Bolles, Richard N. (2010). What Color is Your Parachute? Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. New editions of this classic are published annually.

Enelow, W., & Goldman, S. (2005). Insider’s Guide to Finding a Job. Indianapolis, IN: JIST.

Hansen, Katharine. (2008). A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market, Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.

Quintessential Careers: The Art of Career and Job-Search Networking

Quintessential Careers: Informational Interviewing Tutorial

One of the most effective uses of networking is the potential to build an inner circle of close advisers who can guide and support you through your job search. They’re the ones that you can always feel comfortable calling on for advice, the ones who will conduct practice interviews with you, and the folks who can review and critique the stories you develop for all phases of the job search. They can help you develop and tell your stories. Ask for feedback from them about your strengths and weaknesses, and build stories around your strengths as perceived by those who know you best.

Test out your stories on your close inner circle. Ask them to place themselves in the employer’s mindset as they listen to or read your stories, and request that they react as an employer would react. You can then use their feedback to refine and polish your stories. Writing on Business Week Online, Liz Ryan, founder and CEO of WorldWIT (Women. Insight. Technology.) recommends trading resumes with colleagues and asking the reader to “look for the story that comes through.”

Expand your network by conducting informational interviews. Learn about industry trends through these interviews so you can tailor your stories to what’s happening in your field. Ask interviewees what the top people in your field offer that others don’t, and then incorporate your matching qualities into your stories.

You’ll notice that one thing nearly all the experts have in common is their emphasis on the importance of stressing your benefit to the listener and touching on how you’re better than the competition. This principle encompasses many names — Unique Selling Proposition, value proposition, benefit statement, competitive advantage, deliverables, differentiation — but the bottom line is the same. What can you bring to the employer, and how can you do it better than anyone else? Telling a story is a great way to answer those questions.

The business school at Pepperdine University suggests knowing your audience and knowing yourself, including key strengths, adjectives that describe you, a description of what you are trying to let others know about you, and a statement of your interest in the company or industry the person represents. Armed with that knowledge, the job-seeker can then outline the Elevator Story using these questions:

1. Who am I?
2. What do I offer?
3. What problems can I solve?
4. What are the main contributions I can make?
5. What should the listener do as a result of hearing this?

Example:

1. Who am I?

   I am an experienced financial operations manager with more than 15 years of managerial experience and a track record of leading teams of people who achieve benchmark results. I have an extensive background in operations analysis, training, and managing the performance metrics in an operations environment.

2. What do I offer?

   I offer excellent project-management skills, and I’m a pro at cost savings.

3. What problems can I solve?

   I can implement money-saving projects. I led a project team that came up with new payment programs for people experiencing serious long-term hardships that were impacting their ability to make regular payments on their debts. I suggested the project to the president of our company. My project team designed the requirements for the new programs and the system requirements to support the enrollments. We determined the metrics needed to measure the program’s success, helped design the required training for the program rollout, and handled the actual rollout. Within 12 months, we had saved more than $50 million in potential losses through the use of the new programs.

4. What are the main contributions I can make?

   My background demonstrates a strong record of loyalty to my employers as well as top results and consistent promotions consistently to positions of increasing responsibilities. I can contribute strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills, and can build a strong team of people focused on achieving the organization’s goals.

5. What should the listener do as a result of hearing this?

   Can you suggest any employers who could benefit from my skills and experience?

Next is a formula that requires researching targeted employers and telling your Elevator Story to someone connected to the targeted employer. It’s adapted from Randy W. Dipner of Meeting the Challenge, Inc.:

1. List target employers. Group them and ultimately define the employer.
2. Define the need or opportunity. That is, what critical issue does the employer face?
3. Identify yourself in terms of a job function or contribution. What do you do?
4. Tell a story that incorporates the benefits - not the features - that you provide to the employer. Prioritize the benefits to identify the single benefit that is the most compelling reason for the employer to hire you. To the maximum extent possible, the benefit should be both quantified and expressed in story form.
5. Develop a statement of the primary differentiation of yourself, which should be the single most important thing that sets you apart from the competition.

