Putting Together an Elevator Pitch and Answering the Question, “Tell Me About Yourself.”
One way to think of your elevator pitch is by answering the question, “Tell me about yourself.” And this is a question that will most likely come up at the beginning of your interview. This is the one thing you will want to rehearse and have roll off the tip of your tongue before your next interview. Therefore, let’s discuss how to put together an elevator pitch.
How long should your answer or pitch be?
Most people tend to run their mouths when asked this question, usually because they’re stressed. To avoid that, let’s set some time limits. It’s called an elevator pitch because it’s supposed to be completed by the time you ride an elevator from the ground floor to the top of a high-rise building. Pretend you’ve run into the interviewer in the elevator. You should be able to define who you are and the value you offer them in the length of time it takes the elevator to ride to the top floor. Let’s say 30 seconds to 1 minute.
If this exercise causes you anxiety, that’s natural and congratulations, you’re human. You’re probably thinking, “How am I going to compress everything about myself into 30 seconds?” Fortunately, that’s not what we’re asking you to do and that’s not what the interviewer wants you to do either. So breathe.
What do I talk about?
No one needs to know where you were born, where you went to school, what jobs you’ve had up until this point, or even what you share in common with the interviewer - not for this question, not for your elevator pitch, not at the start of your interview. Your pitch should be more focused and limited. Here is what is expected.
Briefly mention your understanding of the job. This will provide context to the interviewer about why you’re about to say what you’re about to say - in case your understanding is different from theirs.
Then mention only the things that are relevant to this job and only this job. What experience and qualifications do you have that make you an excellent candidate for this job. Be specific and use evidence from your past whenever possible.
Toss the ball back with a question that helps you gather information and confirm buy-in with your statements. Does your understanding of what is important for success match theirs? Did they agree with your statements?
That’s it! Rehearse that and nothing else. And after you’ve rehearsed it, rehearse it again until you can concisely say it in less than 1 minute. And remember, no two elevator pitches will be the same because no two jobs are the same.
You should have a unique elevator pitch for each interview, tailored to that company’s and that job’s needs and goals.
Let’s see it in action
"I understand that this role involves managing a staff of 8 accountants, reviewing the close, and preparing financial statements. I’ve spent the past 5 years doing monthly closing, both hands-on with lean staff levels and with larger teams up to 10 where I was mostly reviewing. I’m proud of the fact that at my previous two employers my team and I were able to reduce our closing days from 15 to less than 5 which enabled us to produce monthly financials for the operational teams and our lenders much quicker. May I ask, what do you see as the biggest challenges facing your accounting department right now?"
Concise, relevant, and full of evidence. This of course is next to impossible if you haven’t done enough research to know what the job entails and what problems the company faces. Don’t fall into the trap most people do and rehearse a generic elevator pitch about why you’d be a good candidate for any job. You’re not applying for any job. You’re applying for this job. Once you can summarize why you are a match for the job in 30 seconds to 1 minute, you’ll know you’re ready for the interview.
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