elevator pitch high school assignment

5 Elevator Pitch Examples for Students + Quick Tips

Take your student elevator pitch from robotic and canned to genuinely interesting. Make relevant connections and land your next career.

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Short answer

How can you maximize your elevator pitch?

Introduce effectively: State your field and experiences.

Share uniquely: Present interesting, field-specific details.

Highlight clearly: Focus on pertinent achievements.

Conclude engagingly: Finish with a thought-provoking question.

Let me guess… you’re here because you’ve got an important networking event coming up, you got an assignment to craft an elevator pitch, or you’d just like to learn how to introduce yourself in a professional manner when the moment comes. Regardless of why you came here (and I’m glad you did!), let me just get one thing straight: elevator pitch is a nightmare . At least, the kind of elevator pitch old-school career advisors recommend.

I mean, a careers site of a college I’m not going to name claims an elevator pitch “should sound like an advertisement of you.” Um, no, it definitely shouldn’t, unless you want to come across robotic, awkward, and full of yourself. The good news is that there is a perfectly easy formula for a great, conversational elevator pitch that will make whoever you’re talking to genuinely interested in your qualifications and skills.

Just give this guide a 5-minute read and you’ll learn it. Plus, you’ll get actionable examples of elevator speeches for different scenarios you can use as a point of reference to build your own .

What is an elevator pitch for students?

An elevator pitch for students (AKA elevator speech) is used by individuals during career fairs, networking events , or job interviews. An elevator pitch is about getting a potential employer to want to learn more about you and the value you can bring to the table. 99.9% of the time it will not land you the position, but rather get you the opportunity to apply.

The name elevator pitch comes from the idea that you should be able to deliver it while on an elevator ride—roughly, in 30 to 60 seconds.

A 30-second student elevator pitch is hard to get right —unless you’re an Ivy League prodigy and a superstar in your field already (in which case I want your email and I’ll be launching my elevator pitch to you very soon).

For all of us mere mortals, sharpening a killer personal elevator pitch will take a systematic approach and some practice. Lucky for you, there is a system you can follow to make your value shine brigh t. We’ll get into that in the next section.

How to create a good student elevator pitch?

A student elevator pitch has to communicate something. And communication is never a one-way process (hey. That’s why the end goal of your pitch should be to start a conversation, because you don't have any professional accomplishments to brag about yet.

See how your diploma and studies apply to what the workforce market is looking for. Perhaps your MFA degree will come in handy with design postions, or your MSW degree related to social work will grab the attention of an organization focusing on social-related issues. Of course, depending on the situation, you’ll want to modify your elevator pitch a little bit, but the main ingredients remain the same.

Below are the core priciples that tie together a killer elevator speech:

1. Introduce yourself, say what you do, and how you do it

There’s no going around that part. Say your name, tell them what you study and what relevant experience you have. But, don’t stop there. Instead of just detailing what you do, focus on how you do it and what it is about it that you find particularly interesting.

2. Add some captivating details about you

Mention something that makes you unique. It can be a quick story about how you got into your field, an interesting finding you uncovered recently that might be relevant to the person you’re talking to, or a pain point related to your industry that they’ll immediately understand.

3. Provide examples of your past achievements

If you’ve had internships or part-time work experience in your industry, do talk about what you learned, the skills you developed, and results you helped achieve. This way, you’re presenting yourself as a potential asset to an organization or a good partner for collaboration, if speaking to a peer.

4. Use the ending of your pitch as a conversation-starter

At the end of your pitch, ask a question. Depending on the situation, it might be an invitation to talk more about how you could help them, asking them to share some of their knowledge with you, asking about their professional challenges and how they tackle them, or even just asking what they do!

The critical thing, after you deliver your pitch is to keep the conversation alive! Alright, I know. The theoretical parts often sound pretty vague.

Let’s have a look at 5 different student elevator pitch examples for different situations and scenarios and break down each of those to see what makes it work.

How and when to use your elevator pitch

Okay, so enough of theory. Now what?

1) Perfect your draft

If you got the gist of it - start crafting your elevator pitch. The first draft is rarely the best draft.

2) Practice

Once you have a good 30-60 seconds speech, practice speaking it in front of a mirror.

3) Simulate

Then, if you have solid friends that don’t mind some role-playing (and won’t make fun of you), simulate the elevator pitch in the context of a back-and-forth conversation.

Start with - “hey, you’re [person of interest] right? I’d really love to join your team”, and have the friend start by asking “can you tell me a bit about you?” then let it roll from there.

4) Look for opportunities to bump into your person of interest

You can wait a lifetime for an opportunity to meet the person to set you on your career path . Finding out what you want to do early on makes it much easier for future you. Changing careers later on may prove to be difficult, though not impossible.

If you believe in destiny then you’re all set… but if you don’t then it’s best you plan for such an event. Make sure to be consistently in the right place and time to meet and have at least 30 seconds with your person of interest.

5) Apply your elevator pitch to sharable documents

The untold truth is that you may or may not get the opportunity to ever give your elevator pitch. But where your elevator pitch really comes in handy is when you proactively add it as part of your CV , application letter, research proposal, digital flipbook or design portfolio. A 30-60 seconds pitch should be 100-300 words, if you are struggling to get it short enough you can use an AI-enabled word counting tool that will adjust your elevator pitch to the target length.

Where to use your elevator pitch

Go ahead and use any of our free interactive templates below . Nothing you can do will help you stand out like these templates.

Student elevator pitch examples and why they work

Career fair.

Let’s start with, arguably, the most “standard” scenario. You’re at a career fair, wandering around different companies’ booths (or doing it in a virtual setting). All of them are offering internship opportunities or even entry-level positions for graduates. But there are these few amazing employers you've wanted to work for since you started your studies! How do you approach them? Well, see what Jane did:

Hello, my name is Jane, I’m a recent CUNY graduate with a bachelor in Marketing and a minor in French. And, as an amateur fiction writer, I’m a strong believer in creative storytelling. In my BA dissertation, I found that marketing campaigns centered around a narrative were up to 55% more memorable than those based on promoting benefits. “Features tell, benefits sell?” Maybe. But stories sell even better. I would love to apply my skills in storytelling for marketing as a Digital Content Development Intern with Acme and contribute to your growth. Could you tell me more about your current challenges with digital content creation?

What’s so good about it:

• Adds a bit of personal branding that will help distinguish her from other attendees: “I’m a strong believer in creative storytelling.”
• Sparks immediate curiosity by referring to her own research that could be very relevant to the potential employer.
• Promises to add value instead of just asking for a position.
• Ends with an engaging question that encourages meaningful conversation.

Job or internship interview

Now, let’s imagine a similar scenario in an even more formal setting: a job interview. During job interviews, your elevator pitch is, in essence, the answer you give to that dreaded “Tell us about yourself” question. This type of a student elevator speech is the one with least room for creativity. There are rules of the interview game, and you need to follow them. Like this candidate did:

I’m working on a degree in Hospitality and Communication from the University of Boston and I have 6 months of experience in junior Customer Happiness Officer roles with ABC Company and XYZ Corp. What drives me professionally is providing tailor-made, individual solutions to every customer. In my previous role at ABC, I collaborated with a cross-departmental team of 8 colleagues on a surveying project aimed at improving the company’s mobile app user experience. By carefully listening to our customers’ feedback, I helped boost customer retention by 28% and I’d love to translate that experience into similar results for Acme!

• Quickly establishes her academic qualifications as well as professional experience.
• Instead of just saying what she did, this candidate briefly explains how she did it and what results she achieved.
• Turns an elevator pitch into an offer to help the employer achieve desired business results.

Casual networking event

Now, not all elevator pitches are about a current employment or internship opportunity. Sometimes you’re at a conference or an event dedicated to networking and you meet other people from your industry. See how this student, we’ll call him Jack, approached an editor of one of his favorite journals:

What do I do? I make sure robots don’t take over human jobs just yet. And how do I do it? By making friends with them! I’m a senior at Stanford completing my Bachelor’s in Machine Intelligence and Machine Learning this summer. I’m sure you’ve seen all those snappy headlines about AI writers already being more efficient than human beings. Well… Truth is, they’re not there yet and trusting robots with creating high-impact informational content such as news articles would be extremely risky. But, they can help us tremendously with the research process. That’s the premise of a project I’ve been working on in the past 6 months. I developed an alpha-stage AI research assistant that can cut the research time for news pieces by over 60%. Would you be interested in telling me more about your research process at XYZ Magazine?

• Opens with an emotional and captivating intro: saving humans from robots, wow, sounds scary AND exciting!
• Identifies an issue relatable to the person he’s talking to: all those half-spammy headlines about “AI writers already being more efficient than human beings.”
• Shows how his knowledge can make life easier for the person he’s pitching and backs it up with numerical data.
• Doesn’t want anything immediately out of the conversation, ends with a call to exchange experiences.