Example:

1. Define the employer.

I’m looking to join an organization - like Tornado Marketing - that values an impact player who can help maximize brand productivity. My ideal job would allow me to interact with all areas of the company in all marketing-communications disciplines, from market research to agency management, to sales and marketing.

2. Define the need or opportunity. That is, what critical issue does the employer face?

   Based on my research, I know that Tornado has a major new client that is looking to raise its visibility and build its brand in the banking sector.

3. Identify yourself in terms of a job function or contribution. What do you do?

   I go far beyond advertising, delving into internal communications, sales discussions, and virtually any client interaction. Throughout my career, I’ve continually progressed to take on more responsibility because of my commitment to ensuring the integrity of marketing and collaborating with all areas of the organization.

4. Tell a story that incorporates the benefits - not the features - that you provide to the employer.

   One of the things I am most proud of is the awards program I created to help a former bank client become better known for catering to small businesses and recognizing small businesses for the contributions to the economy. I managed all aspects of program including communications, securing an independent judging panel, instituting an impartial judging process, and overseeing public-relations strategy and tactics. I created a media strategy around the program and winner announcement in local markets. The program generated 2 million media impressions in first year and experienced an increased response of 25 percent in second year while reducing the budget by more than 30 percent. And internally I then used the results of this program to create a brand new look and feel for the bank’s marketing communications. I was recruited for this opportunity because of my successful management of the Leadership Awards program.

5. Develop a statement of the primary differentiation of yourself, which should be the single most important thing that sets you apart from the competition.

   While my specialty is brand-building, I’m the complete package. I help clients increase awareness, favorability, and ultimately sales by employing a variety of marketing communications disciplines, including market research, program development and management, advertising and public relations. I’ve been successful in my career because I’m passionate about what I do, am extremely energetic, and have the ability to be both strategic and tactical.

Author, speaker, and consultant Marisa D’Vari suggests starting the Elevator Story process by writing down three key points about your product (you, in this case) and telling stories about how these points will benefit an employer.

Here’s a story-based variation on a formula suggested by Certified Professional Virtual Assistant Jean Hanson:

1. Who am I? (introduce yourself)
2. What field or industry am I in?
3. What position am I in and what position do I want to be in? In what capacity do I serve or want to serve?
4. What is my USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? What makes me different from the competition?
5. A brief story that illustrates the benefits that employers can derive from my skills, based on my proven accomplishments.

Example:

1. Who am I? Hi, I’m Thad VanIderstine.
2. What field or industry am I in? I’m a strategic operations executive in the cable-TV sector.
3. What position am I in and what position do I want to be in? In what capacity do I serve or want to serve? I want to add value to an organization in a senior position by being involved in many facets of operations and how strategy translates into increasing the bottom line.
4. What is my USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? What makes me different from the competition? A successful manager must be able to provide valuable feedback in timely fashion while allowing employees to be independent and coaching them on both their strengths and opportunities for development. I’ve been a successful manager because I lead by example.
5. A brief story that illustrates the benefits that employers can derive from my skills, based on my proven accomplishments. For instance, when I was asked to manage a field project, one team was struggling to get the program off the ground. One of the issues they had was the ability to effectively manage outsourcing. So I showed them how to take charge of meetings with the outsource vendors, hold them [meetings] less frequently, and ensure that everyone was accountable. The result was the successful management of the program, and my gaining the respect of the team, rather than potential resentment for my taking over the project. Senior management recognized the entire team for launching the program.

The following roundup of formulas suggested by experts should provide food for thought for the method that works best for you in planning and outlining your Elevator Story. Remember that in a job-hunting situation, the listener’s tacit question may be “Why should I (or any employer) hire you?”

This framework for planning your Elevator Story is adapted from Tony Jeary, author of Life Is a Series of Presentations:

1. Define your audience universe.
2. Define the content or subject matter of your story.
3. Define your objective.
4. Define your desired image or style.
5. Define your key message and build your story around it.

