Potential Employer: So what is it you do?

You: I'd love to tell you about how I've saved money for my employer in my job as a cost accountant because I think you'll find this interesting.

By starting out your pitch this way, you've given listener a couple of reasons to pay attention. One is because you've said you're going to entertain them, which people enjoy - especially in social situations. Another is because you've told them you're going to give them some potentially valuable information. One caveat here: you should talk about most important benefits to employer towards beginning of elevator pitch just in case you run out of time.

Another tactic good public speakers recommend is using motion in descriptions. For example, saying "When I walked in and told my boss we saved a million dollars in previous quarter" will create more of an image in listener's mind than saying "we saved a million dollars in a quarter." If a listener is not able to visualize what you're saying, there's more of a chance they will lose interest.

People like and remember stories and anecdotes. Telling a story about a customer's reaction to a new product you developed is more memorable than just saying it.

Your elevator pitch should not get into minute details. Rather, it should address primary concerns a potential employer would have:

- What have you done in past that demonstrates your value? - How would you benefit my company specifically? - Why would I want to choose you instead of other candidates?

The beginning of your elevator pitch should give a summary and say what your competency is. Next, it should clarify who you want to work for. Then explain why you are a good fit for job and employer. Next, talk about your background and experience, highlighting benefits you brought to previous employers. If you still have time after that, you can talk about how you will achieve what you said you can do for potential employer. This last part should focus on results that employer would see rather than mechanics of what you'll do.

3. Control nervousness - it's natural to be nervous on an interview - just about everyone is. But you should take steps so nervousness isn't apparent. Doing mock interviews with friends or family members is a good way to increase your confidence. The more you're exposed to interviewing, less nervous you'll be about it.

4. Sharpen your wit - Interviewers often decide how smart someone is based on how witty they are. There is probably no real scientific formula for becoming more witty. However, people who are well-read tend to have quicker wits than those who aren't.

5. Be prepared - if you have researched company and industry ahead of time, and you have a good idea of how you can answer most of standard job interview questions they might ask (such as "Where do you see yourself in 2 years?), you'll be much more confident and your preparedness will show.

HELPING THE INTERVIEWER GET TO KNOW YOUR ABILITIES

Many interviewers will try to classify you based on broad information such as number of years of experience you have, where you went to college, which industries you worked in, etc. The reality is this information may or may not be a good predictor of whether you can solve their business problems, which is real reason why they are looking for a new employee.

As a job candidate, it is reasonable for you to want to know why company is looking to hire someone and what business problems they hope to solve with hire. The answer to those questions should help you relate to your own work experiences and hopefully give you an opportunity to talk about specific things you have done in past that have given you expertise in areas necessary to solve company's problems. If you offer interviewer your perspective as someone who has expertise with specific problems they want to resolve, and strive to provide them with helpful insights that they may not have considered before, you will stand out as a candidate.