The tip is to be quick!

This is a tip I got from my career coach, that helped me get an interview. I recommend it, because it concentrates on getting to the point, cutting the waffle that stops a recruiter from offering you a job.

State aloud why you are the right person for the job, in the time it takes an elevator to travel 5 floors. If it takes more time than that, you will lose the listener. If you can not get all the important facts about you into the speech, then there is too much dross in there - thin it out. Don't worry about the detail, they will find that out at the interview.

When you can do it, get a friend to listen and give constructive critisizm. Be careful to choose a friend who will be honest, rather than one who will say what you want to hear.

Next stage, say it to a complete stranger. If you can't say it to a bartender, or the woman who sits next to you on the bus, how will you say it to the stranger with the job?

The point of this? When you ring your cousin's dentist's brother-in-law, (because your cousin told his dentist that you were looking for a job, of course) you will get 90 seconds to say your piece, maybe a bit more if you start off well. If you can't do it then, look forward to a career where data aquisition means asking "do you want fries with that?"