Take Your Career to the Next Level with the Perfect Elevator Pitch

You’re standing in an elevator and who walks in but THE executive at the job of your dreams. You have less than sixty seconds to convince them that you are the most qualified and most valuable for their company. What do you do? This is the ideal situation but, more than likely, you will be using your pitch in an email introduction, a portion of a cover letter, or in a job interview. An elevator pitch is a speech in which you have 30 to 60 seconds to sell yourself to your listener, about the length of an elevator ride. 

So, where should you begin? The best way to start writing your elevator pitch is list as much as possible about yourself and edit from there. This way, you can narrow it down to only the most important qualifications you possess. The purpose is to convince your listener that you would be a beneficial addition to their company or firm.

Here’s a simple example of how to set up your pitch:

• Name
• Currently enrolled at Temple University with a degree in ________ (include any minors or certifications)
• What you’re seeking; interested in finding a job/internship in ________
• Activities involved in
• Through these activities you’ve learned to accomplish ________
• You will be of value to their company because ________

As with anything else, practice! Delivery is just as important as content, and with practice comes confidence. But the key is to keep your pitch sounding natural. Make sure to include a hook in the beginning; your hook should get their attention and the rest of your pitch should keep it. For example, mention a unique internship that sets your apart from other students. In terms of effectiveness, it is also important to adjust your pitch to your listener, depending on their position or firm. You will have succeeded in perfecting your elevator pitch if it leaves your listener wanting more. 

Is A Pitch The New Pick-Up Line?

As public relations students we have all become familiar with a “pitch,” also known as OPEN MY E-MAIL AND GIVE MY CLIENT SOME PRESS! I’ve recently realized the pitch is present not only in the PR world, but in the dating world as well. 

Going into my senior year as a PR student, I have learned and practiced my “elevator pitch,” (name, major, internship(s), future goals, etc. all in 30 seconds), similar to a speed date. This type of pitch has been learned in the classroom and utilized in networking and business events. Unfortunately it seems as though people cannot get out of this “pitch” mindset, even in social settings.

So the question is, is a pitch the new pick- up line? According to Web definitions, a pick-up line is a conversation opener with the intent of engaging an unfamiliar person for romance or dating. This definition is ultimately the same as what a pitch is (minus the romance and dating part).

This post can be taken two ways:

1.     When brainstorming a pitch to the media, think of it as “engaging an unfamiliar person.” You have done enough research on this person to know what his/her niche is, so be confident and personalize your pitch, just as your personalize your pick- up lines. 

2.      Stop with the “elevator pitches” when out. Whether it is a happy hour, night out, or randomly bumping into someone of interest. Not every setting needs to be so professional you need to share your life goals within the first five minutes. Save the pitch for another time, and live in the moment.

What are your thoughts? Do you think a pitch and pick-up line can have the same meaning? Have you ever experienced it? We’d love to know!  

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Amanda White. 

Student-Alumni Networking Event: The Elevator Pitch Essentials

Recently I got the opportunity to attend a Student-Alumni Networking Event hosted by the Career Center. A variety of Temple alumni (even some PRowl alums!) came to give the students a chance to practice networking, especially concentrating on the elevator pitch. Below are a few points I took from the workshop:

• Keep it Short: They don't call it the 30-second pitch for nothing. Be sure to keep your pitch short when networking, as people naturally have short attention spans. At a networking event you will probably be speaking to a large volume of people, having a short, quality pitch will enable you to give your basic stats to more people.
• Keep it Simple: You only have a short time to pitch yourself to other professionals. While you want them to get a feel of who you are, both personally and professionally, keep in mind that you're just meeting them. Using confusing jargon or bouncing back and forth from one idea to another will likely confuse the other person. This one was hard for me, because I wanted to get out everything about myself I could, eventually I learned that I don't have to get everything out in one breath, an elevator pitch doesn't always mean talking for 30 seconds straight with no breaks. Introduce yourself, give the other person the chance to introduce themselves, and go from there.
• What Makes You Different? What can you do that sets you apart from everyone else? An elevator pitch essentially involves selling yourself as a professional. So why should the person you're networking with keep in touch with you? In my elevator pitch, I used the fact that I intend to go to medical school after I graduate in order to draw in attention. That sets me apart and will give the other person something to remember me by.
• Sign Off with a Good Handshake: Thank them for their time, exchange business cards, encourage keeping in touch, and end with a good, firm handshake. Something that everyone I connected with at Careers 101 seemed to value was a firm handshake. It seems minute and trivial, but a good handshake exudes confidence and security, traits that employers definitely value.
  

Do you have an elevator pitch? What do you think are essentials? Let us know!