We all know how important it is to make a good first impression. When meeting or calling a potential employer or recruiter the first 30 seconds of your conversation is extremely important.

You will be asked by recruiters and interviewers to, "Tell me about yourself." You should be able to do that concisely and in an interesting manner so they can understand what you do and the benefit you can provide their organization.

Be sure to include the following in your short "commercial":

• background information
• accomplishments
• career objective

Background information:
This includes strengths, work history, education, training, and anything that would be considered a selling point.

An example:
I have 12 years of experience in financial management with international telecom companies. I am particularly skilled at helping senior teams understand how the financial reports act as a tool to achieve company goals.

Accomplishments:
This relates to how you used your strengths in previous positions.

An example:
During a difficult budgeting process, I worked with senior teams from 4 subsidiaries who, with my facilitation, made cuts in a way that best served their common business goals. I helped them see that working together to meet the company goals was more profitable than pursuing their individual objectives.

Career Objective:
An example:
I would like to find a senior financial position in which I could play a key role in helping the organization meet its objectives.

Be sure to write down your "30 Second Commercial" and practice it often. Try using a tape recorder and mirror or camcorder for audio and visual analysis. Your 30-second spot can have versions from 30 seconds to several minutes, but be sure to keep to the point.