Career Advice.

Kirsty Miller from Career Services and Karen Slieth from the Placement Base, at the University of Dundee came in to our ‘Design in the Market’ lecture to give us some advice on how to go about getting a placement.

They told us about an upcoming volunteer fair where we could go and network with some businesses and about the Placement Base which is on campus where you can go to find out about placement vacancies.

One of the most useful pieces of advice I took away from this lecture was when they talked about the ‘Elevator Pitch’. I had heard of it before but still have not come up with my own. The ‘Elevator Pitch’ should be your C.V. summed up in 30 seconds or so in case you bump into someone important and it’s your only opportunity to convince them to give you or at least consider you for a job. The reason I’ve not written my elevator pitch yet is because I didn’t really know where to start. She gave us some tips which will hopeful be helpful when I write it.

Tips on writing your ‘Elevator Pitch’:

• Who are you? – let them know this is a good place to start!

• Do you have any connections with who you are talking to? - try to think of one people will be more interested and listen. You don’t have to know someone they know you can simply say I was looking at you work, or I had a lecture about your company…

• What do you want? – Get to the point let them know what you’re looking for.

• What do you want to happen next? – You have to make it happen. Make a connection ask if you can call them, send them your C.V., pop in to see them. What can you offer them, what can you do for them? Suggest it.

I best try to write mine soon it will probably come in handy in the near future!