The Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is essential for college students when creating connections with industry professionals. Use it as your introduction while completing clinical rotations or during the job search process. The goal of the pitch is to provide the listener with a few key details about you and your career goals. A typical elevator speech takes 30-60 seconds to deliver.

Important components of an elevator pitch are listed below. Print, fill out the worksheet [PDF], and practice your pitch out loud.

Imagine stepping into an elevator and as the doors close, the person standing next to you says, “Hi, I recruit for your dream employer. Tell me about yourself.”

Content

Who are you? Share your name, your academic program and school, and when you’ll graduate.

Why are you passionate about what you do or are pursuing? Describe your motivation to be successful at this and the actions that you put into place to make an impact and to help others.

What is unique (or stands out) about you? This is a combination of skills, experiences and qualities that make you different from other individuals. Explain what you have been doing to build your knowledge and skills and become more confident in this helping profession. Think about all you have accomplished and included on your updated resume.

What are your goals? It’s very important to let professionals know what you’re looking for: advice on preparing for this career, a referral to a new graduate position or residency program, an opportunity to interview for a position.

Examples

"Hi, I'm Susan Jones- it’s so nice to meet you. I've recently completed my BSN at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences and was fortunate enough to complete a preceptorship in an Emergency & ICU setting. While in nursing school I was employed as a licensed nursing assistant and gained valuable patient care experience. On campus, I had a leadership position as President of the Student Nurses Association- I was known for my organizational skills as well as my ability to bring students together to share best practices preparing for the nursing profession. Two of my strengths are a keen attention to detail and the ability to easily build relationships with my patients. I’m interested in this new graduate residency program that focuses on critical care and am confident I can make some positive contributions.”

"Hi, I’m Travis Nguyen- it’s a pleasure to have the chance to meet you. I’m currently in my 3^rd year of completing an OD degree at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences in Worcester, Massachusetts. I understand you have been an optometrist working in a hospital setting. I have always been curious about the role of an OD in an acute care setting and would appreciate a chance to learn about it from you. Would you be willing to share your experience there and your career path that led you to work in this setting?

Susan is basically answering a most common question asked in an interview, “Tell Me About Yourself.”

Travis is seeking an informational interview that hopefully will help him make a more informed choice for work environment and also, create a connection with this professional.

6-Steps to Make Your Pitch Complete

Explain Who You Are

Start off by introducing yourself. Even if you’re wearing a name tag, you still need to greet the other person by sharing your name. This might sound obvious, but these situations can be nerve-wracking, so sometimes you need a little reminder.

Share What You Do

Briefly describe how you’ve been preparing for this career, for example, academic program, clinical experiences, campus leadership, community service, part-time job.

Highlight Your Skills

This is your chance to show what makes you stand out from other candidates. Focus on a few abilities where you have gone above and beyond what’s required for a student. For example, you might have experience working with a certain type of equipment or have a certification in a specialty.

Show Enthusiasm

No one wants to hire an individual who doesn’t seem excited about their job. Include a few words explaining what motivates you and why you enjoy working in this field. Remember to smile, because you want the enthusiasm you feel inside to show on the outside.

Make Your End Goal Clear

If the other person doesn’t understand the purpose of the conversation, you won’t get anywhere. End your pitch by clearly stating your end goal, so they understand what they can do to help.

Practice!

Speaking of practice, your job is to practice your pitch until it sounds completely natural. This is the irony of an elevator pitch: it has to be so fully rehearsed that it sounds unrehearsed.