Get a job... from an elevator ride?

Elevators may have been the birthplace of the akward moment but, for job-seekers, they can spawn a great career move.

"You could possibly get on the elevator with the CEO," said USF senior Carmen Perez. "You might (not even) see him the entire time you work there, but you might be the one person that he does remember and it could get you (hired)."

Perez recently won USF's first-ever "Elevator Speech" contest, designed to find the student who could sell him or herself in the time it takes an elevator to go 37 floors - about 60 seconds.

"Being in the elevator with an HR rep," Perez said of her dream scenario, "Even if your floor comes up before (his or hers), I'd say, 'I pushed the wrong floor and I'm getting out where you are getting out!'"

The contest was held at the Florida headquarters of Regions Bank in downtown Tampa.

"First impressions count," said Regions' Vice President of Human Resources August Toscano. "The same thing applies as it does to a regular interview. Form, substance and preparation."

Preparation and risk-taking were what won Perez the contest and the $1,000 prize that came with it. She talked up a "friend" who was perfect for the imaginary job then, at the end of the ride, said it was actually her and she'd like to follow-up with the recruiter.

"The more you show that you're interested, the more it shows the employer that you'll go the extra mile to get that job," Perez said. "That shows... 'Hey, they work that hard to get the job, how will they be as an employee?'"

Toscano praised Perez's preparation and poise.

"Whether it is a 60-second elevator ride or a 60-minute interview," he said. "You should practice and rehearse it over and over and over again."

He also said it is good to always have a business card or personal calling card with your contact information handy. And you should always keep your conversations short, sweet, and ending on high notes.

"You need to be able to tell me quickly here's who I am, here's what I've done and here's what I can do for you," Toscano said. "If you can leave someone thinking this about you, 'I like him, I know he can produce for me and I can count on him', that would be it."

One additional tip from 10 Connects anchor Heather Van Nest: Always write a handwritten thank you note to anyone who gives you a moment of his or her time.

You can follow 10 Connects reporter Noah Pransky on Twitter at www.twitter.com/noahpransky.