Elevator pitch with no experience

Did those elevator pitch samples above still sound too intimidating? It’s true, the people from the examples had at least some work or internship experience and were nearing the end of their college studies. But— Even if you have zero experience and are only starting out on your degree, you can still deliver a head-turning elevator pitch. What you need is to center it around your passion and enthusiasm. Like James did here:

My name is James and I’ve been crazy about programming since I was 11 years old and my dad showed me how to write a basic algorithm. It just blew my mind that I could do things like that with a computer, so I started following that passion which led me to studying Computer Science at Stanford where I’m a sophomore. Recently, I’ve been reading a lot about how to develop an app for the healthcare sector and I was amazed to read your recent case study on the TeleHealth app. Would you have the time to tell me a little bit more about the development process?

• Starts with a personal story. And all humans love stories.
• Uses the story to highlight his genuine interest in his field.
• Talks about specifics: healthcare mobile app development, wow, this guy is not kidding, he’s really into this niche!
• Uses the elevator pitch as a learning opportunity, asking one of his gurus to share some of her expertise. Who would say no to that?

Semi-personal introduction

Finally, an elevator pitch for the least formal scenario: an introduction to a peer in a semi-personal setting such as a university event. Almost like something you’d say when introducing yourself to someone at a party. You’ll want them to quickly understand what you do and encourage them to tell you the same about themselves. Like in this example:

I’m in the business of making NatGeo documentaries with David Attenborough’s voiceover! No, I’m kidding, not there yet. But I’m a senior at UPenn, doing a BSc in Marine Biology. And my main area of research interest is the patterns of melodies of whale songs! And I’d love to make a documentary about it one day, once I’m done with my big project. What about you? Where will I hear of you once you get famous?

• Sparks curiosity by referencing an element of our pop culture. I mean, who doesn’t recognize David Attenborough?
• Presents her area of professional interest in a casual, easy-to-grasp way.
• Asks a creative question at the end, steering the conversation away from generic cliches of “I’m an X-year student of Y with a minor in Z, you?”

The "Elevator Email"

Now a couple of years into a global pandemic, a lot of opportunities and connections are made online. Networking post-pandemic has changed the way we typically connect and communicate with each other. For students, this means shifting elevator pitches to “elevator emails” or messages that state your value proposition in a quick and simple email . Although it might seem daunting, being able to write a strong elevator email is an essential skill for showing your ambition and eagerness for a role or opportunity. Once you create your first elevator email template , you can continue to work and improve your message.

Here is a great example of an elevator email:

My name is Tony and I am a recent graduate from UC San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Marketing. I came across your opportunity for the role of Marketing Intern and was immediately drawn. While looking over the job description, it reminded me of my previous experience working at the Best Marketing Firm as an intern where I assisted in launching multi-channel marketing campaigns , developed a strong relationship with the company’s marketing and product teams, and increased customer engagement by 15%.

My goal is to become the best marketer I can be, and I strongly believe I would thrive in this role and come in and make immediate contributions to your team and organization. I would love the opportunity to meet with you over a call or meeting to further discuss this position and the qualifications you are seeking. I went ahead and included the job description, my resume , and a cover letter with more details about myself. I look forward to connecting with you!

• Opens with a personalized message that shows your experience, qualifications, and relevance to the role.
• Introduces your interest, industry, job title, or previous experience.
• Highlights your accomplishments, skillset, and related history.
• Includes prepared assets and resources.
• Provides a call to action or next step for you to meet in a more personalized setting.

TIP: If you'd like to attach a portfolio of relevant projects to your Elevator Email, you can create a professional-looking presentation in a matter of minutes using Storydoc's presentation maker . Just pick a template from our extensive template library , fill in the blanks, and let our editor take care of the rest!

Wrapping it up:

Before you go, here are a few extra tips to help you deliver a great student elevator pitch:

• To keep your elevator pitch as natural as possible, try not reciting a rehearsed formula. Use an outline but adapt the exact wording every time.
• Always end your pitch with an engaging question. The ideal outcome of “pitching” is starting to chat with the person, not just hearing “Oh, nice to meet you.”
• If you’re passionate about something, don’t tone it down! Your genuine enthusiasm is one of your strongest assets at this stage of your career.
• Avoid cliches and meaningless buzzwords: “go-getter,” “A Player,” “hard-working,” “attentive to detail,” and the like.
• Practice your pitch in front of someone who knows you well. Ask them if you sound the way you do when you normally speak. If not, adapt your tone and wording.

And that’s all from me today! Thanks for reading my guide and I hope the whole idea of an elevator pitch is now less scary and intimidating than it used to be. Keeping my fingers crossed for your pitch!

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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8 Elevator Pitch Examples for Students

At some point in their lives, every student should care about having a successful elevator pitch they can pull up with great ease. That’s why we’ve picked out a set of the best elevator pitch examples for students. We’re hoping these will help you deliver impressive elevator pitches to further your career when needed. 

What’s an elevator pitch for students?

The name given to elevator pitches refers to the pitch’s duration, which needs to be quicker than an elevator ride. A well-delivered pitch of this kind should, therefore, be no longer than 30 seconds. 

Whether in high school or college, great elevator pitch examples for students need to be a quick overview of their educational, but moreover professional successes. It is a way of presenting themselves quite clearly and concisely and it should include mention of the person’s goals and set of skills. 

How to Write an Elevator Pitch

Writing an effective elevator pitch involves several steps:

• Identify Your Goal : Know exactly what you want to achieve with your pitch. Are you looking to get a job, secure an internship, or simply make a connection?
• Explain What You Do : Clearly and concisely describe what you do or what your product does.
• Highlight Unique Value : Mention what sets you or your product apart from the competition.
• Engage with a Question or Call to Action : End with a question or a call to action to encourage further conversation.

Related read: Best pitch deck examples

Elevator Pitch Template

Here’s a simple template you can follow to craft your elevator pitch:

• Introduction : Who are you?
• Value Proposition : What do you do, and what makes it unique?
• Evidence or Example : Provide a brief example or evidence of your success.
• Engagement : End with a question or a call to action.

Download a free template here: Elevator Pitch Template

Elevator pitch examples for students

Example 1: slack.

"Hi, I'm [Your Name], and I'm here to introduce Slack, a new and revolutionary business messaging app. Slack replaces traditional email, making team collaboration more efficient and enjoyable by integrating all your communications in one place. Whether you’re a small startup or a large corporation, Slack’s channels, direct messages, and integrations with other tools like Google Drive and Trello streamline your workflow and improve productivity. With our platform, teams see an average 32% increase in productivity. Would you like to learn how Slack can transform your team’s communication?"

Example 2: Snapchat

"Hello, I'm [Your Name], and I'd like to talk to you about Snapchat, the multimedia messaging app that has transformed how we share moments. Snapchat’s unique approach with ephemeral content – photos and videos that disappear after being viewed – encourages spontaneous and authentic communication. Our innovative features like Stories, AR lenses, and Discover content keep users engaged and coming back for more. With over 280 million daily active users, Snapchat is not just a social app but a powerful platform for advertisers and influencers. Can we discuss how Snapchat can enhance your brand's engagement with younger audiences?"

Example 3: TikTok

"Hi, I'm [Your Name], and I'm excited to tell you about TikTok, the leading platform for short-form mobile video. TikTok allows users to create and share 15-second videos on any topic, enhanced by an extensive library of music, filters, and effects. Our algorithm curates content uniquely tailored to each user's interests, driving high engagement and viral trends. With over a billion active users worldwide, TikTok offers unparalleled reach and creativity for brands and creators. Let’s explore how TikTok can help you tap into the pulse of digital culture and engage with a global audience."

Example 4: Slidebean

"Hello, I'm [Your Name], and I’d like to introduce you to Slidebean, the ultimate pitch deck creation platform. Slidebean simplifies the process of creating professional presentations by offering AI-powered design and content suggestions. Our platform has helped thousands of startups create compelling pitch decks that have raised over $250 million in funding. With templates inspired by successful decks from companies like Airbnb and Uber, Slidebean ensures your presentation stands out. Would you like to see how Slidebean can help you craft the perfect pitch deck and secure your next investment?"

Example 5: Google

"Hi, I'm [Your Name], and I'm here to talk about Google, the world's most powerful search engine. Google organizes the world’s information and makes it universally accessible and useful. Our innovative products like Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Drive enhance everyday life and productivity for billions of users globally. Google’s search algorithms and AI technologies ensure accurate and relevant search results, setting us apart from the competition. Could we discuss how Google’s suite of products can enhance your business operations and drive growth?"

Example 6: DuckDuckGo

"Hello, I'm [Your Name], and I’m here to present DuckDuckGo, the search engine that prioritizes user privacy. Unlike other search engines, DuckDuckGo doesn’t track your searches or store your personal information, providing a secure and private browsing experience. Our search results are powered by over 400 sources, including crowd-sourced sites like Wikipedia, ensuring high-quality and unbiased results. With increasing concerns about data privacy, DuckDuckGo offers a trusted alternative to traditional search engines. Can we discuss how DuckDuckGo can be the private search solution for your needs?"

