While we do have to be more intentional about our networking opportunities these days, you never know when you’ll find yourself in a situation where you meet someone with whom you want to connect. It’s important to be prepared, and one way to prepare yourself is by developing an elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch is a concise overview of your professional and educational accomplishments and provides others with additional information relevant to your own career goals. This 30-second pitch got its name from the length of an elevator ride, to help give you some context. You can use this pitch to introduce yourself virtually or in-person and might choose to use a different version of your “elevator pitch” as your summary on Handshake or LinkedIn. Remember, this impactful pitch is your first impression to an employer – so we want it to be great!

What are the ingredients of a strong elevator pitch?

• Name: Of course, when you’re introducing yourself you want to begin with your name. Unless you are in an interview (where they know your name already) or have been formally introduced by someone else, lead with your full first and last name.
• Education: What degree(s) do you have? Are you currently working on your degree? What are you studying? This helps an employer quickly determine your qualifications, since they are often looking for specific degrees or credentials. If your program contains certifications that are important in the field, this is a good opportunity to mention those too. If you haven’t yet graduated, be sure to say when you plan to graduate.
• Experience: Have you worked professionally before? Have you volunteered or worked on projects that are related to the work you’re interested in doing? Including some of these accomplishments helps the employer see that you have the skills that they are looking for.
• Value: By the end of the pitch, you should have demonstrated the value that you can add to an organization. How will the company benefit by hiring you? What do you bring to the table?

Remember that this pitch should evolve – you are not going to deliver the exact same pitch word-for-word every single time you meet someone new. Certain things will be more applicable in a particular situation, and less so in others. This pitch should not be memorized since it will be adapted based on the audience.

The more that you practice, the easier it becomes to deliver your elevator pitch seamlessly. Feel free to contact our team for assistance building and practicing this pitch before an interview or event.

You actually have another opportunity to practice this pitch at our upcoming Virtual Business Career Fair taking place June 24th from 10 am – 2 pm MDT. To help you get prepared, we have a variety of upcoming events that you can find on the Handshake Events page.