Develop Your Professional Identity – JCU Employability Edge

Develop Your Professional Brand

No matter what discipline you are studying at JCU, you will need to know how to effectively market yourself to employers. You will be entering a competitive employment environment, so you need to stand out in order to be successful. You can do this by actively marketing your professional identity, which involves selling your unique qualities, personality, characteristics, knowledge, skills and passions.

The aim is to understand and communicate what you stand for in order to convince employers of your value to stay ahead of the competition, and land that job or industry placement. Organisations are not interested in a list of generic skills that every applicant could claim. They want to know what makes you different and interesting.

Tip: In order to market yourself to an employer, you need to know what your skills and strengths are and how to talk about them. One of the best ways to do this is to undertake a personal audit. If you would like to explore your skills and strengths, complete the You and Your Career module within JCU Employability Edge.

What is your brand?

Everyone has a personal and professional brand, whether they realise it or not. If you are unsure of yours, try these approaches:

Ask yourself: How do I make people feel? How do people benefit by working with me?
Ask others: What am I known for? How would you describe me?
Online: Google yourself and see what comes up first.
Social Media: Have a look at the last ten things you have liked, posted or commented on. What does that tell employers about you and your brand?

Now answer these questions:

Are you happy with what you discovered?
Are you surprised by the answers?
Does your current brand reflect who you truly are, what you do, and where you are going?

Action: Go to your downloaded workbook and complete Activity 1.

Why is your brand important?

No matter what stage of life you are in, your professional brand is important. It guides your choices about where you work, professional development, skill specialisations, and outside interests. These are the qualities and attributes that make you who you are as a professional. You want to represent a full picture of yourself (your brand), which will continue to change throughout your life as your priorities, values and interests change.

Your brand is fluid and will change depending on where you are in your life/career and who your audience is.

If you are a student, new graduate or job seeker your audience will be employers and mentors.
If you are an entrepreneur, your audience will be clients, financial backers and collaborators.
If you are a leader, your audience will be your peers and other leaders in your industry.

One of the best things about your brand is that you are in control of it. So how do you build your brand?

Step 1 – Define your professional brand

You need to know where you want to go.
You need to know what you want to be known for.

Step 2 – Determine your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Remember, you are the product and you are trying to sell your uniqueness, so think about how you will get that message across.

Example

What are your natural talents, what comes easily to you? For example: writing, public speaking and problem solving
What are your skills, what have you learned? For example: project management, budgeting, people management
What are you passionate about or interested in? For example: social enterprises, international relations, environmental issues
What impact do you want to have? For example: helping people achieve their career goals, make a difference to the mental health of teenagers, make Apps that will support . . .

Now bring it all together into your unique value proposition:

I use my natural talents of ____________ and ___________ skills to have an impact on the ___________ industry.

Tip – your UVP could also be used as your LinkedIn Headline Summary – this will help keep your brand consistent.

Step 3 – How to use your professional brand

Your brand can be used at every marketing opportunity. You want to ensure your message is consistent in all platforms and occasions, and you want people to remember you for the right reasons. Think about where you will use your personal brand:

Job applications
Online profiles
Face to face and online networking events

From Student to Professional

University students should start to develop their own brand and start marketing their attributes during their studies. Start to think of yourself as a professional in training, so you need to present a professional image.

First impressions do count. Look at the person in the image. What impression is she projecting and what do you think her brand is?

It doesn’t take long for someone to form an opinion of you, and that short instance can have a lasting impact. Simple actions, such as giving out your contact details, or sending an email or text message, need to convey the right signals to others, especially potential employers. So get into the habit of making a good first impression wherever you are – practice makes perfect.

Make a great first impression

In non-COVID times, you should shake hands when meeting new people. To help you remember their name, it is a good idea to repeat it. Try something like this: “Hello Jane, my name is George. It is so lovely to meet you, Jane”. This will help you link the name to the face and make it easier for you to introduce Jane to others.
When you first meet someone, it can be hard to immediately strike up a conversation – this takes practice. One tip is to ask them a question or two about themselves. People love talking about themselves and you will also gain valuable insight into who they are.
Think about your body language. Crossing your arms can look defensive, so uncross them to look more open and collaborative. Turning towards whoever is speaking is also recommended.

Communicate Professionally

Keep your professional identity and brand in mind in all your communications. The immediacy of email, text, and instant messaging can lead to throw away lines that may be misinterpreted. Unfortunately, emails and other types of messages are recorded and therefore leave a trail and can be used against you. Careers can be ruined based on a frivolous email remark.

Tips for professional communication:

Use a professional email address. Your JCU email address is ideal and you can keep using it after you graduate from your course.
Check your emails regularly – employers will expect you to respond in a timely manner.
An email is not a text message to a friend – be professional.
If you are asking for assistance, make that clear – provide enough detail for the recipient to be able to help you.
Use simple, plain English and always be polite and respectful.
Avoid using text speak, abbreviations, or emoticons when contacting professionals.
Even when space is at a premium, keep your language more formal than communicating with friends
Carefully consider and review your response before hitting the send key – never respond when under the influence of a strong emotion.
Do not answer your phone informally – this may be your first contact with your future boss.
Have a professional voice mail message.

The 7 C’s of communication

Clear: Ensure the aim and purpose of your message is clear from the outset of your written or verbal communication.
Concise: Less is more when communicating so be brief and targeted.
Concrete: Be focused in your communication and ensure that you are specific, factual and provide the required level of detail.
Correct: Ensure that your spelling, facts and grammar are correct. Also, ensure that the tone, language and choice of words fit the context.
Coherent: Reread your message to ensure that it is logical and your ideas flow smoothly.
Complete: Ensure your communication contains the necessary information required by the receiver to respond.
Courteous: Ensure that you address the recipient politely and appropriately.

Additional Resources

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Develop Your Online Professional Identity

How social media demonstrates who you are

Whilst social media will never completely replace face-to-face interactions, it does open up a whole new way of connecting professionally. Learning to use social media well can be a game changer in the way you market yourself and the way others see you. Even if you are not currently looking for a new role, being active on social media can lead to:

The good

Growing your network of contacts, supporters, mentors, and colleagues.
Connecting with people you would probably never meet in real life. You can do this by commenting on their updates, retweeting their tweets, or congratulating them on a success.
Connecting with people you do meet in real life by following up on social media after a meeting.
Identifying opportunities you didn’t know existed, including industry/course relevant projects, networking events, and professional development ideas.
Showing others that you are a professional in your field and what specific interests you have, by adding thoughtful articles, and sharing or commenting about content by others.

The bad

Inappropriate and unprofessional posts and comments can show you in a bad light, which could affect the way others view you.

The ugly

Results in an employer disregarding you as a potential employee, or an employer taking disciplinary action or ceasing your employment.

To get the most out of social media you need to be visible and you need to be positive. People will want to interact with you if you have something interesting to say, so consider following interesting people and commenting on or sharing their posts. This is one way to develop your online network.

There are many different social media platforms you could use and it would be easy for you to spend a lot of time in this space. Carefully consider which platforms will work best for you – where would you be most comfortable, and which are most relevant to your professional field? If you see social media as a chore, you are less likely to keep your profiles up to date and really benefit from all it can do for you. If you use platforms that you find easy and interesting, you are likely to use them more regularly and effectively.

Tip: You can expect that recruitment and hiring staff will review your online profiles early on in the hiring process; many have automated systems for this purpose. Therefore, you need to ensure your online brand is professional and matches the image you are projecting in job applications.

If you would like to more information about using social media in your job search, complete the Graduate Job Search module within JCU Employability Edge.

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet. You can use LinkedIn to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career. More and more employers and professionals expect you to have a LinkedIn profile, so that they can connect with you online and find out more about you. It is also a great way to promote your professional identity and extend your network.

