Spring Break
Seal the deal in half a minute
Libbi Sturm
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: News
One of the most important things to take to a career fair is what the UA Career Development Center calls a "30-second commercial."
"A 30-second commercial [or a personal branding statement] is a very brief explanation of who you are and what you want to do and where you want to go," according to the center Web site.
The 30-second commercial is easily put to use in a career fair type setting "where there are lots of jobs and lots of employers around and you're meeting several at the same time," J Freer, who holds a doctorate in public policy, said in a CDC online interview.
When meeting recruiters in a career fair atmosphere, it's crucial to get their interest quickly. The first 30 seconds of meeting is all the time potential employees have to sell themselves to an employer, according to the online article "Developing Your Pitch" by Tory Johnson, founder of Women for Hire, a company providing resources for professional women and entrepreneurs.
During this "nut-shell version" of a biography focusing on what is potentially useful to an employer, Johnson, who is also the workplace contributer on ABC's Good Morning America, said in a television interview, "don't say generic things about yourself."
To avoid sounding generic, Angela Williams, an associate director of the UA CDC said, be specific about skills, education and goals during introductions.
An introduction with quantified accomplishments and plans rather than just basic descriptions shows the amount of time spent on reflecting about self identity and goals, she said.
"Know where you're going," Williams said. "Be specific about your goals and be able to articulate what you want."
"How," Johnson said in the article, "you represent yourself will determine if you get any further with [the] contact."
"Be short and concise," she said, "but add a specific instance to grab attention."
The parts of a personal branding statement, according to the center Web site, are name, degree, date of graduation and any areas of specialization. After those basics, focus on goals. Then state personal strengths and assets.
"Once you've got an idea," Johnson said, "of what you want to say, get out a timer.
"Choose your words carefully," she said, "this is no time to wing it."
Johnson even suggested recording the 30 second commercial during practice to find any areas that need improvement.
Being prepared, Freer said in the online interview, and knowing how to say a personal branding statement can help prevent mistakes in nervous situations.
"Having your 30-second commercial polished...can prevent those little errors you might make when you're first meeting someone...because you know exactly what you're going to say," she said.
"A 30-second commercial [or a personal branding statement] is a very brief explanation of who you are and what you want to do and where you want to go," according to the center Web site.
The 30-second commercial is easily put to use in a career fair type setting "where there are lots of jobs and lots of employers around and you're meeting several at the same time," J Freer, who holds a doctorate in public policy, said in a CDC online interview.
When meeting recruiters in a career fair atmosphere, it's crucial to get their interest quickly. The first 30 seconds of meeting is all the time potential employees have to sell themselves to an employer, according to the online article "Developing Your Pitch" by Tory Johnson, founder of Women for Hire, a company providing resources for professional women and entrepreneurs.
During this "nut-shell version" of a biography focusing on what is potentially useful to an employer, Johnson, who is also the workplace contributer on ABC's Good Morning America, said in a television interview, "don't say generic things about yourself."
To avoid sounding generic, Angela Williams, an associate director of the UA CDC said, be specific about skills, education and goals during introductions.
An introduction with quantified accomplishments and plans rather than just basic descriptions shows the amount of time spent on reflecting about self identity and goals, she said.
"Know where you're going," Williams said. "Be specific about your goals and be able to articulate what you want."
"How," Johnson said in the article, "you represent yourself will determine if you get any further with [the] contact."
"Be short and concise," she said, "but add a specific instance to grab attention."
The parts of a personal branding statement, according to the center Web site, are name, degree, date of graduation and any areas of specialization. After those basics, focus on goals. Then state personal strengths and assets.
"Once you've got an idea," Johnson said, "of what you want to say, get out a timer.
"Choose your words carefully," she said, "this is no time to wing it."
Johnson even suggested recording the 30 second commercial during practice to find any areas that need improvement.
Being prepared, Freer said in the online interview, and knowing how to say a personal branding statement can help prevent mistakes in nervous situations.
"Having your 30-second commercial polished...can prevent those little errors you might make when you're first meeting someone...because you know exactly what you're going to say," she said.
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