If you were told that a 30-60 second meeting could change your life, help you build a dream career, and get the job you want, wouldn’t you probably believe it? But in fact, it’s the real truth. Sometimes we find ourselves in the right place at the right time with the right person for a fairly short period. In such a situation, you can describe yourself as a hiring manager in a fairly short period to get the job you want.
To avoid missing this chance, it is worth knowing what an elevator pitch for the interview is. Sometimes such a presentation is more important than a proper job interview. It is a short presentation in the form of a brief overview of your experience, education and goals. It’s called an elevator speech because it’s short enough to be no more than 1 minute, and in some situations, it’s only 20 seconds, which is how long an elevator ride takes.
If done really well, such a short presentation will allow you to speak convincingly about your career, experience and business connections. It will allow you to establish a strong professional network, find a good job and meet other career goals.
Writing a solid elevator pitch is a challenging task. The first step is to understand exactly what the pitch is, why it’s important and what rules you should follow when writing it. If you are interested in elevator pitches and want to understand this issue in detail, then you should pay attention to our article. In this article, we will cover the topic as much as possible, give you effective tips on how to write an elevator speech and provide you with ready-made examples.
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An Elevator speech is a quick introduction to yourself or your idea, which will interest the listener in a long meeting. Alternatively, it can be a full-blown interview or a job interview. The Perfect elevator pitch lasts no more than 30 seconds. Presumably, the name of this presentation comes from Hollywood, when screenwriters had to quickly tell a potential employer their film idea quickly while riding in a lift.
Now elevator pitches are a key skill for almost every business professional. Many professionals use the tool; many job-seekers – executive assistants, graphic designers, recently graduated colleges and many others – can give a speech. By reducing your idea and resume to a few lines, you can quickly assess whether you could interest a hiring manager and get the job you want.
A good elevator pitch allows you to tell someone about yourself in less than 1 minute and describe your professional experience concisely and memorably. Job seekers use the tool to introduce themselves to a recruiter by providing a brief overview of what job they want. Furthermore, the tool is also actively used by entrepreneurs and salespeople to promote their products or services.
A good own elevator pitch is important because it allows you to effectively demonstrate your own leadership abilities, professional experience and many other useful skills and strengths. Such a presentation is useful in various situations, making it quite valuable for almost every job seeker. It is best to prepare a few ways to make a general conversation about yourself (so that you will take advantage of an unexpected opportunity in almost any situation). The Elevator pitch is most useful during job interviews.
You can use the presentation below to prepare yourself for an interview. After calling the hiring manager and before the face-to-face meeting, many potential employers ask for a little information about yourself: who you are, your education, your experience, and what you expect from the future job. It is this presentation that allows you to answer basic interview questions.
You can use an elevator pitch in a variety of situations:
This presentation can also help you write a cover letter or create a professional introduction at the top of your resume. Both are designed to tell your target audience about the kind of professional you are, your strengths, your objectives, why you are the best person for the job, and what makes you stand out from the competition.
A well-thought-out, professional elevator pitch also provides the opportunity to make useful contacts at a work event or during a chance meeting. It does not matter whether you are at a cocktail party, standing in a checkout line, at a professional meeting, networking event or any other situation – with a presentation, you can easily and quickly let the right person know that they should definitely contact you or seriously consider you as a candidate for a position or partner.
The main advantage of an elevator pitch is that you showcase yourself as someone who can take the initiative by talking about your aspirations, experience, skills and career. You must start the discussion before the other party starts talking or withdraw. You immediately take the initiative and start to convey what you want. Presenting your presentation is a compelling way to get a dream job by impressing your target audience. Many potential employers will be delighted to see that you know exactly what you want and are not shy about asking for it.
If you’re on the hunt for the job you want, here’s some effective career advice – use a short elevator pitch at career fairs, on your resume on LinkedIn and in other appropriate situations to present yourself as a professional at your best. This pitch is excellent for building self-confidence when presenting yourself as a hiring manager in a particular company. In addition, you can use this presentation to introduce yourself at various events and other appropriate meetings to get the desired position.
