USF business students try to get to the top in 37 floors

TAMPA — Jeremy Fisher's heart was pounding as he stepped into the wood-paneled elevator at the Regions Bank building in downtown Tampa on Saturday.

The 21-year-old University of South Florida business student had 37 floors to sell himself to a recruiter. His voice was shaky but strong as he dove into his memorized speech.

"I'd like to set up a time to meet with you," he said at the end. "Which day is best, Tuesday or Wednesday?"

Fisher didn't really plan to meet with the recruiter later. He wasn't even applying for a job. Instead, he was vying for a $1,000 prize in the business college's elevator speech competition.

Dean Robert Forsythe said recruiters often tell him that students should improve their speech and networking skills, so he decided to start the contest.

"We need to work on the skills that usually aren't learned in the traditional classroom," he said.

About 20 students entered. Dressed in suits, they waited in the pink-marbeled lobby until their names were called out, not exactly a spontaneous networking moment and perhaps more nerve-racking because they were anticipating it, said Lynsey Santin, 19, of Lutz.

When Carmen Perez stepped into to the elevator, she seemed to be promoting someone else. With a calm and confident tone, she described an ambitious and hard-working friend.

At the end, she asked "Would you be interesting in meeting her?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Well, hi, I'm Carmen Perez," she said, smiling.

The judges thought that was a unique approach, and she made it to the finals — Perez and four men. The 22-year-old finance major, who grew up in New Tampa, said she was intimidated, but it didn't show as she entered the conference room.

Her approach seemed genuine, which was what the judges wanted. She won.

"I think I'm going to pass out," she said as she accepted a plaque.

Perez plans to modify her elevator speech for future networking events and job fairs. She's looking for an internship for after she graduates this summer.

"I will now be more comfortable to go up to a recruiter at a job fair," she said.

Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@sptimes.com or (813) 661-2443.