Tips to help you get started:

Create a profile – head to LinkedIn.com and sign up. For most people, the free and basic version of the program is sufficient. Employers, recruiters and businesses will often sign up for the premium version (at a cost). While setting up your profile, keep your professional identity and brand in mind. What kind of image are you projecting?
Add a photo – make sure it is a clear, professional looking shot of your head and shoulders. Make the background plain and dress well. Keep the focus on you: the professional. Adding a profile photo means you are up to seven times more likely to be found.
Background/banner image – this is another opportunity to make your profile stand out. Use an image which adds to your brand.
Profile intro – create a distinctive headline. Do not leave it as the default, which is your current role and may have nothing to do with where you are going professionally. Make good use of this space – it is the first thing contacts will read, so make it count. Think about using industry related keywords here.
About section – this is a summary of YOU. What do you want connections to know about you? Your LinkedIn profile should be much more than your resume. Tell your story here.
Showcase yourself – complete as many sections as you can in your LinkedIn profile to highlight your achievements, such as Education, Experience etc.
Adding media – you can also add links to demonstrate your skills (links to projects, videos, images, blogs), to show your creativity, and your breadth of knowledge and experience.
Create a personal URL – this is a way to reduce the link to your profile to make it easily identifiable. For most people it will be a version of your name. You can add this link to your resume. Search Customise your URL on LinkedIn for the steps.
Keep your profile up to date – your LinkedIn profile should not be set up and forgotten. Update your profile to let your contacts know that you have completed your course, undertaken a placement, received an award or scholarship, changed jobs, or set up your own enterprise. Allocate time in your schedule to regularly work on your profile.

Connect with others

Now that you have set up your LinkedIn profile, it is time to start connecting.

How

The first step is to use the Search box at the top of your profile to look for people you know. Type in their name and you will see their profile. If they have a common name, you may see a list of people for you to select from. Once you have found the right person, click on the Connect button. Before you hit the Send Now button, consider adding a note. This is highly recommended as it allows you to personalise your request, which means you are much more likely to receive a positive response.
Once you have started to make connections, LinkedIn will make suggestions about people you may know based on your profile and current connections. This can really help grow your network.

Why

You can connect with people you know and they can then introduce you to people in their network.
You can connect with people you do not know, especially if you have an interest in common.
LinkedIn can be a great source of job or internship opportunities.
You can gain feedback on articles or make relevant comments on others posts
Clever use of LinkedIn will help make you more visible to professionals in your field.
Join Groups and participate in discussions. Take care with your comments and always be polite and professional. You can find LinkedIn Groups by going to the Search box on your home page and entering topics that interest you, then filtering by groups.

Who

Firstly, think about people you know. This could be fellow students, work colleagues, or professionals you have met on placement or at professional development events. Also, consider people from other aspects of your life – interests, sporting teams, friends and family – they could all be useful connections and be able to introduce you to others.
Find people you have something in common with. Search for James Cook University Alumni – this is a good source of contacts who have something in common with you (JCU)! You can refine your search of JCU alumni by your discipline and your location, and discover their career paths since graduation and where they are working now.
Follow relevant people and organisations on LinkedIn for your discipline or field, such as professional associations for your area of interest.

Add content to impress

This is the next piece of the LinkedIn puzzle. You have set up your profile, you have connected with people – how do you keep them interested in you?

To stand out from the crowd, consider adding content to your LinkedIn Profile.

This could be as easy as sharing a post that is relevant to your field or industry or a topical news item.
Add an enlightening comment, share your opinion, or point out why something is worth attention.
You could post an article or a video about your studies, your work, or perhaps your latest research topic.
Another way to add value is to interview a professional in your field and either write an article or video the meeting. This could be someone you meet at an event or through your placement or practicum. If you are new to interviewing, choose someone who knows you well to be able to support you as you get to grips with this medium.
Use #Hashtags to help spread your post far and wide.

Action: Go to your downloaded workbook and complete Activity 2.

