Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job by Ellen Gordon Reeves Read Free Book Online

cards made at copy service centers, or you can print them yourself. You’ll need card stock, templates, and access to a laser printer. Your cards must be professional, not cute. If you have one specific area you’re looking into or have experience or training in, you might put that on the card—real estate, graphic design—but barring that, your name, address, and contact information are all you need. You’ll also want a case to protect the cards.
2. Polish Your Elevator Pitch
    S ELF-PRESENTATION, ON AND OFF PAPER, IS A VITAL SKILL , but one that is rarely taught. Throughout your life, as you apply for jobs, fellowships, grants—or even as you formulate a brief introduction for yourself in a group meeting or answer the basic “What do you do?” question at a party—you will need to clearly and succinctly describe what you’re involved in. Why don’t we teach people to do this at an early age? Think about how much time we spend teaching children to identify animal sounds. “What does the cow do?” “What does the lion say?” If you live on a farm or in the Serengeti, I can see this being useful information. Indeed, the ability to moo and roar might serve you well now if you aim to work on a ranch or lead safaris. But at this point in your life, you’ll be better off learning how to craft a brief but focused pitch about yourself and what you’re looking for.
    When you’re job-hunting, you’ve got to have that spiel at the ready for a variety of media: by phone, in person, and via e-mail or snail mail. It’s also known as the “elevator pitch” or “elevator speech”—what you’d say if you had only a minute in an elevator with someone in a hiring capacity.
    Craft and rehearse your elevator pitch. You need to be able to confidently summarize who you are, what your background is, and what type of job you’re looking for. Don’t be afraid to be direct—communicate thatfocus: “Mr. Foster, my name is Florence Nightingale. I met your mother while volunteering at the hospital last week and she recommended I speak with you when I told her that I’m interested in getting into advertising. I just graduated from State U with a degree in communications, and I interned at Adweek last summer. I’m interested in new media and how companies like yours are using the Internet to reach young audiences. I’d like to ask you about this, and to talk to you about your job, your field, your path, and any job leads or career development opportunities you may know about.”
    The tough thing about elevator pitches is that, for many people, unemployment and job-hunting create or heighten insecurity. When someone asks you what you’re doing, you can’t flail about and mutter, “Well, nothing much … yet” or “When I’m not surfing Internet job sites, I’m catching up on lots of old TV shows.” You’ve got to curb those self-defeating instincts and show off your best self, even if it’s a theoretical self at this point. Remember times when you’ve been dynamic, efficient, and motivated, and focus on those as you work out your elevator pitch.
Quaking in My Boots!
    Q. I’m shy. Talking to people I don’t know is scary! Do I really have to do this?
    A. Many people get anxious at the prospect of talking to someone they don’t know, especially if they feel they’re asking for a favor. But objectively, talking is not like bungee jumping or messing with large spiders. (Okay, those are things
I
wouldn’t want to do.) No harm can come of networking. There’s nothing to lose. If someone turns you down, he wasn’t the right lead for you. You simply have to get over it. The more people you talk to, the easier it will get. No one is asking you to turn yourself into a social butterfly or accost people at bars or parties, but if you are going to launch an extended job search, you’ve got to talk to people. If you have a genuine interest in a company or industry, this kind of exploration should be a good experience.