Prepare an Elevator Speech

An elevator speech is a brief sales pitch to sell your skills and career goals.

An elevator speech an easy way to share what you want to learn from someone who is in a position to help you. The key is to be short and to the point. To come up with your elevator speech, think about:

• Your core strengths and what you can offer a potential employer
• What kind of work you enjoy and want
• What you want to get out of the interaction

Elevator Speech Example

"Hi. My name is ____________. I'm looking for (a kind of job) in (an industry, field, or location). I really enjoy (something about a past job or experience). I'm good at (a certain job skill)."

It's also helpful to have a brief example you can use to illustrate how you've used your skills with success, found opportunities, or approached problems or difficult situations. After you've given your elevator speech, you can ask for help or advice:

• Do you have any advice for me?
• Do know anything about this company?
• Do you know anyone who does know about ______________?
• Can I use your name to contact them?

Finish by thanking them for their time and assistance.

What to Avoid

There is no one correct way to give an elevator speech, but there are a few things you should avoid:

• rushing through your elevator speech
• rambling on
• using too many industry jargon or acronyms
• sounding rehearsed
• using the same elevator speech for every situation