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 third installation of the series focuses on strategies for adapting elevator pitches for formal interviews. Make sure to check out part 1 about informational interviews and part 2 about career fairs!

– 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. 3 | Switching up your pitch for a formal interview

1). Prepare, prepare, prepare

Believe it or not, adapting your pitch for a formal interview is the most straightforward. Not only is the one scenario you are basically guaranteed to be prompted by some variation “Tell me about yourself”, you should have enough time and information to sit down and really cater your pitch to the position you are interviewing for. 

I suggest doing something similar to the CSE Cover Letter Exercise, and spend time beforehand reviewing the job description to see what qualifications you can connect to your own experience. Don’t go overboard and turn your pitch into a monologue, but make sure to include your top selling points as a candidate for the position. 

Finally, remember to close with your enthusiasm for both the company and the role. Check out more tips for how to answer common interview questions in the CSE Top Interviewing Questions Guide.

2). 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 final part of the “Switch Up Your Pitch” series to learn more about adapting your pitch for networking events. In the meantime, sure to check out part 1 about informational interviews and part 2 about career fairs!