Now that you have a good idea of what type of job you want to get into (if not, see my post on finding the best job for you), we need a powerful way to introduce yourself to others and let them know who you are and what you’re looking to do. The best way to do this is with a personal statement that is clear and concise in stating who you are, what you do/have done, and what you’re looking for. This is also called an “elevator pitch” or “me in 30 seconds.” I refer to it as your “power intro.”

Whatever you call it, this statement needs to shine.

Here’s how to go about making a moving “power intro.” Like any good recipe, a power intro has a few common ingredients wrapped into 3-5 sentences:

1. It says who you are
2. It mentions your background
3. It gives a few (specifically 3) accomplishments, and
4. Says what you’re looking for now

And it does all of that in a way that with words that sound AUTHENTIC and NATURAL when you say them.

Doesn’t sound too bad, right?

To start, here’s one that I put together for myself:

I build beautiful software and ensure its end users see direct benefits to their business. In the past 10 years, I’ve led product management and customer success at multiple Inc. 500 fastest growing SaaS companies, where I oversaw multiple new product launches, led development teams in India and the US, and served as the face of all things customer related. I’m looking for an executive role where I can guide product and operations for a SaaS company preparing for explosive growth.

Let’s go line by line and break down what this power intro does:

• I build beautiful software and ensure its end users see direct benefits to their business.

This one is meant to be a “hook” to get people’s attention. Everyone loves beautiful software that just works, and we can all agree that making sure it brings benefits to a person’s business is the end goal of software, though one that isn’t always realized. You’ll also note that, as the first sentence, it is concise and strong in its language.

• In the past 10 years, I’ve led product management and customer success at multiple Inc. 500 fastest rapidly growing SaaS companies

This tells everyone how much experience I bring to the table, and frames in their mind that I’m not new to what I do. Mentioning Inc. 500 fastest growing companies also drops an accomplishment or feat that they can latch onto.

• where I oversaw multiple new product launches, led development teams in India and the US, and served as the face of all things customer related.

I mentioned before that we want to include 3 things in our power statement. The reason for that is that people can best remember no more than a few pieces of information, and 3 is something we are used to and see in many places (goldilocks and the 3 bears, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” etc.) This section tells you I’ve led teams, done product management with products that were completely new to the market, which not all do, and am comfortable interfacing with customers.

• I’m looking to take on an executive role where I can guide product and operations for a SaaS company preparing for explosive growth

Note that I’m telling the person the type of role I want, and that I specify the level (executive) and the type of company (preparing for explosive growth) I’m looking for.

That’s how you make a power statement. Remember, you can always adjust your power statement again and again until it becomes natural.

How natural do we want it to sound? We want your authentic and original voice here, for multiple reasons:

1. If it’s natural, it’ll be easier to remember and you’ll be able to use it in conversations without people realizing it.
2. If you sound like a robot, people will be focused on how they feel (confused) listening to you instead of what you’re actually saying.
3. People don’t remember everything they hear, but they remember how they feel, and a concise, powerful statement will help them see you as competent, confident, and easy to talk with.

Did you notice that I gave you a list of 3 things just now…? It’s almost as if it was intentional…

Using your power intro when networking

So you’re at a party and you have your power statement all ready to go. You’re sitting down with someone and they ask you what you do. How do you answer? Answer in whatever way is the most natural. You can opt for the whole thing in a single go, OR you can try to make it more conversational.

Option 1:

Them: “so what do you do?”

You: “I build beautiful software and ensure its end users see direct benefits to their business. In the past 10 years, I’ve led product management and customer success at multiple Inc. 500 fastest growing SaaS companies, where I oversaw multiple new product launches, led development teams in India and the US, and served as the face of all things customer related. I’m looking for an executive role where I can guide product and operations for a SaaS company preparing for explosive growth”

Option 2:

Them: “so what do you do?”

You: “I build beautiful software and ensure its end users see direct benefits to their business.”

Them: “Interesting. What does that mean? Or what kind of job is that?”

You:  “In the past 10 years, I’ve led product management and customer success at multiple Inc. 500 fastest growing SaaS companies, where I oversaw multiple new product launches, led development teams in India and the US, and served as the face of all things customer related. [I recently left my company and now] I’m looking for an executive role where I can guide product and operations for a SaaS company preparing for explosive growth”

Both options have pros and cons. With option 1 you get it all out there but risk overwhelming them with a lot of information they weren’t ready to digest, while option 2 gives a great teaser to open up dialogue but puts you at risk of using the first sentence and simply hearing back an uninterested “great!” and nothing else. And that’s ok, you can still lead the conversation to a place where you can add the rest. You’ll find a way to do it. I believe in you.

Using your power intro in interviews and on LinkedIn

Just like you can use your power intro when networking or at parties, you can use your power intro in interviews and on LinkedIn.

• Interviews: use it to answer the always-asked “tell me about yourself.” This question is fantastic because it lets you lead the direction of the meeting to focus on the things you want to hit on. Using your power intro is the best thing to do here and, when you have stories to back up each of your points, you’ll start of the interview in a very impressive way.
• LinkedIn: the beauty of LinkedIn is that it gives you a page to market yourself to others, but the challenge of LinkedIn is that not everyone knows how to do it in a way that is powerful and clear. Using your power intro in the description section gives you a way to frame yourself in a way that hits on your accomplishments and lets others see what you’ve done. It’s a perfect place for the power intro.

Wrapping it up

Your power intro is a perfect way to introduce yourselves to others because it is powerful, concise, and can be tailored to work in any situation, telling people who you are, what you’ve done, and what you’re looking. It may sound scary, but I can promise you this: even a poorly written power intro is better that a rambling, unprepared attempt at a description of yourself on the fly