Example 7: BeReal

"Hi, I'm [Your Name], and I’d like to introduce BeReal, the social media app promoting authenticity and real connections. BeReal encourages users to post spontaneous and unfiltered photos, capturing genuine moments from their daily lives. This approach contrasts with the curated and often unrealistic content seen on other platforms. With its unique notification system, BeReal prompts users once a day to share a photo in real-time, fostering a community of trust and transparency. Let’s talk about how BeReal can revolutionize the way you connect with your audience and promote real-life interactions."

Importance of an Elevator Pitch for Students

For students, an elevator pitch can open doors to numerous opportunities. Whether you’re seeking internships, jobs, or simply networking, a well-crafted pitch can leave a lasting impression. It demonstrates your ability to communicate clearly and effectively, showcases your confidence, and highlights your achievements.

Tips for Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch

• Practice Regularly : The more you practice your pitch, the more natural it will feel. Practice in front of a mirror, with friends, or record yourself to identify areas for improvement.
• Be Concise : Keep your pitch short and to the point. Avoid jargon and complex language.
• Show Enthusiasm : Your passion for what you’re discussing should be evident. Enthusiasm can be contagious and engaging.
• Tailor Your Pitch : Customize your pitch depending on who you are speaking to. Highlight aspects that would be most relevant to the listener.
• Get Feedback : Ask for feedback from peers, mentors, or professionals to refine your pitch.

How to Customize Your Pitch for Different Scenarios

While the examples above are tailored to specific companies, it’s crucial to adapt your pitch to different scenarios. Here’s how you can customize your elevator pitch for various contexts:

• Job Interviews : Focus on how your skills and experiences align with the job you’re applying for. Mention specific accomplishments that demonstrate your qualifications.
• Networking Events : Highlight your unique value proposition and what you’re looking to achieve through networking. Be clear about the type of connections or opportunities you’re seeking.
• Startup Pitches : Emphasize your product’s unique features and the problem it solves. Include metrics that showcase your startup’s growth and potential.
• Academic Presentations : Concentrate on your research or project and its implications. Explain why your work is significant and what impact it could have.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Being Too Vague : Be specific about what you do and what you offer. Avoid general statements.
• Overloading with Information : Don’t try to include too much information. Stick to the most important points.
• Lack of Practice : A pitch that isn’t well-practiced can come off as unprepared and unprofessional.
• Ignoring Body Language : Your non-verbal cues are just as important as what you say. Maintain eye contact and use confident body language.

Whatever you do, be brief and honest

As you can probably tell, there are many different ways to word elevator pitches. And there are tons more responses possible from your contacted parties. Work hard at being honest about your current situation. And disclose your background and experience to make the best of your pitch. 

Our best piece of advice is for you to keep this short and never underestimate the power of a 30-second elevator pitch. On the other hand, practice until you feel you’ve nailed it. 

If you need a presentation to support your pitch, make sure you browse through our template section, so you can download the one you need for free.

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What’s an Elevator Pitch, and Why Should A High Schooler Write One?

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As you enter professional networking events and find yourself waiting in those long lines to talk to a potential employer, you may realize that those few minutes you get with an employer are crucial. In those few minutes, you need to express your interest to the hiring manager and tell him/her anything else about you that will make you stand out as an applicant.

How are you supposed to cram all of that information into a few minutes of conversation? The simple answer is that you should have an elevator pitch ready to go when you get there.

An elevator pitch is a common tool that both professionals and students use to summarize themselves in a short period of time. If you’re not sure that you need an elevator pitch as a high school student, here’s some brief points about what an elevator pitch really is and why a high schooler may want to write one.

What is an elevator pitch?

“Elevator Pitch” is a metaphorical way of describing a very brief spiel about yourself. The term was first used by an executive at Vanity Fair and is derived from the following scenario: If you were on an elevator ride and only had those thirty seconds to a minute to sell your qualifications to someone, you should be ready to give a brief summary of yourself.

More generally, an elevator pitch is a brief speech on the important, impressive, and memorable aspects of your academic and professional career. It highlights your most impressive and relevant past experiences, your main interests, and your short- and long-term goals.  Not sure how to set smart goals for yourself in high school? See our post Doubt Discouragement, and Setting Appropriate Goals in High School .

An elevator pitch is extremely useful to have on hand if you ever find yourself needing to give a summary of yourself with limited time or space. In fact, there are many situations you may encounter in which that will definitely be the case.

As already mentioned, networking events and job fairs provide the perfect opportunity to use an elevator pitch. Often, you only get a few minutes at a networking event to chat with a hiring manager or someone who could help you professionally. If you have an elevator pitch handy, you can ensure that you hit all the major selling points about yourself in those few minutes that you have.

If you need more information about navigating your job search, see the CollegeVine post How To Navigate Your Job Search in High School .

An elevator pitch may also be helpful for you on college and job applications. For example, many college applications require a personal statement. While an elevator pitch is too short and vague to count as a personal statement, it can be used as a starting point for all of the major points you want to hit. After all, if you already know what you want to highlight about yourself, all you will have to do in crafting your personal statement is elaborate.

For more information on how to develop a personal statement, see our post How to Come Up with an Idea for a Personal Statement .

Similarly, job applications sometimes provide an option for you to give a brief summary of yourself, either on the application or in the form of a cover letter to your resume. Like the college personal statement, these few-paragraph summaries would be much easier to write if you already knew your main selling points from crafting an elevator pitch.

How to Develop an Elevator Pitch

The first part of the elevator pitch is the easiest part. This is a brief sentence or two giving your name, what your current occupation is, and why you’re there. In your case, you’ll say something along the lines of, “Hi, my name is [name], I’m a [grade] student at [name of high school], and I am very interested in [name of position or college].”

The next part of the elevator pitch requires a bit more thought. This is where you want to highlight any interests and goals that would make the hiring manager or college consider you as a candidate or simply take notice of you. While you likely have many interests and ambitions, you want to pick two to three universal ones that will work in most networking situations.

For example, if you see yourself becoming a doctor, the interests you pick should be at least slightly medically related. Your goals should involve getting a bachelor’s degree, an MD, and doing research/clinical work.

Lastly, you should have at least one past experience or example of how you have tried to pursue your interests and achieve your goals. The aforementioned pre-med student would be sure to mention anything along the lines of shadowing a doctor or working in a lab.

The examples and past experiences you bring up do not have to be work or professional experience. In fact, as a high school student, you likely do not have that much work experience to speak of. Instead, you can draw on any clubs or extracurriculars that fit.

You should never try to make up an interest or a past experience. If you find yourself without an example of how you’ve pursued an interest or goal, choose a different one.

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How long should an elevator pitch be?

Once again, the old metaphor of having a conversation in an elevator holds. You need to keep your elevator pitch short and concise, so that you can say everything that you need to say without boring a potential employer or college. Nobody wants to hear a person ramble about themselves for too long.

If you’re worried about the length of your elevator pitch, write or type it out. If it is longer than the average introduction to a high school essay, trim it down. If it’s shorter, feel free to elaborate a little bit more. Keep in mind that most high school essay introductions do not go past half a page. You can also try timing it aloud; an elevator pitch should last no longer than a minute when speaking at normal speed.

When to Use an Elevator Pitch

While an elevator pitch can be a great summary of who you are as a person, it’s not great for every social situation. For example, you shouldn’t use your elevator pitch if you are meeting someone in an informal setting like a college orientation. An elevator pitch is mostly for professional use.

However, as mentioned above, professional networking events and college applications and interviews are perfect places to utilize your elevator pitch..

One setting where an elevator pitch would be extremely useful is a college fair. This is not technically a professional setting, as you are not interviewing with the college advisors you meet nor are you necessarily going to apply to their university. However, college fairs generally have long lines of people waiting to talk to a single college representative. You will likely only get a few minutes with each college representative, so an elevator pitch is useful to keep the conversation succinct while still saying everything you want to say and leaving a positive impression.

In fact, in a college fair setting, you may want to keep your elevator pitch shorter than usual. The college representatives at each table are trying to see every student in a very short period of time, so you may have even less time to chat with the college than you may anticipate.

It is also worth noting that an elevator pitch could also be useful when you are meeting your guidance counselor for the first time. Many college applications require counselor letters of recommendation. If you give them your elevator pitch, you will have inherently outlined the main goals, interests, and accomplishments that they should highlight in your letter of recommendation.

For more information on guidance counselor recommendation letters, see The Do’s and Don’ts of Guidance Counselor Recommendations .

In general, you should use the elevator pitch in any networking session where you may have to mingle with adults. You may not always have to use it, but it is good to have it ready.

An elevator pitch can be a useful tool in professional settings as long as they are done right. If you follow the right format and know which instances to use it, an elevator pitch can genuinely impress an adult or future employer and leave a great first impression.

As a final tip, make sure you practice your elevator pitch. All of the sophistication goes away if you try to give your elevator pitch and have to pause and stumble the entire time! That being said, don’t over-rehearse. You don’t want to sound mechanical and robotic by regurgitating a script. Keep it natural.

