve probably heard the term and you’ve heard of the sites: LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace.  What do employers think of them?  How are you using your accounts?  

 Did you really put up the pictures from last years 4th of July party? You know the ones I’m speaking of!  YIKES!    

Two pieces of advice:

1. If you are not on LinkedIn, you should be.  According to their CEO, “LinkedIN is the office, Facebook is the barbecue in the backyard, and MySpace is the bar.”  AND, it is not just the office…there are currently just over 33 million members on LinkedIn, and over 60% of those members have high personal incomes and are either executives or consultants.  OK, so you may not receive a phone call directly from a high powered CEO…BUT there is a chance his HR Director will and they will not even tell you that they found your information on LinkedIn!  SIGN UP.

2. If you are going to join other truly social networking sites, don’t post any material that might make a future employer question your character.  According to recent polls, as much as 22% of employers are checking social networking sites before extending offers to new employees.

BE SMART, get online, and happy networking.