An elevator pitch is a brief (think 30 seconds!) way of introducing yourself, getting across a key point or two, and making a connection with someone. Your goal is to make a positive impression so that the recruiter wants to know more about you. Here are some key elements of an elevator pitch:
Who you are and what differentiates you from your peers. Maybe you volunteer on campus or are a part of a winning robotics team.
Your specific career interest or goals. If the person you’re speaking with can’t help you reach those goals, maybe they know someone who can.
How you are already working toward reaching your goals. If you want to be an engineer, tell them about something you built as part of a team or a group project you worked on for a class.
Why you are qualified. Mention your achievements, leadership work, skills, and strengths. If you’re an engineering student, maybe you led a group on a really exciting project that won a competition, volunteered at a tech camp for kids, or maybe you taught yourself how to code.
Finally, ask a question or a further inquiry. At the end of your pitch, you can ask the person about internships at the company, open job positions, or related programs.
Tips
Instead of asking, “Does your company offer internships?”, ask, “If your company offers internships, would you be able to put me in contact with the person in charge of that program?”
Always give them your business card and ask for theirs so you can follow up with them!
Practice Practice Practice! You don’t want to sound robotic but you should have your pitch down enough that you can modify it depending on who you are pitching to. You want them to want to know more about you!
Source: Elevator Pitch Examples for Students
"My name is Jenn Lee, and I’m an undergraduate student at the University of Kansas studying aerospace engineering. I’m currently an intern at United Airlines, where I work with the airport operations team to study organizational changes, manage communications, and integrate production methods. On campus, I’m the captain of the robotics team, where I’ve utilized my technical skills to build a flying and configurable robot. If you have open time on your calendar this week, I’d love to meet with you about open positions (or internships) at your company.”
"Hello, my name is Devon Grimes and I am currently a junior industrial systems engineering student at UF. I am seeking an internship for this coming summer ideally in design or manufacturing engineering. I became really intrigued with XYZ after researching about past products that your company has developed. I liked how the company values their employees since they offer mentorship programs for entry level engineers. Recently, I designed and created a more efficient lifting device using a lever/pulley system and SolidWorks with a team of three other students. We entered the project in competition and received 2nd place for Best Design! So, I am curious to know more about the summer design internship at your company. Could you explain some of the projects that interns would get to work on?"
"My name is Dave Smith. I’m a student majoring in mechanical engineering at Iowa State and I’m seeking a summer internship. I have an interest in design and testing, which aligns well with your Design Engineer Intern position. I have completed several mechanical engineering projects throughout my courses and last summer did an internship with Caterpillar where I designed prototypes, conducted testing, and prepared summary reports. I think ABC produces innovator products and I’m very interested in agricultural equipment. I would love it if you would review my resume and consider me for an interview."
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