When the posters for Life After Scripps went up around campus, I did a double take. Every year I promised myself I’d get to at least one event and never really managed to. This year, on the other side of my time abroad, my life after Scripps is practically upon me. I decided to attend the Speed Networking Dinner so I could practice and get plenty of feedback. Plus, it was a free meal. Can’t say no to that!

Here are the tips I got from the dinner:

1) Remember how amazing you are, and don’t be afraid to talk yourself up. Imagine that you’re stuck in an elevator with someone, and you have the length of the ride to make a case for how hire-able/unique/interesting you are. Condense your story into 30-45 seconds and remember to speak with confidence. Did you do some amazing research this summer? Intern somewhere incredible? Found a company? Learn a new language? Now’s the time to bring it up.

2) You’ve done some amazing stuff. How does it inform what you plan to do in the future? Potential employers want to hear how you plan to use the skills and experience you’ve acquired. Did an internship lead to a grad school idea? Did learning a language reveal a love of teaching? Did your time abroad help you realize that you want to stay in the US? Tie in your skills with future plans – it shows that you have an eye to future careers and experience.

3) Ask questions of your networking partner. Points if you know enough about where they work to ask a question tailored specifically to the organization. If you don’t, that’s fine – just don’t ask them what (company name) does. Ask how they ended up where they are, or what they love most about what they do, or what they studied in college – it can be fascinating to learn that the wine broker you’re speaking with was a marine biology major in college (hey, dad!).

If you’re not sure what to put in your elevator speech, ask your friends/professors/mentors about things that stand out about you. They often see things you may overlook. Practice your speech and be able to deliver it confidently at the drop of a hat. You never know – the person ahead of you at the coffee shop or sitting next to you on the train may be working in your dream profession!