My determination and ability to connect people with resources that produce results is my greatest attribute. For example, my first retail management position involved an independently owned start-up pet store in Sausalito. My goal was to establish a profitable business within a two-year timeframe. I hired and developed a knowledgeable and trained team of employees, researched the market to properly merchandise the store, connected with the community to make it an enjoyable shopping experience and develop loyal customers, and initiated procedures to manage expenses, shrink, and inventory. The result was a well-established community pet store that grew into a $1.25 million a year business. I also have a strong sense of equality and thrive on the experience of learning from and leading a team. I enjoy setting goals and empowering others to achieve their goals. I am fearless and persistent when it comes to connecting with the people who can make a difference and asking them for what we need to complete a task. I have excellent communication skills and a keen eye when it comes to grasping the big picture and finding those who will contribute their talents to creating success.

I started playing fastpitch softball when I was 10 years old. I have missed a ball in the field, struck out at the plate, and even been injured during a game. However, I love softball unconditionally because I have discovered elements of my life that I truly treasure from simply playing the game. I have learned the importance of being a team player as well as communicating effectively to execute the game plan. I have established leadership qualities by leading by example and motivating others to be the best that they can be. Most importantly, softball has taught me that only dedication and devotion toward your goals brings success; therefore, hard work and patience is the key to being successful.

Because the preceding stories have their roots in childhood, they are especially heartwarming and emotional. But of course, most Elevator Stories will come from professional experience, as in the following examples:

I have worked with my father in our family business since well before I turned 18. My father and I own a company that specializes in diverse business fields, primarily property development and hydro-engineering. We branched into hydro-engineering mainly because I had such a fascination with renewable energy. I expressed this interest to my father and our team of engineers, and I was given the “greenlight” to set up a company and do some research. After two years, our company obtained all necessary approvals from the government, and our first mini-hydro project was on the way. Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons and a central region of mountains, which is the perfect recipe for generating hydro-electricity. The project began operation in September 2004, and by now it has become one of the most profitable subsidiaries in our establishment. The confidence and the experience that I’ve gained provide me with strength and guidance for my future endeavors.

You can expand on your Elevator Story in networking situations in which you have more time to talk about yourself such as when you are visiting the office of a prospective member of your network or having lunch with a contact. It is also an effective response when you’re conducting an informational interview, and the interviewee turns the tables and starts asking questions about you. This longer version is typically one to three minutes long and contains more about your background, qualifications, and skills.

Obviously, you don’t want your expanded Elevator Story to sound memorized. But you are, after all, talking about yourself, so the material is not hard to remember. It helps to write it out first - outline form is fine; then read it over a few times, and practice saying it without reading or memorizing it. Practice it in front of friends and members of your network, too. It’s not a big deal if you forget a detail as long as you remember the main points you want to get across. Here are some samples, which range from about 300-400 words. Remember that the point of composing such stories is not for them to sound exactly the way they are written. But writing them will help imprint them on your brain so you can tell them with the natural ease of a storyteller:

My desire to become a businesswoman began at a young age. I can clearly remember many summers of my childhood, the kind of summers that couldn’t come quickly enough and that seemed to last an eternity. I would set up shop in front of my house, ready to sell lemonade to the neighbors or the occasional UPS man. A colorful sign and decorated table would adorn my roadside booth to entice customers. After a while, I became bored with just the lemonade shop. I wanted to draw in my peers, so I began to collect Happy Meal toys during the year. When summer came, I would fill up my red wagon and tug it along to the shop to sell nifty gadgets and toys in addition to the lemonade. Eager for a change and the excitement of something new, I passed along the lemonade shop to my younger sisters and decided to move onto other avenues. My best friend Ashley and I opened up “Maggie and Ashley’s Place” - another business endeavor, this one providing jewelry services. We bought bead boxes and filled them to the brim with multi-colored thread and an assortment of beads. On the inside cover of our boxes, we had a log to record orders, determine the price based on the thread and number of beads used, and provide an estimate as to when the orders would be completed. We also started to use the computer technology that we learned about in school to design and print out our own business cards. Looking back, I’m amazed at the precision, quality, and detail I gave to these businesses, attributes I continue to strive for to this day. From brainstorming ideas and seeing them through to fruition, I found excitement and vigor in pursuing my dreams. Over the years I’ve learned to never give up and if something isn’t working out, to forge a new path to make it my own. I truly admire Eleanor Roosevelt for saying that “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” and I plan to see to it that I never stop dreaming of bigger and better aspirations.