If you’re interested in professional opportunities to utilize your stellar elevator pitch, see the following blog posts:

• The Ins and Outs of Pre-College Internships
• How Do I Get An Internship?
• The Introvert’s Guide to Networking in High School
• A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business in High School
• How To Make the Most of a College Fair

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Elevator Speech [Outline + 13 Examples]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Capturing your background, skills, and objectives into a short and clever elevator speech can be difficult. How do you know what to keep and what to leave out? How do you make an impression in such a short time?

Standing out with your elevator speech doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little practice, you’ll gain confidence in introducing yourself at a job interview, career fair, and, of course, on an elevator ride! Here’s a quick guide to help you craft the perfect pitch along with several elevator speech examples.

In this article:

Tips for Creating a Good Elevator Speech

A sample elevator speech outline, checklist for fine-tuning, elevator speech examples.

The elements that make up a great elevator speech outline are pretty straightforward. You need to describe who you are, what you do, and what your goal is. While the elevator speech template stays the same whether you’re speaking with a potential employer or a sales prospect, you might add other elements to match your unique situation.

Here are a few tips for crafting your personal elevator pitch:

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• Keep it 30 to 60 seconds long.
• Use persuasive speech to spark your listener’s interest.
• Showcase your qualifications or skills.
• For a sales pitch, try starting with an open-ended question.
• Describe who you help and what problem you aim to help them solve.
• Be ready to customize your speech to fit your target audience.

Whether you’re a business owner preparing for a networking event or a job seeker attending a job fair, you can benefit from perfecting a succinct and effective elevator pitch. A go-to elevator speech comes in handy when you’re introducing yourself to new people in general. Have a business card on hand and ready to deliver as well.

Your elevator speech can also provide the right content for social media bios or a resume objective statement. This statement represents your personal brand, so keep it consistent across all social media channels.

Be sure to practice your elevator statement over and over so that you’re able to deliver it naturally, even in a moment’s notice. If you’re stumped for ideas, draw from the elevator speech examples listed below.

This model suggestion plan assists you to avoid creating a sales pitch. It must be  from  your mouth and supporting body language gestures, and  about  your skills and abilities. Use each idea to write one short powerful sentence.

The 10 speech topics I will explicate right now in the next paragraphs are primers to write a carefully planned and prepared presentation that grabs attention and says a lot in a few words.

Remember: tweak till it fits your personality and decisive nature.

ABOUT YOU 1. Smile to your counterpart, and open with a statement or question that grabs attention: a  hook  that prompt your listener to ask questions. 2. Tell who you are: describe you and your company. 3. Tell what you do and show enthusiasm.

WHAT DO YOU OFFER 4. Tell what problems have solved or contributions you have made. 5. Offer a vivid example. 6. Tell why you are interested in your listener.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS 7. Tell what very special service, product or solutions you can offer him or her. 8. What are the advantages of working with you? In what do you differ from competative companies?

HOW DO YOU DO IT 9. Give a concrete example or tell a short story, show your uniqueness and provide illustrations on how you work.

CALL FOR ACTION 10. What is the most wanted response? Do you want a business card, a referral or an  corporate appointment for a presentation after your elevator speech ?

OTHER BUSINESS QUESTIONS

These are other points, questions and business subjects you could ask:

• Who is your target?
• How large is your market volume?
• How do you make profits?
• What are the background, major milestones and achievements of your team?
• Who are your competitors, how do they solve a problem? What is your strength and advantage compared to them? What is your Unique Selling Proposition?
• Are there special patents or technology? Do you have a special approach in client management? And so on.

STEP 1: First write down all that comes up in your mind.

STEP 2: Then cut the jargon and details. Make strong short and powerful sentences. Eliminate unnecessary words.

STEP 3: Connect phrases to each other. Your elevator speech address has to flow natural and smoothly. Do not rush, keep eye contact all the time and work steady to the grande finale: the call to action.

STEP 4: Memorize key points and practice out loud – test it with a close relative in the safe environment of your home.

STEP 5: Have you really answered  the  key question of your listener:  What’s In It For Me?

STEP 6: Create different versions for different business situations of your elevator speech. Note them on professional business cards:

Perfect your own elevator presentation by learning from others. Here are a few effective elevator pitch examples to help you craft your own:

1. Job Seeker Elevator Pitch Example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH0Thez9gvA

You run into all kinds of people at the elevator, even a hiring manager. This sample elevator speech is a good example for those looking for a job interview. It shows how you can highlight your skills and experience even when you’re caught off guard. Notice how she also has a business card ready?

“I’m excited to hear back because the position helps me to use my brand management and social media skills…”

2. Recent Graduate Great Elevator Pitch

This is an excellent example for those who recently graduated with a bachelor degree in business. Notice that she states exactly what she’s looking for – an internship or job opportunity. In just 41 seconds, she states her experience, skills, and some good details about her personality that make her the perfect job candidate.

“I hope to incorporate my business knowledge into consumer trend analysis and strengthening relationships among consumers…”

3. College Student Personal Elevator Speech

This college freshman opens with her interest in the company. She states her major and reflects on high school experiences, also sharing relevant awards she has won for her skills.

“I’ve gotten awards for my leadership skills and I’m very involved with my college…”

4. Personal Brand Elevator Pitch Template

This college graduate pitches his personal brand through stating the skills he acquired in his education, the type of job he is looking for, and why he wants to work in that type of job. He offers a good mix of talking about his own experience while also focusing on how he’ll help clients. He ends his speech with the call to action of directing his audience to his website.

“I strive to lead a team on various projects one day.”

5. Personal Brand Pitch with a Personal Touch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_paOrg5Zpg

Video pitches are becoming increasingly popular for those looking to connect with brands online. This college student’s personal brand sales pitch stands out because it opens and closes with inspirational music. She explains her personal promise and future plans to receive her master degree.

“I promise to always bring positivity to the table and to remain hard working and dedicated no matter what the task.”

6. Business Plan Effective Elevator Speech

This example is perfect for a small business owner looking to pitch a product. The speaker opens with a compelling situation that appeals to his target market, offers his solution and details the features and benefits, announces his promise, and states his objective – all in 51 seconds.

“Don’t let frost bite your buns. Get the hot seat!”

7. Small Business Elevator Speech Sample

Opening with an interesting fact of how much Americans spend on fishing each year, the speaker follows up with an open-ended question to immediately grab audience attention from her target market. This is a great example of a sales pitch to investors, as the speaker outlines her plan for marketing her product and making their ROI (Return on Investment).

“Our goal is to revolutionize the economics of fishing in favor of the customer.”

8. Financial Advisor Elevator Speech

Ron Coleman explains who he is as a financial advisor, who he works for, and what exactly he helps his clients do. Additionally, he explains the type of people who benefit from his services.

“I’m confident that if given the opportunity I can provide you with the service and the coverage you need in order to protect your business, you, and your family from a variety of different risks.”

9. The Career Fair Elevator Pitch

This funny elevator speech example is the perfect model for a job seeker attending a job fair. The speaker highlights the importance of expressing interest in the company by acknowledging their work and asking a related open-ended question. Of course, lead with your own experience and skills that are relevant to the company representative whom you’re speaking with.

“I read on your website that you are the only company that has increased efficiency by employing mannequins. Can you tell me a bit more about that process?”

10. Good Elevator Speech for Speed Networking

This example from a holistic marketing mentor shows how you can sum up who you are, what you do, and the people you can help in one quick and savvy sentence.

“I help wellness professionals find additional revenue streams so that they can help more people and live a life of ease and grace.”

11. Extreme Sale Pitch Example with Iron Man Jericho Missile Test Scene

Sure, you might not ever get the opportunity to pitch a missile system, but you can take away a lot from Robert Downey Jr.’s confidence as Iron Man. Notice how he opens with a thought-provoking question, offers his guarantee, and humbly ends with a bonus.

“That’s how Dad did it, that’s how America did it, and it’s worked out pretty well so far.”

12. Don Draper’s Funny but Effective Sales Pitch

This funny elevator speech example shows the importance of using a tagline for your personal brand.

“From a basket of kisses she picks one. It makes her unique. It colors her kiss. And her kiss, well, it colors her man. Mark your man.”

13. Real Estate Elevator Speech Example

This is the perfect elevator pitch example for real estate agents. Stacy talks about what she specializes in and highlights her experience in the real estate industry.

“If you know of someone who is looking for a real estate agent in the metropolitan Kansas City, Missouri area that is professional, knowledgeable, and technologically savvy, that’s me!”

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How to Create an Elevator Pitch with Examples

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How to Write a Perfect Elevator Speech

“What’s an elevator pitch, and how can it help your career? An elevator pitch —also known as an elevator speech—is a quick synopsis of your background and experience. The reason it’s called an elevator pitch is that it should be short enough to present during a brief elevator ride.

This speech is all about you: who you are, what you do, and what you want to do (if you’re job hunting).

Your elevator pitch is a way to share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don’t know you.

Done right, this short speech helps you introduce yourself to career and business connections in a compelling way. It can help you  build your network , land a job, or connect with new colleagues on your first day of work.”

