How is Your Job “Elevator” Pitch?

Recently, I visited the Washington D.C. area with my second son to celebrate his 13^th birthday. We stayed up high in a tall hotel that had around 25 floors because he wanted a bigger view and he has rarely been in any tall buildings. That elevator ride up to the top without any intermittent stops went quick. Now imagine, taking an elevator in a much taller building and there are a few stops along the way. You walk on from the lobby level and you notice a manager (or recruiter) for an organization you would like to work for. You only have a brief amount of time to pitch yourself to this person hoping this encounter may help you move toward a job application process with them in the near future. This is the concept of an “elevator pitch.” You would obviously have such opportunities at a career/job fair setting. This scenario could also happen whenever your path crosses a representative on the employer side of your job seeking interests.  

When these moments occur, scheduled or not, are you prepared? Do you know what to say when you only have a brief moment, like 30 second or a minute, to pitch yourself about the best you bring to the table for a potential job position?

Here is a general outline for such a pitch:

•         Introduce yourself; your first and last name
• 
  
•         State your interest in working for ABC Organization (why them?); if needed, confirm that this person works for that organization
• 
  
•          What is your education and/or career status? i.e. what year you are in your current degree program; degree name, specialization, expected graduation date, school name; I have been working for ? doing ?
• 
  
•         What is your job role interest moving forward?
• 
  
•         What value do you bring to the table? Briefly mention a few (3-5) of your best “relevant” qualities, strengths, skills, accomplishments, and/or experiences that you bring to the table as a potential job candidate with them
• 
  
•         Ask if she or he is willing to receive you resume
• 
  
•         Thank the person for her or his time

Following the above outline, write out the responses using a conversational tone. When you give your pitch verbally to someone, it is like the brief verbal version of your cover letter. Practice giving this pitch in the mirror and also with someone listening who will give you honest feedback. Your primary duration goal is to stay under 1 minute; and even more so have a quick 20 second version. At the core minimum, you are stating who you are, what you are seeking, why them, and what you bring to the table. If you have a couple minutes, you could expand your answers/information and ask a couple key questions to interact with the recruiter.

Example of an Elevator Pitch (longer version):

Hello, I’m Mike Mullins and I am very interested in possibly working for ABC company. It’s my passion to contribute value to others through Systems Engineer Programming and ABC is a global leader in systems software information services. I recently earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Florida, specializing in Management Information Systems with added focus on computer coding. During college, I was very fortunate to work at IBM as a remote computer consultant. My top strengths for a programming career are that I have a proven aptitude for coding, great attention to details, excellent logical analysis, effective written and verbal communication skills that help the team and the customer, and relevant experience and skills with multiple hardware/software platforms. May I send you my resume? If you come across a programmer need at ABC that I may be a match for, please keep me in mind. Thank you for your time.

You may have additional time, especially if you are at a job fair and people are not lined up to speak to the recruiter, but keep it brief and to the point. You should also have a shorter version, that is a couple less sentences, and has less strengths, than the above example includes.

Remember, your interpersonal skills are important and are part of the screening process. Look the person in the eye. Shake her or his hand. Smile. Listen and pay attention when spoken to. Answer any questions given you. Follow any instructions given. Also, be confident and humble. You are pointing out the value you can bring to the organization and convey that you are teachable, flexible, and a team player.

What are your thoughts on giving an elevator pitch?

Mike Mullins