Easy-to-Use Elevator Pitch Template

The right elevator pitch can impress a potential employer. Here's how to make one with an easy-to-use template.
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Evan Thompson
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Evan Thompson is an education and careers writer with BestColleges. He was previously a journalist with bylines in the Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, and Everett Herald. His beats have included education, sports, business, outdoors, and lifestyl...
Updated on July 6, 2022
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Jennifer Cuellar is a managing editor at BestColleges and oversees content around college rankings and careers. She has previously worked with TheBestSchools, Lantern, Expedia, Travelocity, Quicken, and Mint as a writer, editor, and content strategis...
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  • Elevator pitches are an effective way to share your story and explain what you have to offer.
  • Using this elevator pitch tool can help you present yourself in a clear and engaging way.
  • Your elevator pitch will include an introduction, your skills, problem-solving examples, your goals, and a call to action.

One of the many legends to come out of the early days of Hollywood is the origin of the first elevator pitch.

Back then, aspiring screenwriters were desperate to share their ideas with high-up executives. They wanted to be ready to explain their script and why it would be a hit in case of a brief encounter, such as a short elevator ride.

Today, elevator pitches serve a similar purpose. It's one of the most effective ways to share your story and explain what you have to offer to recruiters, hiring managers, and employers.

What Is An Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a quick summary of your background and experience, why your skills matter, and what you want to accomplish.

The chance to give an elevator pitch often comes up during job interviews when an interviewer asks something like, "Tell me about yourself." Or, it might be during a quick, informal chat with a potential employer. Either way, your elevator pitch should be ready to go when the time comes.

But what should an elevator pitch say? What does a successful elevator pitch example look like? Is there an effective elevator pitch template?

We created an easy-to-use tool to help with all three.

Follow the instructions below and use the examples as a starting point to create your elevator pitch.

Elevator Pitch Toolkit

A successful elevator pitch should have at least two or three of the following elements:

  • Introduction: Give a quick recap of your current job title, specialty (if applicable), and your desired position.
  • Relevant Experience: Highlight your skill sets or training you've completed.
  • Problem-solving: Give an example of when you made a notable breakthrough.
  • Goal Statement: Talk about your short-term and long-term professional motivations.
  • A Call to Action: Reaffirm your desire to get the job.

Replace the facts inside the brackets with your facts to craft your 60-second elevator pitch.

Introduction: "I'm [Julia Thomas], and I'm a [public relations assistant] who specializes in [social media communications]. I'm very interested in your [social media manager] position.

Relevant Experience: "During my [three-year career], I've learned how to [increase clients' social media reach through influencer collaborations], [measure ROI for marketing campaigns], and [grow my company's bottom line through strategic planning]. I also recently completed [a social media marketing certificate with a focus on inbound marketing] to solidify and legitimize my skills.

Problem-solving: "I'm confident I can handle any problems that may come up. One time, my team was struggling to [get our clients quoted in articles]. I took a new approach and [reached out to relevant journalists on Twitter]. Then I helped [coordinate interviews between the writers and my clients] and it turned into a big success that I'm very proud of."

Goal Statement: "My long-term goal is to become a [public relations executive]. I hope to get there by first [becoming a social media manager] and [leading a team of social media coordinators] so I'll have the right experience to advance to a higher position in a few years."

A Call to Action: "I find your [social media] team's work to be innovative and refreshing, and I'd welcome the opportunity to put my experience to work for your organization."

BestColleges.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

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