Read the full article at thebalancecareers.com.

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20 Unique Elevator Pitch Activities

April 14, 2023 //  by  Nicole Neumann

An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that is a way of introducing oneself and sparking interest in one’s creative ideas. The name comes from the amount of time it should take to deliver. If you’re an educator of high school or college-aged students, you can consider using this technique in the classroom! Whether it be for a project your students are working on or preparing them for their future, students will surely benefit from these 20 unique activities.

1. Record Yourself

Out of the five steps in this activity, the most unique step is to record yourself. After students have crafted their pitch, they record themselves and then watch the video back in order to determine what they did well and what they need to work on. 

Learn More: Tallo

2. Elevator Pitch Worksheet

This free resource is the perfect way to help your students understand what an elevator pitch is. It lists the various components of an elevator speech and even provides a few example pitches. Use this when introducing the concept to your students. 

Learn More: California State University San Bernardino

3. Make it a Workshop

Instead of one lesson, consider making a workshop out of elevator pitches. Elevator pitches give your students so much to benefit from yet they can be rather difficult to get started with. Therefore, don’t rush through the content and allow your students to work on this over a longer period. 

Learn More: National Association of Colleges and Employers

4. Flipped Classroom Model

Consider having your students brainstorm their elevator pitches at home prior to the lesson. Then, during class, students can share their pitches with each other and ask for feedback. A flipped classroom model like this increases student engagement. 

Learn More: Utrecht University

5. Use Flipgrid

After students craft their elevator pitch, they can use the free, video-based tool to record themselves giving their speech. Afterward, Flipgrid allows students to watch and comment on each others’ videos to provide feedback.

Learn More: You Science

6. Prepare Multiple Pitches

In this activity, your students will create three different speeches. It’s beneficial to have multiple pitches planned for unique scenarios. After all, no situation in life is ever going to be the same.

Learn More: University of Maryland

7. Team Ice Breaker Activity

Instead of having your students work individually and create separate elevator pitches, consider following this model and allowing your students to work in teams to create and give an elevator pitch. Teamwork can help students overcome their fears of public speaking.

Learn More: Skills of the Modern Age

8. Use an Elevator Pitch to Share Your Research

Research activities are something that almost every student does at one point or another in their academic career. They can make your student stand out for a job or college opportunity. Students should create an elevator pitch based on the research they have conducted to hopefully share in the future.

Learn More: Teach Psych Science

9. Use a Hook

A good skill for students to learn is to establish a speech with a hook. If they resonate with their audience, they are more likely to be remembered. Using a hook will enable them to aptly portray their message to a given audience and captivate their interest.

Learn More: Word Stream

10. Add Captivating Details

Continuing on with the previous example, it’s very important for students to be remembered when they give their elevator speeches. In this activity, students will learn that by adding captivating details such as a quick story, they are more likely to be remembered.

Learn More: Story Doc

11. Shark Tank Project

The show, “Shark Tank” offers an opportunity where people to pitch their ideas in a short speech. After watching some examples from the show, have your students work on this Shark Tank Presentation.

Learn More: Erin Bunton

12. Give Multiple Examples

Since each of your students is different, so are their pitches. Give your students options to create different pitches by providing them with this resource that includes 13 different examples. 

13. Fill in the Blank Template

This resource will help students create an elevator pitch by filling in the blanks of a mad-libs-type activity. It’s perfect for when you have less time in the classroom or if your students need more support.

Learn More: Creative Business and Marketing

14. Watch a How To Video

This video by Professor Heather Austin offers five tips to create your own perfect elevator pitch. Showing a video in class is an engaging and innovative way to learn about an elevator pitch. 

Learn More: Professor Heather Austin

15. Pitch to a CEO

In this lesson plan, students will produce a video of themselves pitching to a CEO of a company. Who knows, this could make its way to a real-life CEO!

Learn More: Adobe

16. Incorporate the Past, Present, and Future

This resource explains the importance of including present, past, and future statements in a pitch. Students should make it known where they are now, where have they been, and where are they going. 

Learn More: St. Norbert College

17. Watch the “Best Elevator Pitch” of the World

This video will give your students an idea of what a good sales pitch looks like. Students are often very engaged by videos so this could be a great way to introduce elevator pitches. 

Learn More: Youtube

18. Sell Yourself

This activity has your students introduce themselves to the class and give you an idea of what their pitching skills are like. This could be useful as an icebreaker activity as well. 

Learn More: Let’s Get Down to Business

19. Set Up Student Appointments

In this activity, instead of students performing their elevator pitches in front of the class, set up 10-minute appointments with just you and the student so they can feel less nervous and you can have more time to give feedback. 

Learn More: University of Sussex

20. Marketing a Food Truck

This super fun activity is a great way to get students thinking about branding and marketing. Students can present their pitches to each other in a fun “pitch-off”! 

Learn More: The Pretty Little Classroom

Elevator Pitch Examples for Students

If you’re a student looking to craft the perfect elevator pitch, you’ve come to the right place. An elevator pitch should be brief and concise and allow the listener to understand what idea or product you’re describing easily. This article will outline how to turn your pitch from stiff and sounding pre-rehearsed to engaging and exciting. Get the art of elevator pitching right, and you’ll be opening all kinds of valuable doors to connections, networks, and career breaks.

Whether you’re preparing for a significant networking event, preparing an elevator pitch for an assignment, or want to acquire essential professional self-introductory skills, this article will help you along the way. Take it from us; We know how the concept of an elevator pitch can fill you with dread. And indeed, a lot of the old-school notions of the ideal elevator pitch (namely, it’s an ad about you) are cringeworthy and, quite frankly, counterproductive.

In fact, if you want your elevator pitch to be a success, you should not be aiming to boast or brag about yourself, and you shouldn’t sound overly prepared or robotic (or, conversely, unready and faltering).

Don’t worry! Here, we’ll let you in on the secret formula to making an impressive, skillful, and natural-sounding elevator pitch that flows easily and makes your listener listen attentively to your skills and qualifications. You just need to take a few minutes to read this guide, practice what you’ve learned, and away you go!

This article will give you the skills and confidence to pitch yourself clearly and interestingly to anyone, anywhere. I’ll also give you some examples of elevator pitches that apply to different scenarios that you may encounter. Take these examples as reference points that you can build on to produce the ideal elevator pitch to best suit you. But first, we’re going to answer some questions you may have.

What does “elevator pitch” mean? How is an elevator pitch different for students?

An elevator pitch (or speech or statement) is a succinct, easily understandable description or introduction about a person, idea, product, or company. It aims to grab the listener’s attention in as short a time as possible and enable them to grasp what you’re presenting to them thoroughly and quickly. The ideal elevator pitch will pique the listener’s curiosity and leave them wanting to learn more.

This type of speech derives from the concept that the whole pitch should be deliverable in no more than the time it takes to ride an elevator (i.e., no more than 60 seconds). However, this idea has shifted from the speech being all about you towards being an invitation to a conversation between you and your listener.

There are various scenarios where an individual or business may use an elevator pitch. For example, pitches can be made at career fairs, job interviews, networking events, investment rounds, discovery calls, conferences, etc.

So, what does this all mean for a student asked to give an elevator pitch? You may wonder what you (a student without a business background or professional achievements under your belt) could pitch or offer to anyone. It can be challenging to think of where to start, considering that perhaps all you have is your enthusiasm, academic capabilities, and some internship experience to show for yourself. This leads us to the next question…

How can a student make the listener care about what they have to say?

In a nutshell, the one thing which will make your listener give you the time of day is if you show that you’re trying to have a conversation with them.

What makes a great student elevator pitch?

Essentially, with a student elevator pitch, you’re attempting to communicate something. However, this communication should be a two-way street. Rather than merely boasting about or showcasing your talents or ideas, you need to be initiating a conversation.

No one set script exists for a successful elevator pitch, as each situation will demand some variation and modification. But the essentials will always be the same. These vital ingredients to an outstanding student elevator pitch that you should always include are:

1. An introduction: about yourself, what you do, how you do it

Start with saying hello, what your name is, what you’re studying, and your relevant experience. Once you’ve started with the basics, elaborate a little: explain how you do what you do and why you find the subject interesting.

2. Add some fascinating facts about yourself

You should be aiming to captivate your listener, so add some interesting details about yourself to make you stand out from the rest. Quickly give some background into how you got involved in your subject. Or maybe tell your listener about an interesting discovery you’ve made that they’ll find relevant or how something in your field frustrates you that they’ll relate to.

3. If possible, talk about your past achievements and give examples

Any internships or work experience relating to your field is valuable. Tell your listener about these and what you learned from them, the skills you gained, and how you contributed to any successes or achievements. You should be aiming to help the listener see how you could be an indispensable asset to their company or a worthwhile and effective partner.

4. The end of your pitch should be a conversation starter

You’ve given your pitch; now ask the listener a question. Your goal is to keep the conversation flowing to your advantage. The type of question you ask will depend on the situation. Maybe simply ask them to go into more detail about what they do. Perhaps get them to explain how you could help them. You could prompt them to share some tips or knowledge with you. You could get them to open up about some of the challenges they’ve faced in their field and how they overcame them.

