QUESTION: I’m in the market for a new job. How can I come up with a good elevator pitch for when I’m meeting new people at networking events?

Rosa Vargas, Career Steering

Keep your elevator pitch to the point, and make sure you include the problem you will solve, the value you
offer, and why you are the best person for the position/opportunity.

Cheryl Milmoe, Cardinal Expert Résumés

Know your targets and your marketable skills. Tell your listener who you are, what you do, and what distinguishes you from everyone else doing the same work. Let them know why a company would want to hire you. Share something that you can offer that your competition can’t or won’t. Know what makes you the perfect choice for an employer and be able to say it in 2 minutes or less.

Edward Lawrence, Getstarted LLC

Think “simplicity and differentiation.” Consider your skills and what you do differently or better than others. Then distill that to a couple of sentences that will catch the other person’s attention and make them want to know more about you. Need inspiration? Look at LinkedIn profile headlines! Once you engage the person, true networking can begin.

Grant Cooper, Strategic Resumes & Business Plans

The best elevator pitches are brief, perhaps a sentence or two, encapsulate your transferable skills and
background, emphasize your recent successes, and indicate your availability or willingness to explore options without sounding disloyal to your current employer. The pitch should be rehearsed until you can effortlessly and seamlessly weave it into a variety of conversations and scenarios.

Sharon Glennon

You should always have a 30 to 90 second polished and rehearsed overview of who you are and what you do
along with what is next for you if you are in the market for a new job. Read ads for what you want to do, create
an inventory of what you have done and then write a very brief pitch to market you in a confident and clear
way. Practice with others and request feedback. Tweak it as needed.

Meg Applegate, Hinge Resume Collaborative

Think of an elevator pitch as a 15-second commercial about YOU in three parts:
1. Who are you? Simple stuff like your name and professional work context.
2. Your unique value. What accomplishments, skills and/or passions make you stand apart from the crowd?
3. Call to action. Where are you going? I’m looking to use <skill> as a <position>.
Above all, be authentic. Be you!

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I’m in the market for a new job. How can I come up with a good elevator pitch for when I’m meeting new people at networking events?