How to Craft an Elevator Pitch

4 Key Elements of an Effective Elevator Pitch

1. A clear introduction that states who you are
2. Your current professional status or recent accomplishment
3. Your unique value proposition or specialized skills
4. A specific goal or ask

Step-by-Step Development Process

Start with Your Introduction

Your opening needs to grab attention while establishing credibility. Begin with your name and a relevant credential or achievement that positions you in your field. Be sure to consider your audience and lead with the credential that matters most to them. If you’re talking to a technical leader, lead with your technical background. For a creative director, emphasize your creative achievements. If you have had a meaningful internship opportunity or relevant job experience, you can add that to your introduction. Let’s look at some examples

• For recent graduates: “Hi, I’m Sarah Chen, a recent marketing graduate from State University with honors in digital strategy.”
• With internship experience: “Hi, I’m Sarah Chen, a marketing graduate from State University. I recently completed a digital strategy internship at Google, and had the opportunity to contribute to their small business outreach campaign.”
• With volunteer experience: “Hi, I’m Sarah Chen, a marketing graduate from State University. For the past 3 years I have served as the volunteer social media manager for our Community Food Bank.”

Consider your audience and lead with the credential that matters most to them, whether it is academic research, a group project, volunteer experience, internship experience or a job.

Add Your Current Status

This is your chance to demonstrate momentum in your career. Take a moment to review your accomplishments, as well as the accomplisments you contributed to as part of a greater team. Focus on active, results-oriented language. Instead of “I completed an internship,” try “I drove a 50% increase in social media engagement during my internship at Tech Start-Up.” When possible, quantify your achievements and focus on outcomes rather than tasks. Feel uncormfortable taking full credit for a dramatic achievement? Don’t be afraid to share how you contributed to the overall result. It is important to demonstrate self-awareness and an understanding of the importance of teamwork.

Highlight Your Value

This is where most pitches fall flat. Don’t just list skills – demonstrate how you’ve applied them to create value, while remaining authentic about your experience level and showing genuine enthusiasm for your field. Instead of generic statements like “I’m good at data analysis,” consider these approaches:

Strong Value Statement Examples:

• Growth-oriented: “While I’m early in my career, I bring fresh perspectives on digital marketing combined with strong analytical skills. During my internship, I identified trends in user behavior that helped increase our email open rates by 25%.”
• Learning-focused: “My background in psychology gives me a unique lens for understanding user experience. I’ve applied these insights in my coursework projects, and I’m excited to continue developing this skill set in a professional setting.”
• Problem-solving: “I combine my technical foundation in data analysis with creative problem-solving. For example, I recently helped a local non-profit restructure their donor database, making it easier for them to identify and engage key supporters.”
• Innovation-minded: “What excites me most about marketing is the intersection of creativity and metrics. In my recent capstone project, I developed a social media strategy that balanced engaging content with measurable outcomes.”

Tips for Crafting Your Value Proposition:

• Be specific about what you know, but show enthusiasm for what you still want to learn
• Connect your academic or project experience to real-world business challenges
• Highlight transferable skills from internships, volunteer work, or academic projects
• Show self-awareness by acknowledging your career stage while emphasizing your potential
• Include a brief example that demonstrates how you’ve applied your skills in a meaningful way

Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Overselling your experience (“I’m an expert in…”)
• Being too modest (“I only know a little about…”)
• Using buzzwords without context (“I’m a dynamic thought leader…”)
• Focusing solely on technical skills without showing their practical application

Remember: Your value proposition should reflect both your current capabilities and your potential for growth. It’s about striking the right balance between confidence in what you bring to the table and enthusiasm for continued learning and development.

State Your Goal

Your closing should be specific enough to be actionable but open enough to invite conversation. Rather than “I’m looking for job opportunities,” try “I’m interested in learning more about how companies like yours are approaching content strategy, particularly in the B2B space.”

Frame your goal as a mutual benefit. Show how your interests and skills align with potential opportunities in their organization or industry. Rather than asking specifically for a job, ask if they have any suggestions for someone else you could talk to.

Tips for Delivery

• Practice your elevator pitch until it feels natural, not rehearsed. Maintain a conversational tone and adjust your pitch based on your audience. Your total delivery time under 30 seconds and your body language should convey confidence. Practice with friends, family and even AI tools such as ChatGPT or CoPilot.
• Incorporate a Personal Story: A brief, relevant anecdote can make you more engaging and show your enthusiasm for the work.For example, “During my internship, I was able to contribute to a team that developed a budget-tracking system that helped reduce costs by 10%.”
• Use a Unique Hook: Start with a compelling statement that piques curiosity. Instead of “I’m a marketing graduate,” try “I came to college planning on a career in finance, but I realized what excited me most about numbers were the stories that they told.”
• Demonstrate Passion and Energy: Speak with confidence and enthusiasm—your tone and body language should reflect your excitement about your field.
• Leverage Social Proof: Mention a key accomplishment or recognition to establish credibility. “I was very excited to be recognized this summer as the top intern at XYZ Company. It really affirmed by belief that this is the right career path for me.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t recite your resume
• Skip irrelevant personal details
• Never apologize for your experience level
• Don’t speak too quickly
• Be aware of your facial expression and body language

Step 4: End with a Call to Action

A strong close invites further conversation. Depending on the situation, you might say:

• “I’d love to hear about your experience in the industry. Do you have any advice for someone starting out?”
• “Do you know of anyone else who might be able to offer me perspective on what it’s like to work in the XXX industry?”
• “Are there any opportunities at your company that align with my skills?”
• “Could we stay in touch on LinkedIn?”

Practice and Refine

After you craft an elevator pitch, it is critical that you practice. Rehearse your pitch with friends, mentors, or career advisors. Get feedback and tweak it as needed. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel. Also, be sure to keep your pitch updated as your skills and career goals evolve.

Putting It All Together

Here’s a template to get started: “Hi, I’m [Name], a [current status/recent achievement]. Through my [experience/education], I’ve developed strong skills in [specific abilities]. I’m passionate about [industry/field] and looking to [specific goal].”

Example: An Outstanding Elevator Pitch for a Gen Z Finance Professional

Let’s analyze an effective elevator pitch from Alex, a recent finance graduate. We’ll break down why it works and how it incorporates our key principles.

“Hi, I’m Alex Rivera, a finance graduate from Boston University where I led our student-run investment fund to a 12% return last year. Through my summer internship at Goldman Sachs and my role as president of our Finance Club, I’ve developed strong skills in financial modeling and ESG investing analysis. I’m particularly passionate about sustainable finance and have completed three projects analyzing the performance of green bonds versus traditional corporate bonds. I’m eager to connect with professionals who are working at the intersection of traditional finance and environmental impact.”

Why This Works

The pitch offers a strong opening, immediately establishing relevant credentials and including a quantifiable achievement (12% return). Alex demonstrates both leadership experience and thereal-world application of skills, while not assuming credit for things beyond his control. Alex offers a clear value proposition, combining traditional finance skills with modern focus (ESG) and highlights both specific technical skills and current industry awareness

Additional Resources

• 25 Templates to Assist with Your Elevator Pitch via Hubspot
• Creating your Personal Professional Brand

Your elevator pitch is a powerful tool in your early career journey. With a clear, confident message, you can make strong connections and open new doors.

Looking for support crafting your elevator pitch? Rise Consulting LLC, creators of Your First Real Job, provides expert career coaching and networking assistance, helping you build meaningful connections, boost your confidence, and take charge of your future. Discover what’s possible with personalized guidance—learn more at Rise Consulting LLC!