The Elevator Speech

An Elevator Speech is a clear concise bit of communication that can be delivered in the time it takes to ride from the bottom to the top of a building in an elevator. It is a personal pitch of sorts. A personal pitch is a brief monologue that concisely describes you, your qualifications, strengths, and accomplishments relevant to the job/internship you are seeking. Why develop a personal pitch or elevator speech? It is often your first impression. It is an opportunity to introduce you at a job fair or networking event. You can utilize it in cover letters, interviews, and formal and informal gatherings. By preparing your personal pitch you convey confidence and articulately deliver your qualities and attributes to potential employers. The elevator speech/personal pitch communicates who you are, what youre looking for, and how you can benefit a company or organization. The basic components of the speech are 1. 2. 3. Who are you? Introduce yourself. What field or industry are you in or what field are you interested in getting into? State your goals specifically. Dont just say sales or management. What kind of a position are you seeking? In what capacity do you function best? Be specific. Do you have a niche?

To create your personal pitch you must first prepare your introduction. Who you are; your purpose; and position desired. You can start with something like this: 1. 2. Greeting: Hello, my name is _______________. Acknowledge employer: Its nice to meet you, Mr/ Mrs______. Thank you for participating in this event. I was pleased to see that your company is here. I came to learn more about ___________.

3.

After your introduction you want to state your personal pitch. Your pitch can include your major, qualifications, strengths, and accomplishments relevant to the field or position you desire. It should contain a bit of flexibility. Remember too that your personal pitch takes place in a conversation, so discuss your qualifications in a natural manner. Include: 1. 2. 3. What you hope to learn or accomplish through this firms career opportunities. Educational background (year you are graduating, major info, relevant course work, etc.). Strengths-your knowledge, skills, personal traits.

After you deliver your personal pitch, it is now time to propose various questions to the employers in order to gage your fit with the company. Some questions to propose: 1. 2. 3. 4. Company opportunities How many people does company expect to hire What does the work entail? What has been your experience working with Alpha company?

How do you know when its time to end the conversation? Your personal pitch is hopefully just the beginning of a new networking relationship. You know when the conversation reaches its natural end when others are waiting to

speak with the employer and you have hopefully made a solid connection and are ready for the next step. Some ways to end the conversation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Express interest. Id like to be considered for _____. Ask follow-up and hiring process questions. What would you suggest as a next step? Or How do you prefer to be contacted and whats a good time frame? Get a business card. If the company is not hiring someone with your background at that time, ask about the best way to learn about positions in the future and others in the organization to contact. Close: Thank you for answering all my questions and I will be following up as you suggested.

EXAMPLES 30-second Who-What-Why Hello (persons name). My name is ______. I was referred to you by _________. I am int erested in learning more about (material science, web development, whatever). I wonder if you would have a moment to share with me any advice, ideas, leads, and/or referrals. Katherine Hansen, Ph.D Formula for the job seeker 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Introduce yourself State your field or industry you are in What is your current capacity/position What makes you different from the competition Based on my proven accomplishments, what benefits can employers derive from my skills.

Dr. Hansen suggests you ask yourself why any employer should hire you. List target employers into groups and define THE EMPLOYER and the need. In other words, what critical need or issue does the employer face? Identify yourself in terms of a job function or contribution. What Do You Do? Business School at Pepperdine University suggests knowing your audience and knowing yourself, including key strengths, adjectives that describe you, a description of what you are trying to let people know about you, and a statement of our interest in the company or industry that person represents, Armed with this knowledge, the job seeker can then outline the elevator speech using these questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Who am I? What do I offer? What problem is solved? What are the main contributions I can make? What should the listener do as a result of hearing this?

Whatever you formula you use, be sure to practice your speech to make it sound smooth and conversational. Good luck and happy job hunting!