For the first Interact Club meeting of the school year, Steve Ivory came in to present. Ivory works for Eaton as an engineer quality director.

The topic of Ivory’s speech was about the power one needs to succeed. Ivory used the acronym  “PIE” to help students remember the key points. The acronym stands for “performance,” “image,” and “exposure.” The presentation focused on helping juniors and seniors prepare for their next chapter of life.

The first point he went over consisted of performance, such as a person’s talents and skills.

“Performance is your ticket to entry, how well you do is the common denominator in a promotion process,” Ivory said. Companies and business will look out for criteria that one has that stands out from others.

One of the recommendations that Ivory gave was creating a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is an employment service that is used for networking. It is a good way for companies to help find employers.

“LinkedIn is the next big thing for getting out into the world when you want to take those next steps,” Ivory said. 

Ivory also went into detail and explained how important one’s image is especially in a modern digital world. He emphasized paying attention to the way people present themselves on social media. Employers often look on social platforms to see what type of person they might be hiring.

The last point Ivory went over was “exposure.” Displaying oneself and one’s talents to others helps make connections which can lead to tremendous opportunities. Ivory gave an example of what he calls a 30-second elevator pitch. When the opportunity arises, introduce yourself and describe your portfolio. Showcasing your qualities might help you find connections, which will lead you to better opportunities.  

Maintaining these three key factors and advancing oneself increase one’s chances of success later in life.