A 30-60 second verbal summary of who you are, what you do, and what value you bring. Named for the idea of impressing someone during a brief elevator ride.
Elevator Pitch Explained
An elevator pitch is a concise, rehearsed speech that summarizes your professional identity, key accomplishments, and what you are looking for. It should be 30-60 seconds (about 75-150 words) and feel conversational rather than scripted.
A good formula: Who you are + What you do + Your key achievement + What you are looking for. For example: "I am a data scientist with 5 years of experience building ML models for e-commerce. At my current company, I built a recommendation engine that increased sales by 23%. I am looking for opportunities to lead a data science team at a consumer technology company."
Practice your elevator pitch until it flows naturally. You will use it at networking events, career fairs, interviews, and even casual professional encounters.
Example
"I am a UX designer specializing in B2B SaaS products. Over the past 4 years, I have redesigned onboarding flows that improved activation rates by 45% at two different companies. I am passionate about making complex software intuitive and am looking for a senior role at a product-led company."
How This Relates to Your Resume
Your elevator pitch and professional summary should tell the same story. Write one first and adapt it for the other to ensure consistency.
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