As part of our “Networking Month” we’ve highlighted that, before you start networking and setting up informational interviews, it is important to know yourself. I know we’ve written about Elevator Pitches before but we’d like to just take this time to reiterate and add on.
So you may still be wondering what is an “elevator pitch”, why do I need one, and how do I get one?
The reason to develop a short “elevator pitch” or “commercial” about yourself is to be able to quickly and simply explain who you are, what you could do for an employer and/or what advice you are seeking. The pitch is a concise (keyword: concise) statement you can have ready when you are at an event, career fair or the opportunity to network presents itself.
An easy formula is:
- Your name and affiliation.: “Hi, I’m Joe Career, a management student here at Bucknell.”
- A one or two-sentence highlight of your studies (and internship/work experiences if applicable): “My work experience is in marketing, training, and coaching. “
- A one or two-sentence explanation of your job objective or what you hope to learn: “I’m interested in learning how I could use these skills in a management consulting position when I graduate in May.”
Put it all together and what do you get? Bippity-boppity-boo!
Hints:
- Don’t tell your life story – don’t over share!
- Focus on the area you are interested in, not a specific job or job title
- Be brief; your goal is to interest people, not close the deal
- Keep it basic, tailored, professional, and interesting
- Once you create your personal elevator pitch, write it down and practice!
I must say it’s funny to be writing about this in a bubble filled with few elevators but I’m sure you can create a sign up sheet for the ONE in the LC to practice 🙂
Tune in next week for “Identifying Connections” and some “Sample Networking Questions”