So, we’ve looked at the “skeleton” of the perfect student elevator pitch. Now, let’s put the theory into practice by examining five different examples relating to different situations or scenarios. We’ll also break down each example to demonstrate how and why it works.

Student Elevator Pitch Examples

1. At a career fair

As a student, you’re arguably most likely going to be giving an elevator pitch at a career fair (either in person or virtually). Various companies will be present in this scenario, offering students potential internships (or offering graduates entry-level jobs). Chances are, you’ve already identified which employers you’d most like to work for and will be keen to show them what you can offer them.

In this example, Emily approaches one such potential employer and gives her elevator pitch:

Hi! I’m Jane, and I’ve recently graduated from CUNY with a bachelor’s in marketing and a minor in Spanish. I’m also a keen writer of amateur fiction, so I have a passion for creative storytelling. While doing my dissertation, I discovered that marketing campaigns were more than 50% more memorable if they revolved around a narrative rather than merely promoting benefits. Perhaps it’s true that features tell while benefits sell, but I’ve uncovered that it’s stories that truly sell something. I would love to take my storytelling skills in marketing as a content development intern with your company and help your business grow. Would you be able to tell me a bit about what challenges your company currently faces with digital content creation?

What makes this pitch so good?

• She’s added some personal branding that sets her apart from the other graduates (I have a passion for creative storytelling).
• She’s ignited curiosity right away by talking about her research that is potentially particularly relevant to the employer.
• She’s promising to add value and not just asking for a job.
• She finishes her pitch by asking an engaging question that invites further deep (at potentially rewarding) conversation.

2. At a job/internship interview

This setting is more formal than a career fair. During these types of interviews, you’ll inevitably be asked the dreaded question: “Tell me about yourself” by the interviewer(s). Essentially, your elevator pitch will be the answer to this question. Unlike in the previous example, there’s less room for creativity as there are particular interview “rules” that you shouldn’t break.

Here’s how Mark approached this:

I’m currently doing my degree in Communication at the University of Berkeley. I have 1 year of experience in junior Customer Happiness Officer roles at Company A and Company B. Professionally, my motivation is to give each customer tailor-made, personalized solutions. At Company A, I worked on a surveying project with eight colleagues on a cross-departmental team. We aimed to improve the user experience of the company’s mobile app. We listened carefully to customer feedback, and I was able to help boost our customer retention by 30%. I’d love to convert that experience into this role within your company and achieve similar results!

• Mark immediately states his academic qualifications in addition to his experience professionally.
• Mark doesn’t just say what he did for his work experience; he also explains briefly how he carried out his role and what results he achieved.
• He turned his elevator pitch into an offer to assist the employer in achieving their ideal business outcomes.

3. At a casual networking event

Some elevator pitches won’t be aimed at gaining employment or internship opportunities. Students can find themselves at conferences or networking events attended by people related to their field or industry. To give a pitch at these types of events can also be incredibly useful.

Josh was at a networking event where he spotted an editor of his favorite journal. This is how he started talking to him once he’d introduced himself:

What do I currently do? I ensure that robots aren’t taking over human jobs. How? I make friends with them! I’m a senior at Columbia University, and this summer, I’ll be finishing my bachelor’s degree in Machine Intelligence and Machine Learning. I’m guessing you’re well aware of the news articles claiming that AI writers are already more efficient than their human counterparts? I don’t think that’s entirely accurate, not to mention the high risk of entrusting robots with the task of producing highly influential information content like news pieces. However, we can use robots to our advantage with research processes for news articles, and I’ve been working on a project for the past six months regarding just this hypothesis. In fact, I’ve created a prototype of an AI research assistant that cuts research time by more than half. I was wondering if you’d like to tell me a bit more about the research process at your journal?

• Josh starts off with an emotional and engaging introduction about robots versus humans—an alarming, interesting, and thrilling subject…
• He makes the topic relatable to his listener (i.e., the editor would be aware of the sensationalist headlines about robots taking over human jobs).
• Using data from his own research, Josh clearly shows the editor how he has the knowledge to support and facilitate the working process at the journal.
• He demonstrates a desire to ask more about the journal and talk about experiences with the editor in a two-way conversation and not achieve anything immediate or concrete from their chat.

4. No experience

In an ideal world, you’d have had at least a little work experience or completed an internship in the relevant field towards the end of your college studies. However, some students find that this always worked out to be the case. And that’s okay!

Even if you’ve no experience or just starting out with your studies, you can still deliver an impressive elevator pitch. In cases like this, all you need is to demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm. Let’s take a look at Clara’s pitch:

Hi! I’m Clara, and since I was about 11 years old, I’ve been nuts about programming! It all started when my dad, a software engineer, taught me how to write a basic algorithm, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked! I couldn’t believe that I could take a simple code and get a computer to do what I told it to. Now, I can take my passion to the next level as a sophomore studying Computer Science at Stanford. I’ve been following recent developments in healthcare mobile apps, specifically your TeleHealth app. It would be great if you could tell me a bit more about its development and how you see it being utilized in the future…

• Clara starts off with a personal story about how her interest in this field was sparked. This is a great way to engage with people by adding a human touch.
• She also highlights her strong interest and passion in this field by using this personal story.
• She then talks about specifics, i.e., developments in healthcare mobile apps, showing how she’s genuinely into this niche.
• This elevator pitch shows how Clara wants to take the conversation and use it as a learning opportunity. She’s showing the listener how she wants to learn from their experience and expertise—and there’s no way the listener can deny her that!

5. The semi-personal introduction You may need to do an elevator pitch in a less formal setting. For example, you might want to introduce yourself to a peer at a university event and get them to quickly grasp what you do and get them to tell you a bit about themselves. Look at his type of elevator pitch as more like how you’d introduce yourself to someone at a party. Here’s how Nick did it:

I’ve been working on some National Geographic documentaries with David Attenborough. I’m kidding—I wish! But in the future, maybe! Right now, I’m doing my BSc in Marine Biology at UPenn (where I’m a senior). My central focus of research is whale song melody patterns, and I would love to be able to eventually make a documentary about it (with Sir Attenborough would be my absolute dream!). And you, what’s your passion?

• Nick immediately sparks interest by referencing David Attenborough—a much-loved figure in popular culture.
• He talks about his professional interest in an understandable, informal way that the listener can easily listen to and grasp as a concept.
• At the end of the pitch, Nick asks his listener a creative question that avoids a more generic type of conversation between students getting to know each other (i.e., “I’m a student at X, in my Y year, with a minor in Z. How about you?”

Before you go…

I’ve got a list of some more tips that should get you delivering an awesome student elevator pitch:

1. Keep it natural

Try your best not to come across as if you’re reciting a rehearsed script or formula. By all means, use an outline as a guide (and to keep your thoughts coherent and cohesive). However, you should adapt to your listener and the particular scenario each time.

2. End with a creative, engaging question

Your aim at the end of your pitch should be that it’s the start of a meaningful conversation with your listener. If they just answer with “Nice to meet you” and move on, your pitch hasn’t been a success!

3. Passion is important

Never feel as if you need to tone down your passion or enthusiasm. In fact, a genuine and keen interest in your field is one of your most valuable assets as a student (and in the years to come).

4. Cliches and buzzwords are a no-no

Avoid overused, generic words and phrases such as “go-getter,” “attention to detail,” “team player,” etc. These will make your listener glaze over and won’t make you stand out from the herd.

5. Practice with a friend

You can go over your pitch with someone familiar with your “normal” way of speaking. If they tell you that you sound stiff or rehearsed, change your tone and the wording of your pitch until it sounds more natural.

And there you have it—my handy guide to creating and using the perfect student elevator pitch for any given scenario. I hope you’ve found it inspiring and useful and that the whole notion of giving this type of pitch seems less daunting. Remember to stay true to yourself and your passion, and you can’t go wrong. Good luck!

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Elevator Pitch Examples for Students

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Traditionally, elevator pitches are used to persuade listeners to watch a film, read a book, or take some other action. Anyone can use an elevator pitch to sell a product or tout the benefits of a specific item.

Students can also use elevator pitches to briefly and conversationally describe their professional and educational background to a potential employer, recruiter, or manager. These types of pitches are meant to tell why the student would be a good asset for their business or organization. Elevator pitches—or elevator speeche—are so named because the goal is to finish the statement in about as long as an average elevator ride. That usually means around 30 seconds.

How Can you Create a Compelling Elevator Pitch About Yourself?

You start by introducing yourself, along with a pertinent credential or job title. Then, you describe your recent work experience and educational background as you deem necessary. Focus on making active statements that showcase your career-oriented skills, experience, and ambition. Think of it as a personal sales pitch that makes your audience want to learn more about you and have a longer conversation about your ideas and perspectives.

