# Help my first "Elevator speech" (Interview)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-first-elevator-speech-interview/423153>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 18, 2007, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-first-elevator-speech-interview/423153 "2007-10-18T10:16:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Chew\_Barker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Chew\_Barker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chew_Barker)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-first-elevator-speech-interview/423153/1 "2007-10-18T10:16:37Z")

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Ive been called today saying I have an Interview tomorrow. As part of this interview I should give a 2 minute Elevator Speech. I was told by the girl on the phone, imagine I am in an elevator on the TV show the apprentice and I have 2 mins to sell/market myself to get hired and not fired.

What sort of things should I include in this speech ?

Their guidance is:

> [@](#):
>
> What is your USP?

I dont know what USP is either, any hints ?

> [@](#):
>
> Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

> [@](#):
>
> What has been the rationale behind your history to date?

> [@](#):
>
> What is it about the company that appeals to you?

> [@](#):
>
> Why do you think this career opportunity is right for you?

Any advice on the content of this speech would be much appreciated.

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**Author:** ![Marienee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Marienee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marienee)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-first-elevator-speech-interview/423153/2 "2007-10-18T11:02:58Z")

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[QUOTE=Chew Barker]

Their guidance is:  
I dont know what USP is either, any hints ?

[/QUOTE]

University of Sao Paulo? United States Pharmacopeia?

That last would make a great speech in some cases.

Is this a marketing job? In marketing the USP is the Unique Selling Proposition, the thing which says to your customer: “buy this product and you will get this specific benefit”. FedEx had a good one in “absolutely positively has to get there overnight”. The USP was the _guarantee_ of overnight delivery, not the fact of overnight delivery which a number of people offered even then.

I am too old and jaded to look for, much less accept, a job with this kind of song and dance requirement at the interview stage unless it’s actually a job involving footlights, curtains, and an audience. Which does not mean you should not, as it says in the Bible, there is a time for song and dance and a time for telling them to get shoved and I have certainly sung my share of show tunes.

But I am a little unclear on your assignment, are you supposed to cover all these subjects in two minutes? Or just one of them?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-first-elevator-speech-interview/423153/3 "2007-10-18T11:07:26Z")

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USP = Unique Selling Point?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chew\_Barker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Chew\_Barker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chew_Barker)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-first-elevator-speech-interview/423153/4 "2007-10-18T11:26:32Z")

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[QUOTE=Marienee]

But I am a little unclear on your assignment, are you supposed to cover all these subjects in two minutes? Or just one of them?  
[/QUOTE]

As I understand I am just to pick a few and give the best “why you should pick me speech” in 2 mins.

Unique Selling Point fits. What a load of bolocks, interviews are a farce these days, well thanks anyway.