Your Elevator Speech

The elevator speech is a 30-second speech that effectively describes a person, business or idea. It is called the elevator speech because a ride in an elevator takes about 30 seconds. The speech is meant to persuade and convince someone in half a minute. In addition, the speech should make the listener feel more comfortable and at ease about your speech topic.

Purpose: Your elevator speech enables the listener to become quickly aware of specific, unique, and impressive attributes you can bring to their organization/business.

Advantage: You come across more poised and confident simply by opening with your elevator speech.

Uses:

At a Career Fair: Introducing yourself to an employer. At an interview: in answer to the statement "Tell me about yourself." Professional, social, or organizational meetings: when you are asked to introduce

yourself. When cold calling employers for a future position.

Contains Personal Attributes:

Uses crisp, concise and memorable language – not over-detailed and rambling statements.

States the position you are seeking. See your professional abilities and experience. Emphasizes your individual strengths and links them to the perceived needs of the

employer. Uses descriptive statements of your acquired skills and abilities.

Building Your 30-Second Elevator Speech:

The structure of a 30-second elevator speech follows this pattern:

1. Introduce yourself, if appropriate. 2. State what your goal is, relevant to the person you are talking to. 3. State a strength or skill they would be interested in. 4. Follow that with an accomplishment that proves you have that skill. You can repeat steps

3 and 4 if you'd like, up to 2 times. 5. Tell what you are looking for in a job. 6. Most importantly, tell how you can immediately benefit the company

Remember: keep your elevator speech focused on the needs of the employer!.

Questions To Answer:

What is your career goal? (usually in the form of doing something for someone) What skill or strength do you have that would help you realize that goal?W hat accomplishment proves you have that skill or strength? What are you searching for in a job? How can you immediately benefit the company?

Your Elevator Speech

My name is _______________, I am a student at ______________, majoring in __________________

I want to (Career Goal) _____________ I am (Strength) ______________, which i demonstrated when I (Accomplishment) _________________

I am looking for a job where I (job, environment details) ___________________

I can be immediate benefit to your company because (How) ________________

Tips:

Write down your elevator speech on paper. Practice saying it several times. Don't memorize it. Focus on the ideas, not the words to avoid blanking out. Consider recording your elevator speech so you can hear what it sounds like. Try to make your speech conversational, which maintains the listener's attention. If you have too many major points, consider narrowing the major theme to make the

speech less than 30 seconds. Don't try to pack too much information into your elevator pitch. Make it short,

informative and interesting so that a prospective client will want to know more.