The elevator pitch is your introduction to an interviewer, typically a response to “Walk me through your resume.” or “Tell me about yourself.”

Overview

The elevator pitch is a crucial component of your preparation for the recruiting process, and it serves as the foundation of your narrative and sell to potential employers.

Your story, more than your GPA or experience, is what sets you apart.

Tips

• Keep It Concise: Your elevator pitch should ideally span 1.5 to 2 minutes. It should be long enough to convey your key points but short enough to maintain the listener's interest.
• Workshop and Revise: Collaborate with mentors and peers to refine your elevator pitch continuously. Feedback from others can help you identify the most engaging and unique aspects of your story.
• Tailor for Each Role: Customize your elevator pitch for each specific job opportunity. Highlight relevant experiences and skills that align with the role you're applying for.
• Be Relevant: Make sure that your talking points are within the window of relevancy. After a certain point, your part-time babysitting job becomes a little bit less relevant (unless you babysat for the CEO and saved his or her child from a burning building).
• Authenticity: While writing a script is acceptable, ensure your delivery carries emotion and maintains a natural pace. Authenticity is key; avoid sounding robotic or rehearsed. It’s easy to spot when someone is being disingenuous or trying too hard.
• Tone: Be excited to be there! If you aren’t excited, why should your interviewer be? Of course, don’t go overboard (they’re not supposed to find you to be unstable and overly excitable), but really communicate how you’re happy to have been given the opportunity in the way you carry yourself.
• Avoid Negatives: Don't bring up negatives right away. Let the interviewer ask questions about weaknesses or challenges, and be prepared to address them when asked.
• Demonstrate Attributes: Instead of saying, "I am a good leader because...," demonstrate your qualities through stories and examples when answering behavioral questions.
• Show Genuine Interest: Convey your genuine interest in the field or role beyond generic statements. Highlight your passion and connection to the industry.
• No COM 2020: For some reason, the required COM class curriculum’s elevator pitch is not the most effective and practical one for real-world usage. Don’t do that weird little “I learned financial statement analysis from my business courses” thing they teach you - it communicates nothing and makes you look ill-prepared.
• Be Specific: Saying that you want to do business isn’t saying anything much at all; doctors, waiters, and farmers all do business as well. In a manner, my friend Arturo’s dog, Chase, conducts business when he performs little spins for his good boy treats.
  • Students need a better pull in their elevator pitches than “I’ve always liked business,”, “I’ve always been interested in how money moves”, or “I found my passion for finance when I started my Instagram sneaker resale business.”

Steps