 Where can you use elevator pitches? Besides during an actual elevator ride, you might use them in the following situations:

• Job interviews. An elevator pitch is a great way to briefly describe yourself during a job interview.
• Career fairs. Giving your pitch to someone staffing a booth at a career fair could help you make a lasting impression.
• Networking events. In addition to in-person events, you might consider using an elevator pitch on social media channels like LinkedIn.
• Cover letters. Writing out a pitch on a cover letter can help you grab an employer’s attention.
• Email introductions. A straightforward elevator pitch at the beginning of an email to an employer may help you stand out.
• Personal portfolios or websites. Including a pitch in your portfolio or on your own website can help readers learn about your background.
• Business cards. In some cases, a short pitch on a business card can make it more memorable.

Elevator speeches come in handy in professional settings but can also be used in casual conversations. They’re especially beneficial if you’re looking for a new job or are between jobs.

Elements of an Elevator Pitch

 Here's a breakdown of the elements of a successful elevator pitch:

• Introduction. Think of the introduction as a casual ice breaker and lead-in to the meat of your elevator pitch. State your name and, if possible, a relevant title or credential.
• Specific career goal or interest. You should be able to succinctly explain your career aspirations, measurable goals, or key research interests, especially if you have a meaningful personal reason for being in the field.
• How you’ve demonstrated that interest. This is your chance to explain what you’ve done to further your career goals, both professionally and on your own.
• Reasons you’re qualified . Provide specific examples of measurable success in past professional roles. If you are a student or recent graduate, you can give an example of a relevant project that supports your qualification for the job.
• A question or request for assistance. Finish your pitch with a proactive statement or question that encourages your audience to respond. It helps to have researched the person or organization you are communicating with so that your request is specific and aligns with their values, and even their current projects, in addition to your own. Don’t just ask them for a favor; make yourself an asset and a part of the conversation. Have a business card ready so that they have your contact details as well as a reason to reach out.

 Whenever possible, try to summarize both your professional and educational background to convey your drive, commitment, and diversity of experience.

Elevator Pitch Examples

Your elevator pitch could change depending on the context you use it in. For example, you might focus more on on-the-job experience when looking to advance your role in a company. Or you may opt to share more specific info about your education if you’re hoping to intern. It’s common to use an elevator pitch in the following scenarios:

 Applying for an Internship

• To secure an internship, remember to speak to your educational background and, if possible, previous internship experience.
• An elevator pitch for an internship might look like this: “I'm Jane Doe, a linguistics major at UVA and head editor for the college magazine. During my Globes internship, I used my research and editing talents to promote the company's community participation initiative. As the communications director's assistant at Media Company, I will exercise my reporting, interdepartmental liaison, and audience awareness experience to enhance public relations.”

Open Letter

• This stand-alone presentation can be used for multiple purposes, including job interviews.
• Here’s what a pitch for an open letter could look like: “I graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s in business. I interned at Cali Dreams for two years and am now their development assistant. I've successfully helped them enhance operating procedures and create prospects for profitable fundraising. I have a few exciting ideas for creating prospect materials that may help your company more easily support existing agency contacts. In a business developer role, I would start off by creating dynamic and strategic calendars.”

Limited Experience

• Elevator pitches are still great to use even if you have limited professional experience or haven’t yet earned a bachelor’s degree.
• Example: “I'm a student at USF with an interest in IT innovations. I'm excited to apply my knowledge of mobile apps to a position at Applied Informatics. My experience in information sharing and online cooperation would make me a valuable mobile app developer intern at your organization.”

Note that these elevator pitch examples focus on what the individual has accomplished. Potential employers would rather hear what you’ve done and what you’ve learned rather than what you haven’t.

Common Elevator Pitch Mistakes

Just because an elevator pitch is short and concise doesn’t always mean it’s easy to create one. In fact, it’s often because of their brevity that some people can make these common mistakes:

• Rambling. Being too wordy or unfocused will lessen the impact of your elevator pitch. Remember to get to the point quickly.
• Talking too fast. Be careful not to rush. Use simple words, speak deliberately, and place emphasis where it matters most. Show interest in the other person’s responses and ideas.
• Being too generic. Avoid relying on a basic or vague template for your elevator pitch. Don’t use generic jargon or buzzwords where specific synonyms would work better. Try to be conversational and natural.
• Using unconfident language. Be sure not to use phrases that show a lack of confidence like “I think I could fit the role” or “I hope you’ll give me a chance.” Be direct and express yourself positively.
• Delivering in a stiff or stuffy way. Keep in mind that elevator pitches are usually spoken, and even if they’re written, they should sound inviting, not stuffy. Try not to use phrases like “to whom it may concern” or “I await your response.”

Achieve Your Professional Goals

A lot of work goes into preparing for and attaining a fulfilling job. A good elevator pitch is one of your most important assets in doing so. Think of it as a supportive multi-tool you can pull out of your back pocket and use in many different circumstances. If you prepare, practice, and update an elevator pitch as needed, you will increase your social and networking skills. You might also find the career role you’re looking for faster.

 If you highlight your strengths and keep your pitch attention grabbing, you should expect to see success over time. No matter what degree you’re pursuing or what career field you’re hoping to enter, a great elevator pitch can be an invaluable aid.

 WGU offers extensive professional development resources designed to keep you cutting-edge within your field and help you prepare for job interviews, write résumés and cover letters, network with peers, find jobs, and more.

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Co-op & Career Centre

Writing an elevator pitch as a student: a step-by-step guide.

Posted on Tuesday, July 18th, 2017

It happens in every interview . It happens at every networking event . It could even happen when you’re out walking your dog, attending a wedding, or at a family gathering.

Eventually, someone is going to ask you the dreaded question, “So tell me about yourself. What do you do?”

Your answer to this question is important. Depending on the situation, it could lead you to job opportunities, mentors, and contacts. It can sell people on you and your skills. It can show potential employers exactly what you can do for them. In 30 seconds, it can open doors for you and help grow your network and brand.

It’s your elevator pitch, and it’s super important that you have one so that when the inevitable question is asked, you’ll have a stellar answer.

Step One: Answer some key questions first.

The goal of an elevator pitch is to sell yourself and your abilities in 30 seconds. As soon as someone asks what you do, you want to give them a quick overview that intrigues and interests them. That means quickly giving them some key information:

• What you’re studying
• What you’re looking for

Depending on your situation, this can all fit into a single sentence. Something like:

“My name is Jane Smith. I’m a Bachelor of Commerce student at Algonquin College. I’m currently looking for a co-op position in Ottawa.”

Great, you’ve given them the facts. But there’s nothing there to hook your listener. It needs more.

Step Two: Take time to spruce it up.

You need to tell your listener why you’re awesome. What’s in it for them? What do you do that makes you suited to meet your goal—in this case, to find a co-op position?

Think about your transferable skills ( and use our guide to find your own ). What are your superpowers? By adding those in, your pitch could start to take shape:

“My name is Jane Smith. I’m a Bachelor of Commerce student at Algonquin College. Through my program, I have hands-on experience with supply chain management, and I lead my colleagues as class representative. I’m looking for a co-op position where I can put my skills to work for an organization in Ottawa.”

Now you have a pitch that’s really shaping up. You have your name and program, an industry-related skill (supply chain management), a transferable skill (leadership), and what you’re looking for.

It’s just missing one thing.

Step Three: End with a call to action.

Like all sales pitches, your elevator pitch should end with a call to action for the listener. Often, this will take the shape of a question you ask. This gives the listener the opportunity to respond to you and drive the conversation along.

The question you end on should further your goal—in this case, finding a co-op position. Some possibilities are:

• “Can I give you my card?” (Because of course, you’ve had business cards made , right?)
• “Are there current opportunities in your organization?”
• “Do you know of anyone looking for co-op students?”

So now, your pitch becomes:

“My name is Jane Smith. I’m a Bachelor of Commerce student at Algonquin College. Through my program, I have hands-on experience with supply chain management, and I lead my colleagues as class representative. I’m looking for a co-op position where I can put my skills to work for an organization in Ottawa. Has your company ever brought on co-op students?”

This ending allows the conversation to carry on. It can encourage the listener to ask you more questions, opens the door for you to talk about the benefits of co-op and your program, and may give you the chance to talk about why you’d be the perfect hire at their organization.

Step Four: Put your elevator pitch to work.

Now that you’re armed with an elevator pitch, it’s time to use it.

First, practice, practice, practice so that you’re comfortable with it. Depending on the situation, you’ll usually have to modify it on the spot. If you have it committed to memory, that becomes much easier to do.

Remember: your elevator pitch is a key component of your personal brand . Because of this, it can find a home in all parts of your professional toolkit. From your LinkedIn summary to your Twitter bio, you want to reflect those same skills and abilities that you have in your pitch.

Like any other part of your job hunting kit, your pitch will change and update as you learn more skills and get more comfortable in your industry. Don’t be afraid to revisit it every so often, so you know it’s the best it can be. It’s yours, and will help you find all kinds of cool people and opportunities.

If you would like to learn more about the Algonquin College co-op program, please visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at [email protected] or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623. You can also follow us on Twitter @AlgonquinCoop .

