Job Tuition

Develop a Personal Snapshot

December 9th, 2006 by Andrew

If you bump into someone, and they ask you what you do, what do you say? Are you ever at a loss for words when you meet someone at a convention or social gathering? If so, you need to develop a personal snapshot.

Perhaps you have heard of a “15 second pitch” or “elevator pitch.” This is precisely what I mean by your “personal snapshot.”

What is it?

As the term suggests, your snapshot will be about you. Actually, that’s all it is. It is a snapshot of what you do. You need to be able to provide this key information in roughly 15 seconds.

Before continuing, please remember that your snapshot should be personal. You don’t want to be generic, saying something like “I’m a lawyer.” You want to be different, interesting, and yourself.

How to compose it

Since you only have 15 seconds, you definitely need to trim the information that you try to pack into your snapshot. But you do not want to leave out key details.

Basically, you want to say your name and occupation in a way that appeals to the person with whom you are speaking. Thus, you need to phrase your snapshot in a way that explains what you do for people and companies. Phrasing your snapshot in an action and helping way will draw your listener in and make her curious about the work you do.

Think how this sounds: “My name is Bob Smith. I work for a downtown PR firm.”

Now, consider this version: “I am Bob Smith. My firm leverages technology and media outlets to enhance PR for entities of all types and sizes.”

Which version sounds more interesting to you? Which snapshot provides better information to the listener? Doesn’t the latter engage you and prompt questions, such as types of technology Bob uses and example clients of his firm?

Why care?

If you have read this far, you may be wondering, “Why do I need this snapshot?” Stay with me for a second, and I think you’ll see.

As I mentioned in the introduction to this article, your personal snapshot is critical every time you meet someone. It provides a quick and easy way for you to explain who you are and what you can do for your new acquaintance. Isn’t this what networking is all about?

Also, once you get used to using your personal snapshot, you will become more at ease when meeting new people. This will help your network grow faster and wider than you ever imagined. YOU will be the person working the room at a luncheon. You will make friends and business contacts much easier than before.

Is your personal snapshot a silver bullet for networking? Of course not. But could imagine trying to network without a business card? Probably not. Once you perfect your snapshot, you will feel the same way about this key to your networking tool kit.