By Salika Sadek
Every now and then, us interns get the chance to step out of our comfort zone. It can be a daunting and scary process, but we were given the opportunity to practice our elevator pitch and create new connections through a speed networking event! The concept was similar to speed dating but instead was called speed networking. Every intern sat with ten different employees with various roles for five minutes.
Hearing someone say “tell me about yourself” can be intimidating. I always wonder where to start and what to say. This is when an elevator pitch comes in handy. The ability to clearly communicate who you are and what value you bring is an important skill we should all attempt to master.
On Monday morning, I carefully chose my outfit and put on a smile. I was filled with excitement and anticipation. To prepare for this event, I watched a Ted-Ed talk on ways to perfect my elevator pitch and researched the LinkedIn profiles of the employees I would be meeting with.
During the event I received an incredible amount of helpful feedback. I was given suggestions on how to ensure my pitch stays concise and positive. I was also able to ask for advice such as, what direction could I take after getting my degree? With my graduation approaching faster that I would have imagined, I can use all the advice in the world!
Most importantly, I was able to create meaningful and lasting connections that won’t end here. I’ll continue to reach out to the employees I’ve met to further our discussion and foster that budding relationship that has the potential to bloom.