For the “Switch Up Your Pitch” series, I was excited to collaborate with former CSE Career Captain, Stephanie Borr ‘22, MA’23 to come up with strategies for adapting elevator pitches (value statements) according to the situation. This first series installation series focuses on strategies for adapting elevator pitches for informational interviews.

– Natalie Warila, Assistant Director of Career Strategies

The “Switch Up Your Pitch” Series with Stephanie Borr ‘22, MA’23

Something I’ve learned, both in Launching Your Global Career with Marcia Katz and through my own experience, is that my elevator pitch (or value statement) should be unique to the situation I’m in, and is dependent on my mission, who I’m talking to, my current career goals, etc. 

Your elevator pitch should be constantly evolving and growing with you, but it starts with a strong foundation that includes key details about who you are – your past, your present, and your future. If you’re new to building your elevator pitch, you should check out Polish your pitch! 10 Basic rules for value statements for more information on building your basic 3 part framework.

Once you’ve built your initial elevator pitch, and have it memorized and good to go, you should start practicing adapting it according to the situation you are in (informational interview, networking event, formal interview, career fair).

You should also always keep in mind:

• Who your audience is
• Where you are in the conversation (timing)
• The message you are trying to get across and your current career goals

Let’s start with a basic pitch and see how we can adapt it according to situation, audience, and/or timing.

I’m a first year Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance candidate at Brandeis International Business School. I recently declared concentrations in Economic Analysis and Consulting because I want to refine my analytical, quantitative and modeling skills in order to pursue a career in economics. My interest in this career path began last fall when I participated in the annual NABE crisis games, where I was able to apply skills from my economics coursework and solve real world issues in collaboration with my teammates, while also refining my communication and presentation abilities. Looking forward, I hope to gain more experience utilizing my modeling skills in a professional capacity, ideally in a role that manages investment, environmental, and market risk of a financial institution. Right now I’m looking for a summer internship where I can utilize my analytical skills while contributing to the greater mission of the firm.

Pt. 1 | Switching up your pitch for an information interview

Reminder: an informational interview is basically a one-on-one company info session. No expectation of a job offer or internship offer, but merely a chance to learn more about a person’s job, company, and work experience.

1). Adapt to where you are in the conversation

By the time comes for you to deliver your value statement during an informational interview, you’ve likely already swapped some pleasantries and personal details (name, program, school etc.). It’s fine if you repeat these details again, but it could be awkward if you don’t acknowledge that you have. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for this – simply begin your pitch with something like 

“As I previously mentioned, I’m a first year Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance candidate…”

Also, you probably won’t be prompted to give your pitch (be told “tell me about yourself”), and will have to find a natural transition yourself. For example, in an informational interview, after we exchange initial hello’s and pleasantries,  I like to transition into my pitch like this: 

“Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today. I would love to tell you a bit more about myself and explain why I requested to meet with you. [Pause for a breath] As I previously mentioned, I’m a first year Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance candidate…”

2). Connect your career goals with your audience (the interviewer) 

As a basic rule of thumb for informational interviews, you should have done as much research as possible on the person you are conducting your interview with. Keeping this in mind, regardless of how impressive a resume you have, don’t feel like you have to highlight every single one of your experiences. Pick your strongest, most applicable points that you feel will allow you to relate to your audience.

Also, as discussed in Polish your pitch! 10 Basic rules for value statements, remember you should always have a call to action at the end of your pitch. This is a really good place to connect the “future” part of your pitch to both the interviewer, and your goals for the conversation at hand. Returning again to our original example:

“…Looking forward, I hope to gain more experience utilizing my modeling skills in a professional capacity, ideally in a role that manages investment, environmental, and market risk of a financial institution. Since I know that you interned at X Company before your current role at Y Company, both in roles similar to what I am looking for, I was hoping today to learn more about your journey to where you are now, and what you recommend that I do to become a stronger candidate for summer internships in this field.”

3). Finally…

Before I wrap-up each blog post in the series, I want to leave you with a few important things I learned practicing my pitch, both in Launching Your Global Career with Marcia Katz, and on my own as I adapted my pitch according to the upcoming situation: 

Smile

Be confident and composed

And always ask yourself:

• Am I speaking at an appropriate speed for people to understand me?
• Am I speaking loud enough?
• Am I making eye contact?

Stay tuned for the next three parts of the “Switch Up Your Pitch” series to learn more about adapting your pitch for career fairs, formal interviews, and networking events.