Networking is a skill that can be very valuable for students to use for job hunting and making contacts. Think of it as building relationships with a variety of people whom you may be able to help or receive help from in the future. Before attending a networking event, you should learn to develop your 30-second commercial.107 This tool is like an elevator pitch, which is a quick summary of you, an organization, or even a product or service. The name suggests that it should be possible to deliver the summary in the time span of an elevator ride. Venture capitalists on shows like CBCs Dragons Den108 often judge the quality of an idea by the quality of its elevator pitch and will ask entrepreneurs for their elevator pitches in order to quickly weed out bad ideas and weak teams. Your 30-second commercial can be used in many situations, such as job interviewing and even dating! When you meet a potential contact, you should state your purpose early in the conversation. Your initial discussion should be brief and to the point. You are meeting this person because they are in the field or industry you want to explore, so your goal is not to get a job but to obtain information from them about the industry. Here are two templates that you can use to build a 30-second commercial. You have until October 26th to record and submit a 30-second video. Invite a fellow student or friend, greet each other with a firm, professional handshake, and take turns saying your commercial. Obtain written feedback from one other fellow student or friend. Option A Your name Your current status (student, program, school) Your major accomplishments (academic or work, list three and results) What you want to do next (seek information on this industry, learn more about role X, learn more about the organization, etc.) Option B Im (name). Im a ( year student) with (university, college, school). Most recently, I worked at (company) as a (job title), where I (list a few duties). Whether at school or in the workplace, I bring three key strengths to the table: ( , , ). At this time, I am seeking (information, background, details, etc.) in this field as I am considering a career in this industry. Continue to polish and develop your personal 30-second commercialyou never know when it may come in handy. For more information, see Julia McKinnell, The Introverts Guide to Networking, Macleans, August 26, 2010, and Derek Sankey, Dont Overlook Face Time in Job Search, Ottawa Citizen, November 16, 2011.