Weekly Reflection #2: September 8, 2016

The whole idea of an elevator pitch is to give someone a summary of important information about you in around 30 seconds, roughly the time it takes to ride an elevator.  When crafting my own elevator pitch, I'm trying to consider everything that I have done in my life, and think of what skills I have learned from these experiences that I could tell a potential employer.  I would only want to tell them relevant information, for instance, I wouldn't want to tell them that I've been to Disney World before, because this information is more than likely useless to them and will tell them that I don't have enough experiences to contribute to their company.  Personally, I have been through several experiences that have shaped who I am today and could be very relevant information to bring up in an elevator pitch.  For example, I went on a mission trip to Hawaii several years ago, where I was out of my comfort zone.  Being in a foreign environment around locals who needed our help both helped sharpen my interpersonal skills, as well as open my eyes to the diversity that there is in the world.  Another experience that I went through was playing high school for four years, and even being given the role of captain my senior year.  I learned many valuable life skills from playing sports, but arguably the most valuable was learning how a team functions.  Many jobs function similar to how a sports team does, and my previous experience would be something worth mentioning to a recruiter.  In addition to being on the team, being given the role of the leader of the team taught me valuable skills as well, such as having to be responsible for those who are on the team.  All of these experiences have affected me positively in some way, and should definitely be included in my elevator pitch.  My only concern as of now about engaging recruiters at the job expo is finding a smooth way to enter myself into a conversation with a recruiter, without ending his conversation or seeming awkward.  This was a topic that we discussed in class, but I might do some further research to make sure that when the time comes, I am prepared for the situation.  Once I am engaged in conversation with the recruiters, the first question I will ask is "What skills are they looking for in the person who fills the job position?"  I'm going to start out with this question first because if the position requires skills that I don't have an interest in or I'm not proficient in, then there's no point in me pursuing the job.  The second question I'll ask them will be "What steps do you recommend I, a college freshman, take now to start myself down the path towards this job?"  I'll follow up with this question because showing them that I\m willing to change my major or even career path will show them that I'll be dedicated to the job.  The third and final question I'll ask will be "What opportunities for advancement are there in this job?"  This question will be my last because it will show the recruiter that if I were to get the job, I would be dedicated and motivated in order to achieve a goal of advancement.

Schuyler Eldridge