In an increasingly competitive job field it’s important to distinguish yourself from the leagues of other students and job applicants. Whether you’re at a networking event, cold calling a potential employer, or attending a job interview, it is critical to be able to sell yourself in 30 seconds or less. This short pitch is often referred to as the elevator speech. jobpostings magazine spoke with Academic and Career Counsellor Paul Merrigan and Career Educator Signy Wilson to get some advice on how to create your best elevator speech.

What is it?
“The actual term comes from a scenario where you step into an elevator only to come face to face with the person you’ve been looking for an opportunity to see and you have only the time you’re traveling in the elevator to make a lasting impression. Essentially it’s a 30-second mini-commercial where the product you’re selling is you,” says Merrigan.

While this personal sales pitch derives its name from the chance elevator encounter scenario, this tool can be used anywhere you have the opportunity to meet contacts in your desired field.

What to Include
Keep it short. “You don’t want your speech turning into a Shakespearean monologue,” cautions Wilson. When you’re crafting your elevator speech take a moment to identify the one or two key points you want to drive home. What do you want the listener to remember about you? “Talk about one or two of your most impressive skills or accomplishments or talk about what your interest, niche or passion is,” she advises.

“The purpose of an elevator speech is to paraphrase who you are and what you have to offer,” says Merrigan. “And the most effective way to do this is to focus on your most relevant attributes for that specific person.”

Perfecting your Speech
Both advisors agree that practice makes perfect.

“You’ll notice different things like the rhythm might be off, your tongue might trip over certain words, or it just might not feel like it’s yours,” says Wilson. “With my personality it totally makes sense for me to say, ‘Hi. My name is Signy and I’m completely committed to doing training and helping people become the best they can be. What’s your passion?’ But when I have these shy, soft-spoken students saying, ‘I’m passionate about math’ that passion just doesn’t come across. It’s very important that the style of your speech reflects who you are,” stresses Wilson.

If you feel your elevator speech sounds forced, Merrigan suggests practicing in front of a mirror or in front of friends to help make it feel more natural. And if you’re worried about the length of your speech, he suggests practicing it while riding in an elevator.

You never know when an opportunity will arise, so make sure your speech is always in the back of your mind. The key, Wilson says, “is to have enough fluency with it to be able to go into the speech whenever an opportunity presents itself.”

Conquering your Nerves
If you’re at a networking event and find your palms getting sweaty Wilson says, “It’s okay to say, ‘I’m a bit nervous but let me tell you a bit about me.’ It will take the pressure to be perfect off.” Wilson also suggests having an easy question ready to ask once you’ve given your speech. “The easiest one being-What do you do? This takes the spotlight off you and onto them,” she says.

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