Even the most intriguing Elevator Stories often lack an important element — a request for action. Here are some action items that can be appended in various situations:
At a career fair: “I’d like to take your business card, as well as leave my networking card and resume. Would it be possible for me to get a spot on your company’s interview schedule?”
In a networking situation: “What advice do you have for me? Can you suggest any employers I should be contacting?”
Cold-calling an employer: “When can we set up a meeting to discuss how I can help your company?”
Telephone or e-mail situations: “May I send you my resume?” (For in-person situations, you should always have resumes handy.) If your resume exists in electronic form on the Internet, you can say: “May I refer you to my resume on the Web at [insert Web address here]?”
Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling that Propels Careers, Quintessential Careers Press, ISBN-10: 1-934689-00-9. Find out the ways you can own the entire book.