This presentation is useful in many situations:
In particular, the presentation will be particularly useful during a job interview. It will provide an answer to many interview questions when you are asked about your skills. Besides, the elevator pitch will also serve as a better answer and an extra concise version of the “Tell me about yourself” question from the recruiter. Before going to an interview or even before submitting your resume, many people develop and rehearse a pitch in advance to have it ready when they have to talk to a hiring manager or answer a job interview.
To write a good elevator pitch, you need to follow certain guidelines. We’ve designed a complete step-by-step guide for you on how to write a good pitch: from the initial greeting to how to use an elevator pitch expertly. We cover the most important key points that are sure to be in the speech. We also cover how to make a first impression: what intonation you should speak and other subtleties.
You should add a short sentence about who you are at the start of your elevator pitch. In this situation, it is sufficient to say hello, your full name and your occupation. For example, you could introduce yourself as a representative of a specific company, a consultant for a small or medium-sized business or any other job title. If the person hasn’t completed the studies, he can indicate the field of study and where he is studying.
When you approach someone for a job interview, be sure to start with a greeting. Begin your short presentation with your full name. Be sure to smile in a friendly way, shake hands with the person you’re talking to and add a nice phrase. For example, “Nice to meet you.
To ensure that your presentation captures the attention of your target audience, you should include a few key details. When writing your pitch, think ahead about your greatest accomplishments, what potential employers need to know about you, and the most important aspects of your career path. Some of your presentation’s most important key points are education and work experience. You can make a short list of exactly what should be in a short one-minute speech that should be there. Write 1-2 sentences about what you do (business administration, sports management space, project management or any other job title) and what problem you solve. If you are applying for a position, highlight your skills and expertise. Focus on your strengths, the advantages you provide and how you can add value to the company and the lives of others.
During your presentation, talk a little. Avoid speaking too much. Make sure you describe what you are passionate about and list your most important personal qualities and professional values. Write a really interesting and catchy story that shows much more about who you are now and what you can do. Link your story to a specific company and mention how you can help. Being quite proactive is a persuasive trait of job seekers, showing these people in a positive light that they can interest potential employers.
Here, it is worth adding a few important words about your experience. First, include the most important information about your professional background: education, work experience, relevant skills and strengths. If you can’t figure out what’s worth saying, write down everything you can think of on paper. You should then look at your finished list, remove everything unimportant, and focus only on what’s most important – remove anything that isn’t key in explaining your background and doesn’t demonstrate why you’re worth paying attention to. Once you have a few items left, structure them in a way that makes sense. Be sure to list your professional skills. You can tell them simply in a short list, like in a resume.
During your pitch, you should explain why you are the right choice for the job and your competitive advantage over others. Be sure to include your years of building a professional experience or any other relevant professional field. Your accomplishments and awards are key business cards to showcase you as a true professional. List your certifications, your training, and your most successful work projects. But don’t spread yourself too thin. Remember, you have a limited amount of time. Only focus on the essentials.
A confident person who feels natural has every chance of success. Confidence is a rather attractive trait in society and the working environment. But in this situation, you must remember that overconfidence can be like arrogant behaviour. The 2 concepts are very different. To feel confident but not arrogant at a career fair, job interview or other events, you should focus on discussing your work and showing your skills, knowledge and abilities in a particular field to demonstrate that you are a true professional. Show your confidence and passion for what you do. Focus specifically on your craft.
Your elevator pitch should be delivered in as simple language as possible, in a way your target audience will understand. For example, suppose you add highly specialized terms and professional jargon that only someone with your skill level can understand. In that case, it may alienate the hiring manager or anyone else who needs help understanding the subject as well as you do. An abundance of professional terms and other difficult-to-understand phrases will make your interlocutor unable to ask additional questions and significantly minimize the likelihood of continuing the meeting. Special terms and professional jargon should be left to technical interview.
