Why you need an elevator pitch

Feel free to insert "story" in the place of "elevator pitch."

From the book "Platform" by Michael Hyatt, here are his reasons:

1. It forces you to achieve clarity yourself
2. It helps you understand your customer's perspective
3. It provides a tool for enrolling strategic partners

Here's my take. Whether you are a product or a person, you need an elevator pitch. 

His first point suggests that if clarity of mission is lacking, why should others be interested? Please refer to "Start with Why" for ideas on communicating a clear mission. 

His second point should be slightly modified for career managers by changing "customer's" to "hiring manager's." Does your story resonate with the person you are trying to engage? The best way to find out? Ask them. 

His last point speaks to the importance of having advocates for your cause. Promoting a product or person requires others to speak positively about your offerings. Lack of mission or lack of advocates will leave you stranded in neutral. 

The term elevator pitch is a bit outdated due to the platforms Michael Hyatt discusses in his book. Social media provides the ultimate platform for carrying out your mission of demonstrating uniqueness in a noisy world. 

Can we change the hiring paradigm?

Those who participate in the Connecticut Re-Employment Group on LinkedIn have seen this subject come up in the past few weeks.

It's important to think of the goal when contemplating change. Job seekers want access. Access to the right people, often hiring managers or recruiters. Access to the right people that will allow them to engage. Engagement means conversations...asking questions and sizing up each other's credibility. It's the basis for all relationships, whether you're at a Town Hall meeting, a Little League banquet...or a job interview. There's no guarantee that you will find work by just getting access. On the flip side, you will get nothing without it.

Businesses are simply a collection of people. IBM, GE, Apple, Chrysler. Call them what you want. They function effectively when they accumulate the best people with the right attitude.

A paradigm shift is needed to allow job seekers more access. In 2012 the resume is still the primary standard of measurement of one's skills and character. Fair or not, that's the way it is. The world is changing and with the evolution of social media we are entering a phase where the resume is going to present itself in other forms.

Now, and in the future there will be an emphasis on establishing an online brand. An online brand is a reflection of who you are today, not a summation of the past 25 years. Are you smarter today than you were 6 months ago? How about 15 years ago? Are you inspired today by the same things that inspired you in 2002? Have you changed careers at any point in your life? When you answer all of these questions ask yourself....am I getting a chance to make these points in my resume?

The basis of the Connecticut Re-Employment Group is to build relationships with people you can help (and vice versa), create a personal brand using tools available and finding ways through your expanding network to showcase your current skills and abilities. This is a first phase of chipping away at the hiring paradigm.

Here's the next piece in changing the paradigm that I hope will reinvigorate the CREG brand. Let's find ways to increase access to hiring managers and recruiters. Step one is connecting the CREG brand with local businesses. Specifically local businesses interested in playing a role in helping the unemployed by hosting meetings. This process is underway. Your thoughts and ideas are always welcome.

Here's where I see CREG in 6 months (or sooner). In addition to having businesses host meetings, participants can request to demonstrate their skills and abilities to the audience. The audience will consist of business owners, hiring managers and recruiters. Imagine that? Rome wasn't built in a day. Making changes to the hiring paradigm will take some time.

Are you on board? Am I nuts? It wouldn't be the first time. I hope that you will embrace this process!