You might have a few questions about elevator pitches. We’re here to answer them and help you craft an excellent elevator pitch to help you land that next opportunity.
First, what is an elevator pitch? In the most basic terms, an elevator pitch is a 20-30 second speech all about you and what you can offer in a career-sense. Typically, you use an elevator pitch when talking to employers at networking events, but it can often be used in other areas where there is possible employment as well (you never know who you’ll run into at Panera).
So why have an elevator pitch? Often times, you are competing with other people for your potential employer’s time. You need to have a speech set up and ready to go once your chance arrives. Being able to sum up your experience and strengths in a concise, rehearsed pitch also shows the employer that you can work on your toes.
Now to the good stuff – how do you write an excellent elevator pitch?
Introduce yourself
Keep the introduction short and sweet. Only the necessary details are needed here. Hi there, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is ___.
Tell them what you do
In one to two sentences, sum up your professional life. What do you do for work? For whom do you work for? Even if you are a student now, talk about where you go to school, your degree in progress and maybe a little about what kind of job you are looking for.
Share with them a key experience
In your work career, what is one key experience that shows off your main skills? Keep this experience very brief. Remember, you only have about 30 seconds to impress this employer. Make sure to tell them specific skills you have to make them remember you.
Get to the point
At the end of your elevator pitch, add a call-to-action. Ask to meet for coffee or to have a phone call later in the week. It is especially helpful if you have business cards to exchange.
Thank them for their time
Be sure to thank them for listening. Being appreciative is a key trait many employers look for in a potential candidate.
Now you should be ready to write or improve your elevator pitch. Be sure to practice it both by yourself and in front of peers to make sure you have it memorized. Even time yourself to see if you need to shorten your pitch. You don’t want to end up stuttering your way through the pitch when trying to leave a good first impression.
Good luck!