By Sean McKelvie, Career Coach for the David Eccles School of Business
Published: September 20, 2024
An elevator pitch is an essential tool in your networking toolkit. If you’re wondering how to prepare your elevator pitch, or you’re not even sure what an “elevator pitch” is, here’s everything you need to know.
What’s an elevator pitch, and how can it help your career?
An elevator pitch, sometimes called an elevator speech, is a brief self-introduction. It’s a way to quickly give someone the highlights of your background, experience, and goals. You share who you are, what you do, and what you want to do. A defining feature is that it is short - in fact, the term “elevator pitch” comes from the idea that it should be short enough to present during an elevator ride.
Ideal length: 30-60 seconds
Why do I need an elevator pitch?
Having a prepared elevator pitch means you’re never put on the spot when you meet someone new. It helps you confidently present yourself in the best way, enabling you to create stronger connections, build your network, and open new opportunities.
When and how to use an elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is great for any professional environment where you are meeting new people, especially if you’re job searching. Use your elevator pitch in person at job fairs and career expos, and digitally in your LinkedIn summary and other online bios. Confident self-presentation will make a great impression on hiring managers and company recruiters.
Your elevator pitch can also be used as the starting point for your answer to the question “Tell me about yourself” in a job interview.
Situations where you can use your elevator pitch:
- At professional networking events
- Introducing yourself to a recruiter at a career fair
- Starting out an informational interview
- In your LinkedIn summary and other online bios
- Beginning of a cover letter
- In an interview
What to say in your elevator pitch
Because you have only a short period of time, you want to focus on the most important and impactful facts about yourself.
The general structure of an elevator pitch:
- Say your name.
- State your current role. As a student, include your major. If you have relevant hands-on experience, include that as well.
- Describe a skill or strength the person would be interested in.
- Back up your skill or strength with one or two examples of how you’ve used it for success. Examples can relate to school, work, clubs, activities, or volunteer experience.
- Share your goal – what are you looking for now and/or in the future?
- Finish strong with how you can help them with their goals.
To come up with your elevator pitch, start by asking yourself these questions:
- What is your career goal?
- What skill or strength do you have that would help you realize that goal?
- What accomplishment proves you have that skill or strength?
- What are you searching for in a job?
- How can you immediately benefit a company or organization?
Write down your answers to those questions. Write multiple answers so you have options and can pick the most compelling. Then compile it together and create a flow from one item to the next.
Elevator Pitch Examples
Use these examples as guidelines in crafting your own elevator pitch. Make sure your speech includes details on your background, as well as what value you bring to the table.
Example 1
I’m Jacob Flores, I recently graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in communications. I’m a passionate writer and I worked on the college newspaper as a reporter, and eventually, as the editor of the arts section. I'm looking for a job that will put my skills as a journalist to work.
Example 2
My name is Jesse Au, I create illustrations for websites and brands. My passion is coming up with creative ways to express a message, and drawing illustrations that people share on social media. I’m looking for more clients and would love to help grow your brand with custom illustration.
Example 3
Hello, Mr. Thompson, my name is Emily Carter. I am a Junior here at Duke majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I am a proactive problem solver which I demonstrated when my team won the Young Innovators Device Development Competition last year, and I think my experience in project management and hands-on engineering has equipped me to succeed as a research assistant at MedTech Innovations. Could you please tell me about the characteristics of a successful entry-level research assistant at your company?
What makes a great elevator pitch?
It’s brief. Shoot for 30-60 seconds. Remember, you’re showcasing the highlights – you don’t need a full history. Think of it as a short summary of who you are and what you do.
It’s compelling. Include things that are unique to you and focus on what will capture the listener’s interest.
It’s memorable. If you’ve got a specific achievement that makes you stand out, be sure to mention that. Always be yourself and let your personality show.
It's tailored to the audience. Your elevator pitch works best if you know a little about who you’re talking to and adjust for what they care about most. Be especially mindful of the amount of jargon you use. For example, with an expert in your field using jargon can demonstrate your industry knowledge. However, when speaking with recruiters they may find unfamiliar terms disorienting, so keep your language simple and easy to understand.
It’s also a good idea to adjust the length of your pitch to fit your current scenario.
- Company visit: 10 seconds
- Networking events: 30-60 seconds
- Interview: 1-2 minutes
Practice your elevator pitch
Practice, practice, practice. You want your pitch to sound natural and confident and the best way to get that is to practice. Practice saying your points in many different ways – avoid saying things the exact same way every time or it may sound memorized and robotic. When you practice by yourself, use a stopwatch or recording app to check if you’re staying within the appropriate time limit.
Next, practice with another person. Practicing with a person is the best way to get more comfortable with delivering your pitch. You can practice with a friend, family member, or classmate. For excellent practice and the chance to get great feedback, practice with your career coach or a peer coach!
Delivering your elevator pitch
When it’s time to deliver your pitch, aim to appear confident, enthusiastic, and professional. Follow these top tips to nail your delivery.
Speak at a comfortable pace. Don’t race through to fit everything in, but don’t slow down too much either. Keep the same pace that you do in natural conversation.
Use engaging body language. While you speak, feel excited about what you’re saying and allow your excitement to show in your body language. Keep your movements poised and professional but speak with energy and passion – it will make you more memorable.
Avoid rambling. Stay focused on your topic and finish your sentences strong. Don’t trail off with things like “so, yeah.” Practice will help you with this.
Be ready for follow-up questions. When you’ve completed your pitch, keep the conversation going. Be prepared to provide additional information for any questions and feel free to ask your own questions. For example, at a career fair consider asking “May I send you a resume?”
Virtual Elevator Pitches
You may need to deliver your elevator pitch virtually. For example, at a virtual career fair or a job interview over Zoom. Most of the same guidelines from in-person pitches apply to a virtual elevator pitch, though you may want to keep a few additional things in mind.
Check your background. Make sure you have a clean and professional background. If you’re in an environment you cannot change, use a blurred background effect or custom background.
Check your lighting. You want to be well-lit and avoid distracting shadows. Don’t sit with a window behind you, as that will likely put you in silhouette.
Make eye contact. Looking at the camera rather than the screen will make it appear to the other person that you are looking directly at them. This isn’t natural, so you may want to practice beforehand.
Step up your energy. A lot of energy is lost digitally, so you’ll need to bring a little bit extra for the same effect.
Start Now
Now you’re ready to create your elevator pitch!
Want one-on-one guidance? Schedule a meeting with your career coach. They can help you write, fine tune, and practice your elevator pitch.
Sources
https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/develop-a-30-second-elevator-pitch/
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