Other Online Marketing Opportunities

The web is a valuable resource and you can have fun with it, just remember it is a public arena. Ensure it helps, rather than hinders, your career search. Quote from GradAustralia Top 100 Book (2020)

Whilst LinkedIn may be the number one website for professional networking, there are many other platforms with slightly different purposes and ways of using them. Don’t forget to link those other websites to your LinkedIn profile that show your professional skillset. There are a number of job boards that have the option for you to complete an online profile. It is important to ensure your profile on these sites is tailored to the type of positions you are seeking.

Twitter

As most people manage their own Twitter accounts, this platform can allow you to engage directly with people you would normally never be able to connect with. Twitter users will often personally respond to your comments.
Make a list of influencers to follow – these could be industry leaders or new up-and-comers who talk about the latest trends in your field.
You can build a community of like-minded people by following people in your area of expertise.
Twitter is great for following specific topics.
Guide to getting started on Twitter

Facebook

Most people use Facebook for keeping in touch with family and friends. Be mindful that employers and recruiters will search for you on Facebook to find out more about you, so keep your privacy settings high.
Given the huge number of Facebook users, it can also be a great networking platform. Make sure your profile is in good shape and your status is up to date.
Join Groups and get involved. This is a way to take part in discussions about industry trends and topics and could lead to connecting with some interesting people.
Many employers also use Facebook to advertise their graduate and internship opportunities. They want to engage with interested applicants and keep them up to date with their opportunities.
Guide to getting started on Facebook

Instagram

Instagram is a great way to show your creative side, tell short visual stories, and help establish a personal brand.
You can follow your dream employers and industry influencers to help keep up to date with trends.
The information you find on employers’ Instagram profiles can be useful when researching for your job application or interview. Employers want to know that you want this job not just any job so the more intelligence you have on their activities the better.
Guide to getting started on Instagram

Blogs

Blog platforms offer simple, low or no-cost website set up.
If you enjoy writing and documenting your work, it is a great way of sharing your experience, learning and thoughts.
Guide to set up a Blog

Others

YouTube – having your own YouTube channel is another way to creatively show your talents and skills. Guide to get started on YouTube and how to post your first YouTube video.
ResearchGate is a scholarly networking tool used by researchers to connect and collaborate with other academic scholars.
ORCID – Open Researcher and Contributor ID is an international, not-for-profit organisation which provides an open, international, community-driven, interdisciplinary, central registry of unique and persistent identifiers for individual researchers. Find out more about the JCU ORCID Linker.

Tip: Take care online. While social media can provide wonderful opportunities to connect it can also have pitfalls. These Australian Government websites have a lot of information on staying safe online: Australian Cyber Security Centre and ESafety Commissioner.

Additional Resources

To view this video, login to LinkedIn Learning through the JCU website and then search for ‘Learning LinkedIn for Students’.

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Professional Networking

Networking for life

Networking is about building relationships with people. It is not contacting everyone you know when you are looking for a job and asking if they know of any job openings. Networking is the art of building alliances and starts long before a job search begins. Although you may think the main reason you should network is to find a job, there are many other reasons your network could provide assistance to all aspects of your life and where you could assist and support others.

Brilliant Networking’s top seven reasons to network

Meet new people. Through networking, you can find customers, partners, investors, mentors and friends.
Provides you with the information you need to make decisions. Often you will find out something you did not know you were looking for.
Connects you to expertise and resources whether you are looking for someone to give you marketing advice for your new business or who will do a house swap with you for the summer.
Leads you to getting the job of your dreams, being promoted within your job or making a career move.
Helps you solve dilemmas and problems and enables you to work with others to find common solutions.
Assists you with any goal that can benefit from the support of others. From losing weight to starting your own company, networking can help you achieve all your goals faster by connecting you to people who want to help.
Allows you to share your experience, and give to others. The communities formed can do everything, from sharing music to using their skills and talents to change the world.

