“As Gregor Samsa awoke from unsettling dreams one morning, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin”.. This is an excerpt from The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and is currently ranked among the greatest opening lines of books, according to The Telegraph. In less than 30 seconds the potential reader is already asking who is Gregor Samsa and what has happened to him. The chances are that whoever read the first line would buy the book and read the story to find out the mystery behind it. But why is this important?
First impressions matter – whether it is in a book, in real life or in a CV. Just like your potential love partner would notice your new haircut and clothes, your future employer will notice the appearance, layout, and structure of your CV. Employers will expect to see an effective personal statement of who you are, what you offer, and what you are looking for.
However, standing out from the vast sea of applicants and CVs is difficult and might require a pitch – a necessary evil for job seekers. The main purpose of the pitch is to grab the attention of the potential employer and engage him or her in your story. Imagine that you are a salesman. In order to attract a customer to a new product your message would be short, yet sweet and to the point. You would explain the key features of the product and give the customer the benefits they are looking for. This is also what you need to do with your pitch – be concise, on point and share your achievements.
The Gust founder and CEO David S. Rose says that bad pitches tend to fall into three major categories:
• The content is bad, off-base or not well-thought-out.
• Slides or visuals are poorly executed or confusing.
• The founder is unprepared or lacks basic presentation skills.
Not all of these points can be applied to CVs, but they are still as important. By keeping them in mind, let us look through the following bad pitch, encountered by a recruiter of Wamda:
“… I want to offer myself as candidate for a job at your company. I will be able to begin at any time/any place. I have taken a computer course and can format reports, letters, memos, and tables and can type 50 words per minute, using M.S Word, M.S Excel, and Adobe; I can prepare spreadsheets, databases and newsletters. I have 10 years of experience. Please give me a chance at the above post. My CV and certificates are attached”.
There are several weak points to this pitch. First, it is not personalized. The applicant speaks of ‘the above post’ but it was never mentioned, so it was not clear for which position in Wamda he was applying to.
Lesson one: personalize your message and explain which job you are applying for, and why.
Second, the format of the resume is important. Poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar, as well as an improper use of fonts, headers and footers will not leave a good or long-lasting impression in the recruiter. Moreover, eliminate the use of jargon or every-day language.
Lesson two: pay attention to details such as the layout of information. “Dress” the CV to impress.
Last, but not least, share your achievements. No, I do not mean the certificate for participation you got in middle school. Reveal a little about yourself by mentioning some of your interests – keep them real but also relevant to the job position. Also, share what you think of the company you are applying for. The more direct and honest you are about liking the company, the better the outcome will be. Using marketing language will not help you and can even make you look generic. Your potential future boss will need to feel a connection with you, so why not make it a real one?
Lesson three: looks are important but so is content. Mention your strengths and tailor the pitch to them, not you.
After exploring the pitfalls of writing a pitch and the lessons coming from them, what is left is to write your own pitch by being mindful about the potential mistakes you might make. Below is an example of a good pitch, taken from Idealistcareers.org:
“My core skill sets are civil engineering and psychology. I am endlessly curious and all my friends, family, and colleagues look to me for answers on everything from mood swings to mindcraft. As I have always been exceptionally passionate about social issues, I am looking to write for publications/websites focused on climate change so that I can create content and campaigns urging others to take action and increase sustainability for future generations”.
This is a good example because the person mentions his major skills and then proceeds with interests and causes he cares about. They are all relevant and not off-topic. The language he uses is formal. He also mentions what his goals are and how he can contribute to the company. And most importantly, it is short but on-point.
In conclusion, a great pitch is the one that is capable of grabbing someone’s attention and leaving them wanting more. You do not need to be Kafka to succeed in the job market. All you need to do is to learn from other people’s mistakes and avoid them. So grab your laptop or the nearest sheet of paper and write up!
Nesrin Nazlieva
Sources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/30-great-opening-lines-in-literature/
https://gust.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/worst-startup-pitches-2012-11
https://www.wamda.com/2013/03/5-tips-for-writing-a-good-job-pitch
http://idealistcareers.org/a-quick-guide-to-writing-your-elevator-pitch-with-examples/