Episode 05: Your Elevator Pitch
Hey, ACC show notes readers: I’ve got a special tip for you.
Did you know that on the second page of the Preparing for a Career Fair Guide, there’s a whole walk-through on how to build your elevator pitch? Check it out.
In this micro-ep, we talked about what an elevator pitch is and how to build an effective one.
An “elevator pitch” is just a fancy way of saying that you’re going to start a conversation with a recruiter that makes them feel interested in talking to you more. An elevator pitch is only about 1-2 minutes long, tops.
Here’s how you can do one:
- Introduce yourself. Start with your name, your major, your year in school, and a handshake.
- Share your experience. What have you done that might be relevant to the kind of work the organization does? What experiences have you had that might make you a memorable candidate?
- Say what you want. Be careful here – it’s not just, “I’m looking for an internship, do you have any?” Show that you’ve done your fact-finding in advance of talking to a recruiter: tell them something specific about their company that makes you want to work there.
- Ask a question. This helps you learn more, and gives the recruiter the opportunity to talk.
Final tip: draft your elevator pitch before you go, then practice it with a roommate, a friend, a family member, or in front of the mirror 10 times, so it feels natural.
Looking for more? Here are some helpful links: