--- title: Project U. Blog | hiring description: hiring | Tips and insights for managing your career and your wellness --- Call me at 781-690-2277 [![The Projectcoach](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/hs-fs/file-13948886-png/images/header_4_920x150.png)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/) # Project U. Blog ## [How a 90-Second Elevator Speech Helps Ace Your Interview](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/bid/75437/how-a-90-second-elevator-speech-helps-ace-your-interview) Posted by [Catherine Saar](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/author/catherine-saar) on Sat, May 19, 2012 @ 08:43 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) When you interview, one of the most important questions you can answer is “Tell me about yourself.”  This is not a warm up question.  According to author and recruiter [Skip Freeman](http://www.hiretowin.com/index.asp?id=144), your answer to this question is critical.  He recommends (and I agree) that you can handle this question like a star, if you  use a three-part, 90-second elevator speech. So to get you prepared, I’ve summarized Freeman’s tips here and illustrated my own take on a less formal approach that may be appropriate, depending on the kind of culture to which you are applying. In addition, I recommend that you customize all of your answers according to the specific job for which you are applying.  **How to Construct a Three-Part Elevator Speech****** - **Part one** Prepare a one** or two-sentence statement** **of your career history**, for example: ***“I am a five-year veteran of LAN/WAN administration and systems engineering, with substantial experience using Novell, NT, Cisco and Lotus Notes/Domino.” *** Or, my suggestion: ***“As you know from my resume, I’ve been a marketing executive for over seven years, focusing on driving consumer traffic and sales performance in a variety of industries, including food service and health and beauty.  My specialty is leveraging limited resources to get the job done most cost-effectively, including social media.”*** - **Part two** Freeman suggests that part two consists of a** one- **OR** two-sentence *summary*** **of a *single* career accomplishment** that you are especially proud of and one that can reasonably be expected to capture the potential employer’s attention. ***“Recently, as a long-term contract employee at a local regional bank, I learned that the bank was about to install Lotus Notes/Domino and they were planning to use outside consultants for the project. I let them know that I had done a similar installation at my last assignment, outlined how we could get the job done with in-house staff and successfully complete the installation for $55-$65K less than it would have cost with outside consultants.” *** Alternatively, my version highlights and illustrates one of your strengths that the hiring company seeks.  This may take some research about the position and its goals so you can choose which of your strengths is the best fit for what they need:  ***“I love analyzing brand opportunities and have a great track record of doing so.  One of my favorite projects was when I brought a cross promotion to XXXX that increased awareness by 15% and traffic by 8%, but we were able to spend only a third of the media budget to create the program– by leveraging the media clout of our cross promotional partner.”*** - **Part three** Freeman suggests that this segment should be customized to fit the particular career opportunity being sought.  He says it should be a **one- **OR** two-sentence *summary* of specifically what you want to do in your next career move** AND it **must be relevant to the position being sought. **Here is an example of how Part-three might be constructed: ***“For the next step in my career, I would like to move away from contract work and find myself as a direct employee of a large firm where I can join a substantial IT team and be involved with a group that focuses on email and network security applications, while having access to the knowledge base that would come with a large, diverse IT group.”***  Or, my take – what excites you about this opportunity and what do you offer? ***“The reason I am so excited about this position is that I see there is a huge opportunity to bring all of my experience to bear. I see the possibility of bringing new products to market, while maximizing sales of the ZZZZ product line.  Here at YYY Company, you have sufficient resources so that I can really have fun building the brand to its full potential.”  *** Clearly, different endings are possible, but the goal is to try to match what you want to what an employer is looking for in a candidate. Freeman concludes that by using a three-part approach, you can brand yourself as a true professional who will stand out from the competition by demonstrating the value of what you have to offer in a very short amount of time.   *****Read Freeman's  full article [here](http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/beware-the-tell-me-about-yourself-job-interview-question/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beware-the-tell-me-about-yourself-job-interview-question%20%20http://).***** Happy Hunting! 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/bid/75437/how-a-90-second-elevator-speech-helps-ace-your-interview#comments-listing) Tags: [career](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/career), [resume](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/resume), [elevator speech](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/elevator-speech), [culture](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/culture), [accomplishment](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/accomplishment), [opportunity](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/opportunity), [employer](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/employer), [competition](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/competition), [hiring](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/hiring), [job](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/job), [candidate](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/candidate), [interview](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/interview), [strengths](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/strengths), [position](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/position), [Tell Me About Yourself](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/tell-me-about-yourself), [ace](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/ace), [hunting](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/hunting) ## [Resume Tip: Highlight Achievements to Get Noticed](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/bid/68074/Resume-Tip-Highlight-Achievements-to-Get-Noticed) Posted by [Catherine Saar](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/author/catherine-saar) on Thu, Nov 17, 2011 @ 12:28 PM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![better resume](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/hs-fs/file-13949037-jpg/images/kozzi-red-key-highlighting-success-883x588.jpg?width=248&height=165&name=kozzi-red-key-highlighting-success-883x588.jpg)**Which statement is more compelling? ** “Responsible for advertising” or “Reduced advertising expense 20% using customer data analysis while improving sales by 5%.” Although both statements may have a place on your resume, using specific examples on your resume to provide concrete proof of how you’ve contributed to the success of past employers is critical.   **Your resume is not a laundry list of all the stuff you have done**. It needs to show how well you fit with what the hiring company is looking for.** **Once you are clear about what skills and accomplishments are needed in the position for which you are applying, determine where and how your achievements match up. Highlight the skills and results that best demonstrate your track record of delivering the kinds of things they expect.  **Think about your experience this way:** 1. What is this company looking for from this position? What situations/problems or goals have you worked on in the past that are similar? 2. What action did you personally take to improve or ameliorate the issue(s)?  3. How did your action(s) positively affect the company?  Were there savings, improvements or increased profits? Once you have a few examples of how your efforts made a difference in the past, pepper your resume with specific achievements that show how you made a difference.   You can also include results from volunteer positions if they demonstrate your ability in ways that match up to this employer’s needs.   Of course you shouldn’t fabricate, but do think about ways you can measure your contributions. Use numbers or descriptive language when you can. **Here are some examples you might consider:** > - Corrected an internal problem > - Improved a service or a product > - Improved the appearance or usability of an item > - Increased membership or attendance > - Increased business > - Reduced errors > - Innovated new ways to get information, get things done > - Avoided a problem > - Saved money or time > - Increased awareness of the company, a service or a product > - Created, met or improved standards > - Devised or streamlined a system > - Increased customer satisfaction. Think about it. A company wants to reduce its hiring risk.** If you are a candidate who provides proof of your skills by using concrete, targeted examples (like mini case studies), you can increase the likelihood that you will get noticed - and hired.  ** [![Complimentary 30-Minute Consultation Let's Chat!  I would be delighted to learn more about your needs and goals and explore whether it makes sense for us to collaborate. Just click here.](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/39000/016506d6-d4b6-409b-b9e2-85a355484465.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/39000/016506d6-d4b6-409b-b9e2-85a355484465) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/bid/68074/Resume-Tip-Highlight-Achievements-to-Get-Noticed#comments-listing) Tags: [applying](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/applying), [fit](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/fit), [success](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/success), [skills](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/skills), [resume](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/resume), [concrete proof](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/concrete-proof), [contributions](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/contributions), [get hired](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/get-hired), [goals](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/goals), [hiring](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/hiring), [accomplishments](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/accomplishments), [Tips](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/tips), [achievements](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/topic/achievements) [All Posts](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/all) ### Subscribe via E-mail ### Latest Posts ### Follow Me ### Posts by Month - [February 2019 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2019/02) - [January 2019 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2019/01) - [June 2018 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2018/06) - [February 2018 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2018/02) - [October 2017 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2017/10) - [August 2017 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2017/08) - [January 2015 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2015/01) - [March 2014 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2014/03) - [December 2013 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/12) - [November 2013 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/11) - [August 2013 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/08) - [July 2013 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/07) - [June 2013 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/06) - [April 2013 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/04) - [February 2013 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/02) - [January 2013 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2013/01) - [December 2012 (4)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/12) - [November 2012 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/11) - [October 2012 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/10) - [September 2012 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/09) - [August 2012 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/08) - [July 2012 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/07) - [May 2012 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/05) - [April 2012 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/04) - [March 2012 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/03) - [February 2012 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/02) - [January 2012 (1)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2012/01) - [December 2011 (2)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2011/12) - [November 2011 (3)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2011/11) - [October 2011 (3)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2011/10) - [September 2011 (3)](https://www.theprojectcoach.com/blog/archive/2011/09)