5 top tips for the perfect elevator pitch

31 Mar, 2022 | Career Coaching, Job Search

white woman telling white man her elevator pitch

5 top tips for the perfect elevator pitch

Just me who felt like this??

Or the thought of telling a potential employer, or even another person in conversation, what you do fill you with dread?

Returning to work after a career break is daunting.

This is totally normal, especially when you’re looking to return to work or change careers. Far too much I hear “I’m just a mum” – There is no JUST about it, being a mum is a really hard job. Also procreating doesn’t cancel all your knowledge, skills and experience, it only enhances them!

Most women that I work with find it really hard to talk about their achievements but the reality is, if you can’t tell someone what you do or want to do, how an earth will they know? It’s vital that you get this right, especially during the job process. 🛑 The salary negotiation actually starts here remember, not at the offer stage (more about that another time).

So if the thought of explaining to someone what you do or selling yourself fills you with THE FEAR, then this is for you!

🙌🏽 This week, I had the privilege of coaching 45 women on their elevator pitch – the 30 – 60 second spiel that you need to have ready about yourself.

This pitch is curated with a potential employer in mind and can be used in loads of ways, from a CV, interview to a networking event. Lots of the women froze, others told me everything, whilst others told me lots of information that was irrelevant to what they personally wanted. This pitch is YOUR OPPORTUNITY to make an impact on your potential future boss.

😀 The one thing that did happen, is the more they practised, the more their pitches improved and the more their confidence grew and this applied to EVERYONE!

So let me break it down for you

1. Who are you – Your name and qualifications (if relevant). You need to tell people who you are, otherwise they simply don’t know. e.g. My name is Padma, it’s great to meet you.

2. Background – niche – what do you do or what do you want to be known for?? e.g. and I have over 20 years’ experience in the recruitment and career coaching space, and am a qualified NLP Practitioner.

3. Context – Give them an example of a result that ahs been achieved because of your skills / experience? e.g. I’ve helped over 2,000 women find careers they love through my career coaching

4. Connection – Personalise it – why do you want that specific job? Why do you want to work for that company in particular? Is it because of their values? Is it because of the work they do? e.g. I’d love to work for your company as I know fairness is one of your company values and this is one of my core values too.

5. Ask – What do you want? What’s your call to action? There is no set answer here, there are several possible outcomes, depending on what you want e.g. Do you want to connect with them on LinkedIn? Meet for a coffee? Ask them to mentor you? Ask for them to connect you with the Head of PR & Comms within the company? e.g. I’d love to work for your organisation, would it be possible for you to connect me with the Head of L&D please?

The main thing is that you ask. Most people are so delighted to get the first four points out the way, they forget to ask so the person that you’re talking to has no clue what you want. Trust me, most people want to help others but only if you’re clear about what you want!