Have you ever been to a ‘networking event’? For many people this conjures up images of a room full of awkward people who don’t know each other trying to earnestly ‘network’. In reality, networking can be as simple as just talking to one other person. So, don’t feel you need to attend an ‘event’ to start networking. You might want to start small and local, such as attending an on-campus event on a topic you are interested in. In a safe, friendly environment, you can meet new people without any pressure.

Your networking aim should be to build relationships where each member of the network can provide others with support, assistance, connections, ideas, advice, and introductions. Maintaining a strong, successful network takes energy and commitment. You need to be prepared to devote the time to get to know people; this is how relationships are built. Meeting a lot of people once does not build a network.

Who could be in your network?

Your network can include people from all aspects of your life. Sometimes they will be able to help you, or connect you with someone who can. Think about the following when defining your network:

Fellow students – by getting to know people in your course, people in other disciplines and year levels, you start to build a network. These are the same people who could be colleagues in your new professional life.
Academic staff – these are the professionals in your discipline. It is a great idea to get to know them. Many will have contacts and advice to share. If you make a real effort in your interactions, they will remember you when they hear of opportunities for volunteer experiences, networking events, conferences, and grants.
JCU support staff – connect with the JCU Careers and Employability Team! Volunteering at the JCU Careers Fair or at other on-campus events is a great way to stand out and show you are a proactive student.
Employers – take every opportunity to connect with employers when you are a student. Many opportunities will arise from the annual Careers Fair, online webinars, information sessions, and guest lectures. Often the local employers who connect with the university are JCU graduates who want to support students to succeed.
Professional associations – join a relevant professional association and you will start to network with a group of like-minded individuals. Who knows what opportunities will come your way.
Join a student club – this extra-curricular activity can be very useful in providing you with opportunities to meet people and perhaps even undertake a leadership role.
JCU Alumni – you can search for JCU Alumni on the James Cook University LinkedIn
Your friends and family – tap into your best source of supporters and mentors.
Work colleagues and supervisors – past and present.

Action: Go to your downloaded workbook and complete Activity 3.

Conversations with professionals

It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know and who knows you

Getting to know professionals in your field can assist you in many ways:

Learn about their career path, their organisation, and emerging industry trends.
Find out more about the types of experience, skills, and abilities you will need to succeed in your career.
Find out about opportunities for now and in the future
Tell them about YOU – your career plans, skills, ideas and abilities

Where are the opportunities to talk to professionals?

Attend the JCU Careers Fair every year. You will meet new people and connect with employers from previous Fairs. If you make a good impression, they will remember you.
Connect with professionals in your field on LinkedIn.
Take part in webinars – ask questions and make comments.
Attend professional development opportunities and get to know the local members of your Professional Association.
Ask your network for an industry contact referral.
Talk to the professionals on your placements or internships.

Make the most of every opportunity

Research and preparation will help you to make the most of any opportunity to have a conversation with a professional. Here are a few questions you might want to ask:

How did you get started in this industry?
What advice would you have for someone wanting to get started in this field?
Can you take me through what you would do in an average day, week, and month?
What do you like most/least about your work?
What is most interesting about your work?
What career pathways exist for graduates in your organisation?
Can you recommend any extra courses or professional development I should consider doing?
What professional memberships are most useful?
What do you see as the opportunities heading into the future?
What further training may be required after entry?
What experience (paid or unpaid) would you encourage for anybody pursuing a career in this field?
Is there anyone else you know that might be useful to talk to about this industry?
What skills are considered most valuable in the industry?

Impression Management

Just like first impressions, last impressions matter. Follow up with a thank you email and show your appreciation for their time and advice.
Make notes about your research and a list of actions you will now take.
If you are not already connected with your contact on LinkedIn, consider sending them a request so that you can stay in touch.
If your contact gave you a contact or information on an opportunity, keep them informed of your progress.

Networking Opportunities

Face-to-face networking events

Attending organised events is a great way to expand your network. For many people the idea of talking to strangers can be a bit daunting, but a little preparation will make all the difference.

