Week 5 Assignment: Elevator Pitch Activity Sheet
Elevator Pitch Exercise
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Define Your Goals. My goal for this speech is:
Identify your audience. My audience is
Craft Your Speech. : Share who you are, what your unique selling point is, and don’t forget to ask for a business card or contact information
NURS 497: Going Up! The Elevator Pitch
Hello everyone, and thank you for joining today’s webinar, “Going Up! The Elevator Pitch”. Today’s webinar is brought to you by the Career Services department at West Coast University.
Close your eyes and imagine performing your clinical rotations at a hospital you would love to work at. As you wait for the elevator, the door opens, and it is the unit manager that oversees the unit where you want to work when you obtain your license. When you walk in, you both say hello, and he immediately asks you how your clinical experience is going so far? You share that you are learning so much and could see yourself working at the organization, especially in the unit he oversees. He nods and says,” Really, because I am looking for passionate and hardworking nurses to join my team. Tell me a little bit about yourself.”
What do you do, and more importantly, what do you say?
This is the time where your elevator pitch comes in. In today’s presentation, you will learn:
What is an elevator pitch?
Next is the Who section.
Third, where will elevator pitches be used?
Fourth, how to put one together.
Section 5 goes over examples of elevator pitches.
And finally, some tips to consider.
Let’s get started!
What is an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech you use to introduce yourself or your company. Its purpose is to explain who you are and what you do. It should be 30-45 seconds in length, enough time to get your message across during a quick elevator ride.
In this scenario and other situations, as you will learn in just a moment, having a well-crafted elevator pitch is important for several reasons.
It organizes your thoughts so you can confidently talk about your background and goals.
Second, it allows you to grab their attention and spark curiosity instantly.
Last, it is a great way to establish compelling connections.
Ultimately, your elevator pitch is all about you! It’s about effectively communicating your personality, skillsets, and goals in a brief conversation to help you network and get ahead in your career path.
Introduce yourself to the person you are networking with by greeting them and stating your name.
Be sure to clearly say what you do for work if you are a student or both. Then, identify your unique selling point or USP.
Maybe you are currently working as a Patient Care Tech and have some healthcare experience. Or maybe you are heavily involved in your community because of all the volunteer work you do. Whatever your USP is, make sure the listener gets to hear this. It will help them remember you after you part ways.
It’s also important to talk about your goals. What do you want to do? Consider your 1-3-year career path.
What motivates you? Talking about your plans will let the listener continue to get to know you during this brief interaction.
And finally, remember to ask for a business card or contact information so you can stay in touch and follow up.
Now you might be wondering where else the elevator pitch can be used. There are many opportunities and situations you may find where you will use an elevator pitch. Let’s look at those different situations.
An elevator pitch can be used during career fairs. When you meet with employers at career fairs, your elevator pitch is how you would introduce yourself as you approach their booth or table. An effective pitch will determine the rest of the conversation and hopefully leads to an interview.
During networking events, your elevator pitch is used when you approach the recruiter to discuss job opportunities.
During a job interview, an elevator pitch is used to respond to the “Tell me about yourself” question.”
LinkedIn is one of the top social media platforms for professionals. Make sure to have a well written elevator pitch within your professional profile. The same goes for your resume, on your objective or professional summary section.
These are all forms of using and presenting an elevator pitch. Remember, as you evolve in your career, so does your resume, so make sure to update your elevator pitch.
Let’s now dive deeper into what goes into an elevator pitch and how to piece it all together.
Keep in mind the following components:
Think about your journey
Then, think about your plans and goals.
Lastly is a call to action. How will you continue the conversation?
First, your journey. Your elevator pitch should aim to highlight aspects that set you apart from other candidates.
If you’re a student, include relevant accomplishments and recognitions. Be honest about what you are doing now and how it is related to the job you are seeking.
Are you a volunteer somewhere? If so, explain how your current experience is preparing you for your future career. If you are already working in healthcare, share with the listener how you can contribute right away. These experiences all speak to who you are and your journey.
Next, Let’s talk about your plans. Make sure to share what you are looking for with your audience; it’s okay to be specific about your career goals.
If you had a great experience during your clinical rotations, you might want to mention that.
If your goal is to work in pediatrics, let the listener know that you’re passionate about working with children.
If you enjoyed working in a team environment and got a lot out of your preceptor, state that as well.
This will show the listener that you enjoyed your pediatrics rotation, value teamwork, and want to provide care to children.
Last is the call to action. What are you going to do or say to start a two-way conversation?
This could be asking for their business card so you can reach out in the future about opportunities.
Handing them your resume and asking them to keep you in mind for future opportunities.
Both actions show a recruiter or hiring manager you’re interested in their organization and encourages a follow-up conversation.
Now that you know what elements can go into an elevator pitch. Let’s take a look at some examples.
The first will be an example of a nursing student about to graduate with work experience, and the second example will be of a nursing student about to graduate with NO work experience.
Hi, my name is John Smith. I am about to graduate from West Coast University with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and I also work as a Certified Nursing Assistant at ABC Hospital. Working as a CNA has prepared me to become a better nurse and advocate for patients. Because of this experience, I would love the opportunity to be part of your upcoming new RN program. If you have time, I would love to learn more about the program or exchange contact information and chat later about this opportunity?
Let’s break this down.
Who is he? He introduced himself as a student about to graduate at West Coast University with his BSN
What about his journey? He is working as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
What are his plans? John is eager to start a new grad program.
And lastly, how did John close his pitch? He asked for a business card or email to follow up.
Next is an example of a nursing student with no work experience.
Hi! my name is Janet Lee. I am about to graduate from West Coast University with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I really enjoyed my clinical rotation at CHOC and would love to start their new grad program in the Fall. Could I contact you within the next 90 days to learn more about what it is like working as a Pediatric nurse?
So here we learn that Janet is not working.
She introduced herself as a future graduate of West Coast University.
She enjoyed her clinical rotation and is speaking to someone working in that field.
Janet wants to start her career at CHOC in their new grad program
And her call to action? She asked if they could connect again so that she can learn more.
Although Janet does not have work experience, she was confident to ask to speak again and can further share her interest and passion for the field.
Now that you have seen examples and components that can be added, we want to be sure not to only include all of it but really tailor it so that it is short, to the point, yet impactful. And that takes practice.
Here is a handout to help you put it together. Please contact your Career Services Department for a copy.
I hope you found that exercise helpful.
As you put your pitch together, keep in mind the following tips:
Do emphasize key points that will help you stand out. Remember to pause and let it flow naturally as if it’s a conversation. So, be comfortable, and that means practicing your body language and eye contact. Once you got that, your passion and positivity will radiate.
And don’t worry about being too focused on timing where you are counting as you speak. When putting it together and practicing, be sure it’s within that time frame.
As a final note for this workshop, I want to remind you about the power of a great elevator pitch. As mentioned throughout the presentation, your pitch is an impactful tool that can be crafted and recycled over and over for many different situations. To make the most out of your networking opportunities, always have your pitch prepared and rehearsed so you are ready to sell yourself in any given situation. You never know who you will meet and what doors they may open for you!
That concludes this webinar. We hope you found this information helpful and will take the time to make an elevator pitch that you feel confident in using at your next interview or career fair.
If you need any additional assistance, remember that you are not on this path alone, Career Services is here to help!
Elevator Pitch Exercise
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Define Your Goals. My goal for this speech is:
Identify your audience. My audience is
Craft Your Speech. : Share who you are, what your unique selling point is, and don’t forget to ask for a business card or contact information