Throughout this program of study, the importance of professional networking for further developing your I/O career has been emphasized. An important tool in your professional networking toolbox is your elevator story. An elevator story is a short, well-prepared, and polished description of what it is that you do as an I/O professional. If you were in an elevator riding to the twentieth floor of a building and someone also riding on the elevator were to ask you, “So, what do you do?” What would your response be? That is your elevator story. A very concise (you have to finish it before the elevator reaches the twentieth floor), yet detailed descriptive of how you envision your specific role as an I/O professional. It has to be worded in such a way as to be easily understood by someone who doesn’t know anything about I/O Psychology. A well-crafted and effective elevator story tells people who you are professionally; what problems you can solve; and what expertise you have to offer. An elevator story, delivered properly, should seem to flow effortlessly and without a lot of premeditated thought. While it may seem effortless and spontaneous, it actually takes a lot of forethought and rehearsal to be able to deliver an elevator story. In this assignment, you will develop your elevator story.
- To begin, reflect on each course you have taken in this program. What were the top two or three main ideas you learned from each course? Write a sentence or two describing the main idea from each of your courses.
- Next, reflect on your own personal strengths and interests. What is it you are most passionate about from all the concepts you have studied in this program? Why? Write a paragraph or two describing your passion.
- Integrate the above sentences and thoughts into a cohesive narrative.
- Finally, edit your narrative until it is no longer than 100 words, yet still encompasses the essence of your knowledge, personal strengths, and interests. This 100-word narrative is now your current elevator story.
Write a 2- to 3-page paper in a Microsoft Word format, utilizing at least three professional literature sources. Professional literature may include the online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, and .gov). Include a title page for the paper. Include a section in your paper for each of the bulleted-list topics described above. Write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources in APA format; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