Before the event

Think about what you want to get from attending and who you want to meet.
Plan a 30 second introduction (your elevator speech coming up in Topic 4). Imagine someone asking you “What brings you to this event”.
Networking is a two-way street – have an idea of what help or contacts you might be able to offer others.
Have a few neutral opening questions ready to use to get the conversation started.

At the event

Arrive on time – this makes it easier to get chatting when numbers are smaller.
The food and drinks area is often an easy place to start up a conversation.
Learn to feel comfortable just moving around the room and observing for a while before you decide who to talk to.
Smile, be positive, and interested.
Listen carefully to others.
Connect and introduce others.
Mix and mingle – do not just talk to one person.

After the event

Make notes about who you have met and what you have learned.
Make sure you do any follow up you have promised e.g. sending someone a contact or some information.
Research the contacts you made on LinkedIn and consider sending them a request – don’t forget to personalise your request.
Send an email to any contacts you feel have been particularly helpful.

Tip: Choose the right kind of event. Networking might put you out of your comfort zone, but it shouldn’t make you feel overly anxious. There are options for all personality types if you find large events stressful – go to a presentation, a small meet-up, or panel Q&A session on a topic you are interested in instead.

Source: SEEK – A Complete Guide to Networking

Online networking events

The unprecedented events of 2020 have led to a rapid increase in online networking events. For JCU students this can mean access to events normally held in capital cities. Look out for:

Virtual careers fairs
Online employer presentations
Employer Facebook live events
Employer panels by JCU Careers and Employability

Check the listings on the JCU Careers and Employability website and connect with us on Facebook: JCU Careers to see upcoming opportunities.

Make the most of these opportunities

Do some research and preparation. Find out who the speakers are and search for them on LinkedIn. Discovering more about them can help you to ask thoughtful questions.
Participate – join in the chat; let the speakers know you are enjoying the presentation.
Follow up – send a thank you email or send a request to connect on LinkedIn

Professional associations and industry bodies

One way to develop professional connections and build your professional profile is to join a relevant Professional Association. Ask your lecturers or tutors for suggestions, or see the JCU career snapshots. Many associations offer reduced membership fees for students and some are even free. Membership benefits vary, but many offer:

Industry events such as breakfasts, seminars, discussion groups on LinkedIn, networking functions, and conferences.
Opportunities to volunteer at events and possibly gain free entry to some sessions.
Members only Job Boards.
Continuing professional development opportunities and courses to enhance your knowledge and skills.
Mentoring programs – a good mentor is not only a long-term support, but also a great source of employment leads.
Access to other essentials e.g. industry specific insurance, salary information and legal advice.

Volunteering

The benefits of stepping forward to become a volunteer are many and varied, but meeting a wide variety of people from your community and adding contacts to your professional network are two of the main ones. All your volunteer experiences, be they in a career relevant field or an area of personal interest, give you the opportunity to grow your networks. Ensure you maintain a professional image at all times as your contacts may be future referees or employers. Be ready to have conversations about your career plans and interests.

The JCU Careers and Employability website has listings of volunteer opportunities as well as a Volunteer to Get Experience information sheet.

Conferences and speaker events

Attending conferences or speakers events are great ways to network with people who have similar interests to you, such as TEDx or employer events held on campus. Apart from the keynote speakers and interactive sessions, the social side of the event is where you can meet some interesting people to add to your network.

As with most events, preparation is helpful. Read the conference materials carefully and map out which sessions you will attend. Don’t forget to allow time for the social events – meal-times are good opportunities to introduce yourself to fellow delegates and start networking. If you want to stand out at your next conference, try these tips:

Consider volunteering – event organisers always need help
Host a session – do you have a topic of interest you could talk about?
Ask good questions at the Q&A session
Live tweet speakers – this will get you noticed
Follow up with your new contacts

Additional Resources

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Elevator Pitch

You have probably heard the term ‘elevator pitch’ or ‘elevator speech’. The term comes from the idea that you enter an elevator and discover you are face-to-face with the CEO of the company you work for (or wish to work for). You only have the time it takes for the elevator to reach the top floor (30 – 60 seconds) to make an impression. How would you take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity?

