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What is your Elevator Pitch?

26 Sep 12:00 By Vanessa Dolan

Vanessa Dolan Elevator Pitch


An elevator speech is a clear, brief message about yourself. It communicates who you are, what you're looking for and how you can benefit a company or organisation. It's typically about 30 seconds, the time it takes people to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator.

An elevator pitch is important because it communicates the most important aspects about you within that short amount of time. First, you have to decide what exactly you want to communicate about yourself.

How to write it? Identify your career goal, understand what you do, and work out what your unique selling point (USP) is. It’s about understanding what will excite (an employer’s) interest. Use bullet points to record the information you want to include. Then pull it all together into two or three sentences. 

Then read it aloud, like any speech it probably needs to be rewritten and refined many times. Perhaps even record yourself on your smartphone to check that it flows easily. Time it as well, to ensure that the "elevator doors" won’t open before you’re finished.

Once you are happy with it, practice, practice practice. The saying 'practice makes perfect' is really true here. Try pacing up and down in your hallway or repeating it in the shower. Then, try it out on others see if they understand what you are conveying.

Most importantly with all of this, have some fun and enjoy the process. Having a solid elevator pitch can make you feel great. You’ll appreciate what you do and get positive reinforcement from others.