Presenting a concise, well-articulated and compelling summary of who you are, what you do and what value you bring to a company is a key component of selling oneself.  This is important whether as part of a business development conversation or in a networking and career context. Sometimes referred to as an "elevator pitch" because of the roughly one minute time window, many professionals, who are otherwise quite polished, stumble through these opportunities.

While having a rehearsed message can be counterproductive to meaningful conversation, it is important to have consistent main ideas that represent your skills and value. Practicing the stringing together of a few key phrases, career/company progression highlights and specific accomplishments, can help you take advantage of the "So, what do you do?" question.  It is equally crucial to ready some general open-ended questions appropriate for the setting which will engage the other person in meaningful dialogue.

Misura Group is poised to help professionals confidentially explore their preparedness for these conversations. We work closely with Margie Peskin, a career management professional who specializes in helping individuals tell their stories. Having paired Margie's abilities with top industry professionals, we have created a focused career sourcing program that we have shared with you in recent emailings.