Having a great elevator pitch is key to taking advantage of any marketing opportunity where your aim is to impress your audience in a very short space of time. You could use your elevator speech anywhere – sitting next to someone on a plane, at a party, at a networking event or maybe even in an elevator.

Preparing and practicing your elevator speech is the key to delivering an outstanding introduction. You need to work out what you want to say and then practice it until it sounds natural and confident. The three main points you want to cover are:

Who you are: Practice on a friend. Approach them as you would a new contact, state your full name, smile and extend your hand for a handshake. You can add something like “It’s great to meet you”.

What you do: What you say here will depend on the context and who you are talking to.

If you meet someone on a plane you may just need a brief statement about what you do and where you do it i.e. I am a final year Social Work student at James Cook University and I am really interested in taking my career in the direction of youth mental health.
If you meet someone at an industry event, you will want to take the opportunity to talk more fully about your study/work experience and what you hope to do next i.e. I am a Social Worker based at Youth Link in Cairns and I am currently working on a project with a multi-disciplinary team. We are hoping our project will lead to less homelessness amongst the youth of the city and we are currently looking for sponsors/participants/collaborators.

What you want: This is the ‘ask’ part of your pitch.

Do you want to make industry connections, ask about internships, or are you just interested in finding out more about your companion? i.e. I am really interested in a summer internship with your company as I would love the opportunity to see more about XYZ project.
To keep the conversation flowing, you could simply ask the other person a question i.e. How did you get started in your career in marketing/sales/science?

Tips for your Elevator Pitch

Keep your brand in mind
Remember the power of first impressions
When introducing yourself, don’t use jargon or technical language – explain yourself simply
Don’t speak too quickly
Keep to the point
Make eye contact and smile
Be confident in what you are saying
Avoid sounding rehearsed in delivery – just memorise the general outline of your speech, not word for word
Be ready to adapt your speech depending on the audience
Your elevator speech is the start of a conversation not a script

Example: My name is Siri and I’m studying Information Technology at James Cook University, and I am looking to increase my UX Design experience. During my work experience with Safety Culture, I became really interested in tech solutions for process problems, especially how user design impacts on this. I’ve noticed how this could benefit so many different industries, and even see how it could improve my barista job. I’d love to be able to work on something like this when I graduate.

Action: Go to your downloaded workbook and complete Activity 4.

Elevator Speech and Interviews

Your elevator speech can also be used in an interview situation. Often the first ‘ice breaker’ question is ‘Tell me about yourself’. If you answer this well, you can set the scene for a successful interview and help you to relax and perform well.

To find out more about acing interviews, go to the JCU Careers and Employability website and log on to Big Interview. Head to the ‘Mastery Track’ section and select Acing Common Interview Questions. You can also complete the Contemporary Recruitment Processes module in the JCU Employability Edge program.

Additional Resources

To view this video, login to LinkedIn Learning through the JCU website and then search for ‘Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch’.

Perfect Pitch: How to Nail your Elevator Speech

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Summary

How Long Will the module Take To Complete?

Learning Objectives

Working through this module

Important

Topics

Develop Your Professional Brand

What is your brand?

Why is your brand important?

From Student to Professional

Make a great first impression

Communicate Professionally

The 7 C’s of communication

Additional Resources

Develop Your Online Professional Identity

How social media demonstrates who you are

LinkedIn

Connect with others

Add content to impress

Other Online Marketing Opportunities

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Blogs

Others

Additional Resources

Professional Networking

Networking for life

Who could be in your network?

Conversations with professionals

It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know and who knows you

Make the most of every opportunity

Impression Management

Networking Opportunities

Face-to-face networking events

Online networking events

Professional associations and industry bodies

Volunteering

Conferences and speaker events

Additional Resources

Elevator Pitch

Elevator Speech and Interviews

Additional Resources

References

Help