Next Stop...Elevator Pitches

So, what is your elevator pitch? Do you have an elevator pitch? Do you know what one is?

The term "elevator pitch" developed in the business world to describe a short speech that entrepreneurs use to succintly communicate a great idea to a potential investor in the amount it might take to ride an elevator.  You need an elevator pitch too, because you are your own business venture, your own great idea, the solution to your next employer's problem.

If you are in the market for a job, it's vital that you be able to effectively (and confidently) tell other people who you are, what you've done, what kind of value you can offer and what you want to do next in a succinct way. Time and attention are at a premium these days, so your statement needs to be deliberate, confident and memorable. It should take about a minute to say out loud.

It can take a little work to organize your thoughts into a great elevator pitch, but it's well worth your effort. After all, how is anyone going to be able to help you find a great job if they don't know what that is? How are they going to know you are the absolute best person to do that job if you seem scattered and stumble through the act of telling them about it?

One quick point. If you aren't sure what kind of job you want, now is the time to figure that out. This task might help you refine your understanding of your own goals, or it may lead you to do more research to help you figure out where your skills, talents and experience should lead you. 

So, how to begin - here's where you are in luck. There are all kinds of tools to help you in this process right here on the web.

First, there is a thorough article on WikiHow called "How to Develop Your Personal Elevator Pitch."
Next, there's a solid piece called "Developing Your Job Search Elevator Pitch" by Scott Brown.
Finally, check out this cool Elevator Pitch Builder from the smart folks at the Harvard Business School, which can help you brainstorm.

Some final tips.

• Make sure you practice your elevator pitch out loud, in the presence of another person, preferably someone who will be honest and give you good advice on how to make your pitch better. The idea is to master your speech so it doesn't sound awkward or rehearsed.
• Don't be modest. This is your chance to tell people why you are the best, smartest and most valuable person for the job. But just saying you are great won't work in this case. Instead, make a few specific statements about your actual knowledge, experience and accomplishments. These things, all in one package are unique to you and will help you stand out from other candidates.
• When you have a job interview, you go in to meet the Hiring Manager and the first thing they'll typically ask is "tell me about yourself." Guess what? A strong elevator pitch is great way to break the ice and begin talking about yourself. Of course, in an interview you will have the time to elaborate on details, share anecdotes about your work experiences, talk more deeply about your goals and flesh out who you are as a person and an employee.

We hope that you will begin the process of crafting your elevator pitch. It's a very important component of your job search and worth as much time as you can spare to refine it to be the best it can be.  Please share comments below about your experiences or questions you may have regarding elevator pitches!