Elevate Your Elevator Pitch: How to Introduce Yourself at Career Expo:

Preparing yourself for the Career Expo each semester can be a daunting task. Whether you are searching for a full-time position or an internship, you want to make a strong first impression. You will want to dress to impress, have your resume reviewed and printed on resume paper, and you want to research the companies on Handshake or the Career Fair+ app before you arrive.

            Another great way to prepare for the Career Expo is to develop your elevator pitch and practice it before you attend the event. There are many ways to approach the elevator pitch and while one way will work for one person, it will not work for everyone. Knowing what makes you unique and what skills are your strongest, will help you to cultivate an elevator pitch that shows employers who you are. Here are some strategies to use when writing your elevator pitch:

1. The elevator pitch is like the interview question “Tell me about yourself.” This is the first introduction you will get with an employer. Think about it as a short 20 – 30 second advertisement of who you are, what you are looking for, and how you can add value to their organization. Start with your skills, qualifications, and characteristics that you will bring to the company.
2. Know your audience: who are you talking to at the expo? Is it a recruiter, an engineer, a hiring manager? This will help guide how you approach your pitch to each company.
3. Know yourself: What are your key strengths? What adjectives come to mind that describe you? Why are you interested in the company you are talking to?
4. Create an outline: Who are you? What have you done? What can you offer? What makes you different from the competition?
5. Once you have your speech developed, you should write it out so it flows, practice it out loud, and be flexible. You can change your speech based on the company you are speaking to.

Here is a basic script you can use when developing your pitch:

Student: “Hello, my name is John Student.”  

Recruiter:  “Hi John, I am Connie Smith”

Student: “It is nice to meet you Ms. Smith.  [Pause}

I am very happy to see that company name is attending the Career Expo this year.  I have been following company name for a long time.  I am a junior in the _______ program at Embry-Riddle.  I plan to graduate in May 2024.  As a ____ student, I am interested in the work that  company name is doing on the ______ project.  I have recently been working on a similar project in my ___ class.  

I went to the company website and saw that you have an internship program.  Could you tell me more about this program?”

OR

“I applied online to the summer internship program/position for ______________ and wondered if you could look at my resume/speak to me more about this opportunity.

            Ending your pitch with a call to action or a question helps the recruiter or employer know where to go next with the conversation. Applying to a full-time job or internship prior to attending the Career Expo will also help you to better prepare for your introductions to each company. This also allows the company representative to better understand what you are seeking and can then put a face and resume to an application. It is also a good idea to bring requisition numbers of the applications with you, so employers know which position you applied for at the company.

             The Prescott Campus Career Expo is happening this Thursday, March 7^th so make sure you prepare your elevator pitch and research the companies now! For our Daytona Beach Campus students, the Career Expo is on Thursday, March 21^st so you have a few more weeks to prepare your pitch and research companies. Our Worldwide virtual event will be happening on Thursday, April 18^th. Do not forget that you should research companies and prepare your introductions for that event as well!