When you go to conferences or other gatherings of your industry peers, or meet other people in your industry at other venues, you may be on the lookout for a new job. If that is the case, you need to make sure you have your elevator speech polished and ready to go.

The elevator speech has become a staple of the job hunting process. It is, as pretty much everyone knows, that 30-second or so pitch to someone who may help you get a job that lays out what you have to offer.

Here are a few tips on creating a good elevator pitch.

1. Figure out first what you goal is
You cannot create a good elevator speech if you don’t know what you are trying to do with it, what its purpose is, what it is intended to do. What are you trying to accomplish with it. This should guide all of your efforts in creating the speech.

2. Brainstorm
This is the time to think of anything and everything that you could possibly use in your speech – all of your skills, experience, knowledge, accomplishments, and anything else. Don’t worry at this point if they will be useful or not. This is the stage where you just write everything down.

Then, you move onto the editing stage. This is where you trim, figuring out what your best stuff is and getting rid of the rest. You should end up with just a few compelling points.

3. Get it organized
You want to say who you are, what you do, and what you want. These are your organizing principles.

4. Keep in mind who you are talking to.
That is, it is someone who is only interested in how you can help his company. He or she is not interested in what you have done in previous jobs, so don’t present your pitch as a recital of past achievements. Show how you can apply the skills you have learned to help solve his problems.

5. Say it out loud and practice it
You will get a better sense of how it sounds if you read it out loud. You can better tell if there are parts that sound awkward or stilted. Then, practice it so you can say it smoothly.

Winston Resources is among the most respected staffing agencies in New York City, providing qualified and reliable workers in a variety of areas. If you are looking for work in the city, Winston should be your first stop. We will work with you every step of the way to find a job that fits your background and skills. Give Winston Resources a call today.