Elevator

Crafting Your Elevator Pitch

Imagine you are in elevator and in walks the person who could get you that perfect internship or job you’ve been seeking. Now imagine this happens at a networking event (sans elevator) and need an easy way to introduce yourself. That’s exactly what your elevator pitch is designed to do. It is your 30-second personal marketing pitch that you are ready to deliver in a conversational manner at any time, any place, without hesitation because every day, everywhere you have the opportunity to develop professional contacts.

The elevator pitch succinctly communicates who you are, what you do, and, more importantly, what you can do for others…not what they can do for you. It is concise because most elevator rides are less than 30 seconds, and even if you aren’t moving floor to floor, most people lose interest within 30 seconds.

While your elevator pitch should always be scripted and well-rehearsed, you want it to sound natural, conversational, and effortless. The only way to make that happen is to plan ahead and practice, practice, practice!

Here is the foundational formula to the most basic elevator pitch:

Hello, my name is ____________ and I am working on a degree in ____________ at ____________ with a minor in ____________. I have been involved in ____________ and have developed skills in ____________. I have also had a ____________ internship with ____________ and discovered that I excel at ____________. I hope to leverage my talents to ____________ for ____________. Could you tell me more about ____________?

Now start drafting your own: