The Importance of the Elevator Pitch

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Like baseball in the 9th inning, all the talent in the world won’t help you if you can’t pitch. But unlike baseball, when it comes to showing off that talent to potential future employers, the pitch can only be one style: a fastball.

With an elevator pitch, the goal is to sum up who you are, what you’re good at and what you want to do with your career and life, all while making it relevant, interesting and impressive. And all in 30-60 seconds. Not exactly an easy task.

When I was writing my elevator pitch, I was troubled about what to write at first. I’m only 21 years old. What had I done in my industry to gain an employer’s respect or desire to hire me? I’m just a college student after all. But then I realized just how much experience I really do have. I don’t say this as a way of bragging; the truth is, all of us have a lot to offer any journalism organization. Especially if it’s presented in a confident, concise and engaging manner.

As members of the Walter Cronkite School, we’re taught by some of the best journalism minds in the country. As members of Barrett, the Honors College, we work hard to advance ourselves as much as possible. Internships, blogs, social media, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, FinalCut and WordPress are all tools that have been at our disposal for years. Although this all sounds like bragging, the truth is, an elevator pitch without confidence will attract no one.

If we want to put forth a successful elevator pitch, confidence is the key. Leaders are confident and honest about what they bring to the table. Who wouldn’t want to hire who can tell you their life story, dazzle you with their skill set and tell you what they want in less than a minute? In this way, we see how leadership relates to the simple idea of an elevator pitch.

To close, I’ll quote the now unforgettable words of Eminem to open his famous song “Lose Yourself”:

“If you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, would you capture it? Or just let it slip?”

2 Comments on “The Importance of the Elevator Pitch”

  1. Really great post, Gerald, as I completely agree with all your thoughts. Mostly, what I agree with is your point about our youth. I seem to find myself in similar situations, especially when you don’t want to come off as arrogant. Maybe it’s just me, but I really wish someone would indicate what an appropriate amount of talking about our accomplishments is (without coming off as a ego-driven college grad). I’d really like to address this point in class.

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