CREATING YOUR PITCH OCTOBER 2016

Transcription

1 CREATING YOUR PITCH OCTOBER 2016

2 Agenda What is a pitch Why we use a pitch When do we use our pitch What goes into a pitch Exercise: Draft Practice Refine Summary and close

3 What is a pitch? Your pitch is the starting point Who I am and what I offer Networking Resume Interviewing ( So, tell me about yourself ) RCareer Profile Cover Letter LinkedIn summary

4 Why do we use a pitch? An elevator pitch gives you a ready-to-go introduction This can take a lot of the stress out of networking Allows you to present yourself as more confident and self-assured Makes it easier for others to understand what you re about - which may make others more willing trust you and consider you a worthwhile acquaintance

5 When is a Pitch used? Whenever you need to talk about yourself At business and social events On your LinkedIn profile In an interview In your RCareer profile To inform your story in your cover letter Write this version in the 1 st person 150 words! Write this version in the 3 rd person

6 Creating your pitch Where I was born Undergraduate degree Causes important to me Where I ve travelled Professional credentials Cities/countries where I ve worked Awards GMAT/GPA Goals Sports played Volunteer work Third job Leadership roles First job Second job Scholarships Hobbies Technical skills Languages spoken Club memberships The process of creating an elevator pitch is an exercise in focus and self-analysis - who you are, what you do, and what you want others to know about you in the simplest of terms

7 Creating your pitch Goals Leadership roles Second job GMAT/GPA Languages spoken Causes important to me Awards Professional credentials Scholarships Club memberships Dog Volunteer work Third job Cities/countries where I ve worked Hobbies Sports played Technical skills Where I was born First job Undergraduate degree Where I ve travelled

8 Creating your pitch Tell a short story Make it narrative Focus on the key speaking points - avoid creating or saying a memorized script Allow it to evolve as your interests, goals, focus, and skills change

9 Building your pitch let s get to work: What I offer, what I m good at, what excites me A brief background (currently in the x year of the MBA program at Rotman, with an undergraduate degree in. Before Rotman, worked at and. Where I. Where I d like to go (given my interest in..i m looking for a role in.where I can add value by.. I d also like to learn more about and use/leverage my strengths in. I m speaking to industry experts in this information-gathering stage of my search

10 Building your pitch let s get to work: 1. I am really good at I really enjoy I have added value by Currently, I am in the year of the MBA program at Rotman School of Management where I am focusing on... and I also have a degree in Before Rotman, I My goal is to join a firm/organization/company where I can I m speaking to people in this line of work to find out more about...

11 Think in terms of three groupings of talking points #1 #2 #3 I m good at, I enjoy, I add value Education, training, previous work experience Moving forward - goals, targets

12 Building your pitch In groups, share you pitch with the other(s) Provide feedback: Did it get your attention? What was your main takeaway? What is the person s goal? How could it be a little better? What should they keep?

13 Building your pitch What will you revise? Practice and adjust

14 Going forward. #1 #2 #3 I m good at, I enjoy, I add value Education, training, previous work experience Moving forward - goals, targets Capture their attention with what you want to be known for Back up your statement - add credibility Communicate where you want to go from here

15 Examples I m a communications professional with a knack for persuasive storytelling. I love to come up with creative ways to inform and enlighten. Currently, I m in the first year of the MBA program at Rotman. I also have an undergraduate degree in English Literature and I have take the Canadian Securities Course. Prior to Rotman, I worked for a large PR firm catering to financial service companies. There, I worked with top notch financial professionals as well as marketing departments and senior executives. I enjoyed creating strategies to launch a new division and to profile one of the firm s recent successes. Considering my colleagues often complemented me for my thoughtful and engaging presentations, I m looking for insight as to how I can best position myself for a role in production or videography at social impact start-up. I want to help companies express their missions in compelling and relatable ways in the age of social media.

16 Examples My core skill sets are civil engineering and psychology. I m endlessly curious and all my friends, family, and colleagues look to me for answers on everything from mood swings to mindcraft. Currently.. Prior to Rotman, I... As I ve always been exceptionally passionate about social issues, I m looking to write for publications/websites focused on climate change so that I can create content and campaigns urging others to take action and increase sustainability future generations.

17 Your pitch Questions?