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• Exploration
• Interviewing

Who do you think you are? Elevator pitch

This activity is a great way to get students thinking, talking, writing, and speaking. Students will learn what an elevator pitch is and write their own. There are supplementary materials that you can use to show them examples, both video and written. There’s also a list of writing and delivery tips.

Students will practice delivering their pitch, and use glows and grows to give and get feedback.

Activity resources

• Activity handout for students Document download
• Interview self-assessment handout Document download
• Download all Download

Activity instructions

Circle back to the main interviewing lesson Do Now and ask students to have their responses close by.

Explain that an interview is a chance to make a strong first impression, but in order to do that, you have to be prepared. One way to prepare is to write an elevator pitch—or a quick synopsis of your background and experience.

Framing tip: 

Remind your students of the importance of going into interviews prepared. Reassure them that even though some of these practice exercises might feel awkward at first, everyone is here to help each other out. And that this kind of practice will lead them to greater self-awareness. Remind them that these activities are all about helping their future selves feel confident and ready for job interviews when the time comes.

Tell students that an elevator pitch needs to be short (30-60 seconds).

Share this list of elevator pitch writing tips with your students. 

Elevator pitch writing tips:  

• Keep it brief. Don’t tell your whole life story. Give a short recap of who you are and what you do.  
• Be persuasive and positive. Like a strong thesis statement, you want to get the hiring manager’s attention. Focus on what you want to do–not what you don’t.  
• Mention your goals. Get to the point and say what you’re looking for.  
• Know your audience. Research the industry and company and notice the language they use when they talk about their work, and write your elevator pitch using that language. 

Share an example. You can share a video or written examples on the slides.

 Students write their elevator pitch.

Students will pair up with another student and give their pitch. 

Ask students to give each feedback (a glow and a grow) using the elevator pitch writing tips as a guide. Students can also use this list of criteria for how to deliver a strong elevator pitch. 

Elevator pitch delivery tips: 

• Don’t speak too fast.  
• Avoid filler words “like,” “um.”  
• Deliver your pitch with energy and enthusiasm. 
• Avoid a monotone delivery and use expression.  
• Make eye contact.

There are a lot of different ways you can extend this activity. You can ask students to make a video of themselves and then watch their elevator pitch. They can set a goal for areas they want to keep practicing and improving on. You can give students opportunities to keep practicing their pitch with each other and giving and getting feedback.

Optional Do Now recap (5 minutes)

In a subsequent class, ask students to answer: Did you have a chance to practice your elevator pitch outside of class? How did it go? What did you learn?

Self-assessment: Give students the opportunity to reflect on this activity and set goals.

Amplify with additional resources

If you want to dig deeper into teaching interviewing skills and give your students more practice, check out Open P-TECH’s self-paced student courses. *Note: You'll need to register for Open P-TECH to access this content.

Unlock all supplementary resources

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Your Admissions Plan: The Applicant Elevator Pitch, 1

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Madeleine Karydes

Lead admissions expert, table of contents, your first homework assignment.

Stay up-to-date on the latest research and college admissions trends with our blog team.

F irst, y ou and your student have finalized the list of colleges to which your student will apply . Then, take time to research what each college will value.

Research the following:

• The college’s mission statement and vision.
• T he college’s social reputation (for instance, is the college particularly academic like Swarthmore or uber-liberal Wesleyan ? )
• Read the descriptions of the college in the Yale Insider’s Guide and/or the Fiske Guide , both of which use currently enrolled student feedback and reviews.
• Check with your guidance office’s scattergrams to see where your student falls on the scale of acceptance for the past few years.
• Programs the college highlights in its literature.

Once you have a summary of this information, determine in what ways your student clearly represents what the college values, whether it be through their marketing or through what current students indicate in their reviews. What is the campus culture? Where does the college see itself going in the next ten years? What values have been consistent in the college’s mission.   

Connect the dots

You should now be able to see how your student matches each college’s profile. The next step is to make sure that all aspects of your student’s communication with the college reflect this profile. Whether it be an email to an admissions representative, a thank you note for an interview, an inquiry to a professor, or a chat with an alum at a college information session, your student should have their targeted profile in mind and articulate it in some way.

In other words: your applicant elevator pitch

Think of this as crafting a creative elevator speech (you probably know those by now). Be sure this pitch, though, is creative and not a simple list of accomplishments as seen on a resume. It should be a highlight of how your student is unique, yet a good fit for the college, and should be adaptable to individual situations, so as not to sound memorized and robotic. By choosing four or five specific characteristics that are effective to share, your student can build a short speech around which aspects seem most appropriate in the moment.

Let’s look at a case study

For instance, a college may state in its mission that it “is dedicated to educating students to learn, lead and serve in a diverse and changing world” (Loyola U of MD). With this in mind, your student should be able to articulate how they have learned, led, and served in a way that supports a diverse and changing world. Highlighting an experience in working with a homeless shelter, where your student created a new program and recruited other students to volunteer, would indicate a desire to live the mission of this college.

How would you express these qualities?

This experience would be easy enough to share in an interview, but it can also be easily inserted in an email:

Dear Professor Smith, I am interested in studying political science and government, and I would like to hear more about how I can prepare myself to work in urban renewal. Are there specific courses that would enhance my understanding of city government? My interest stems from my work with an urban homeless shelter where I established a program…

By sharing anecdotes associated with the college’s mission, your student will indicate why they are a good match for the college. All colleges are looking for students who will support their vision of who they are, both as enrolled students and as future alums.

Read the complete Your Admissions Plan series below.

• The Applicant Elevator Pitch
• College Networking Scenarios
• Essay Writing with Style
• Recommendations Proposal

Let us know if you need help!

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• Registration2
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Northeast High

Achieving Excellence

• About Northeast High
• School Administration
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• Graduation Requirements
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• General Information
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• Update Student Contact Information and Clinic Card
• Faculty Resources
• Freshman Orientation
• Student Handbook

Site Shortcuts

• Administration & Staff Directory
• Bell Schedule
• College & Career Center
• Counseling Team
• Exam Policy FAQs
• Report an Absence
• Report Bullying
• Report Safety Concerns
• Schedule Changes
• Scholarships
• School Improvement Plans
• School Information
• Watch PCS Sports

Announcements

Take the Library Media Survey for 2024-25!

Volleyball Summer Conditioning:  All dates are 7am-9am.

June:  24, 25, 27

July:  1, 2, 8, 9,11,15,16,18, 22, 23, 25

Varsity tryouts July 29th to August 2nd from 4 to 6pm.

Jv tryouts August 5th to August 9th 4 to 6 pm.

9th - 11th Grade Picture Day will be during the school day on Thursday, August 29th. All 9th - 11th grade students will be photographed for their student ID. Parents and guardians may preorder photo packages at  Leonards.com/photoprepay using School Code: C656524. Physical photo package forms will be available on campus in the days before Picture Day. 

Northeast Viking Log yearbooks are on sale now until 9/1 for the Earlybird price of $78.65, a potential savings of $26. Pre-order yours today at https://buytheyearbook.pictavo.com/  and take advantage of this sale. 

Class of 2025, it's time to start planning for your senior year and that begins with Senior Portraits. Check out the Leonard's Senior Focus magazine for the types of sessions available to you. Then read the senior sessions instructions to schedule your portrait session before the start of the school year. Deadline for all senior pictures in September 1st. 

Yearbook presale orders are still open. 2024 yearbooks can be ordered through the bookkeeper for $100. Only cash and money orders will be accepted. 

Stay Connected with the Pinellas County Schools App

Pinellas County Schools is helping parents and students stay connected to their school with the Pinellas County Schools App. The app, developed by Focus, helps families access student information on their cellphones and mobile devices. Parents and students can still use the Focus website on desktop computers, but the app is designed to work better with mobile devices.

 Parents and students receive real-time notifications of grades, attendance, upcoming assignments and test scores. App users are also able to view school district news, Facebook posts and school messages. Links to the student calendar, school menus, school bell times, family engagement opportunities and transportation info are also available.

The app can be downloaded from the  Google Play Store  or the  Apple App Store .

Tips for Parents

The smartphone app provides easy access to:

• Current Student Grades
• Current Student Attendance
• Recent Student Assignments
• Upcoming Student Assignments
• Relevant Web Links
• Recent Facebook Feeds
• Recent Portal Messages

For more information regarding the PCS App, please visit the PCS website.

State of the School: Principal Hernandez will present the annual State of the Vikings on February 20, 2024 @ 6pm in the media center.  

State of the School Address 2024

Clinic:  Free Flu Shots for all students.  Please complete the flu registration form and clinic consent packet before making an appointment. Please review the Vaccine Information Statement .

New phone extensions (click link)

Social Media Links

Upcoming Events

September 2, 2024.

Labor Day holiday - No school for students

September 23, 2024

No school for students - Possible hurricane make-up day if needed

October 11, 2024

End of first quarter

October 14, 2024

Peachjar eflyers, online payments.

5500 16th St. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33703-2021

(727) 570-3138

(727) 570-3147

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