A really good presentation can be understood by any average person who is not even familiar with a particular field. When writing a speech, you can use a standard formula to describe your professionalism: I solve (name of a problem) by providing (certain advantages, benefits) to help (who: customer, client, company) achieve (a certain goal, result).
A highly rehearsed speech will make your presentation sound too strained and lifeless, so make sure you’re trying hard to keep your tone as calm and simple as possible. You can practise speaking a few times correctly. With practice, you can memorize all the important ideas, meaningful points and the essence of your presentation. Don’t just memorize sentences. The presentation should sound as organic as possible. If you can’t do it any other way and you absolutely have to memorize everything, that’s fine. You can learn your presentation, but before introducing yourself to an important person, you must first practice your pronunciation thoroughly until the speech comes naturally from your lips.
Take deep breaths and take your time. If you speak slowly, important information may be safe for your listener. Refrain from rambling despite the limited pitching time; the presentation should be relatively slow and delivered thoughtfully so the listener can comprehend and understand what you’re talking about. Of course, many people start talking too fast when they are nervous. But that’s not a quality that works to your advantage. Remember to breathe, and try to reduce your nervousness to slow down. Recommendation: practice relaxed deep breathing to slow down your speech. Try to inhale for four counts and exhale for four seconds to find the best pace for your story.
There are general recommendations on how to prepare an elevator pitch, and we have also prepared ready-made examples for job interviews. Review our elevator pitch examples, developed by real professionals, before proceeding with the writing process. If your goal is a job search and you want to present yourself effectively, look at the examples below.
Objective: To find a sales job
Hi, my name is Maria. I’m ready to contribute to your company after finishing my bachelor’s degree in business and doing some marketing internships. Throughout my internships and work experience, I have often been told that I am a very detail-oriented and innovative employee who knows how to work with people and increase sales. I saw on your website what you advertise (PRODUCT/PROJECT/BRAND NAME). I looked at what your competitors are doing and saw that they have a really interesting advertising campaign where they use (INSTRUMENT OF SALE). If I were part of your team, I would try to do something stronger to take sales to the next level.
objective: Applicant for an Administrative Assistant job
Hi, my name is Arthur. I am happy to be here. I completed my studies in Business Administration 7 years ago. Since then, I have held administrative assistant, sales agent and, for the last 4 years, sales manager. During this time, I do the administrative assistant position best. I am talented and enthusiastic enough to perform my job duties well. With over 7 years of experience in business administration, I know exactly how I can add value to your company. I would like to have the opportunity to work and advance in this field within your company. Working as an Administrative Assistant is the perfect opportunity for me.
Objective: I’m looking for an IT job
Hi, I’m Christopher. I have spent the last 8 years learning and growing in my own professional role as a website developer, where I was involved in building a variety of platforms for a major client of the company where I previously worked. I have also had to lead a development team and coordinate testers. One of my biggest professional accomplishments is project X, which is still a success today. Now I’m ready for something more, and I want to apply for a job at your company. I love what you do. Project X is particularly outstanding. What are your needs for IT professionals who should be on your team?
The perfect elevator pitch can help in various areas of your professional life:
A well-thought-out solid elevator pitch will allow you to make new career connections and leave a very positive impression on the target audience that your speech is aimed. With it, you’ll be able to answer the most common interview questions before they’re even asked. The delivered speech is a powerful presentation tool. To write it, you must put in some effort and practice.
In this article, we have considered the most important rules for writing a proper speech. We have also suggested a few elevator pitch examples so that you can roughly understand how such a presentation should look and be able to develop your own, following a ready-made template. Make sure your speech is short and sweet but as informative as possible. Concentrate on the essentials – tell them exactly who you are, what you do and what you want to achieve. It will help interest the potential employer. Stay positive and persuasive throughout the limited time. Remember that you will have at most 60 seconds, if not less.
Before presenting your speech to your target audience, practice it several times in front of a mirror or a friend to ensure your pitch is easy to understand. The more you practice your speech, the easier it will be for you to deliver it. But memorize only some things so it doesn’t sound dry and mechanical.
