7 Real-Life Career Situations, with Elevator Pitches to Match

7 Real-Life Career Situations, with Elevator Pitches to Match

WHEN YOU’RE A STAY-AT-HOME PARENT

Christine

Old Elevator Pitch:“I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I’ve recently started doing web design.”

Analysis:Christine says herself that this pitch “leaves out any excitement.” But she says she’s been scared to super-charge her elevator pitch because: “I feel new and not very confident yet. What if I sound more excited or describe it more and I actuallyhavepeople interested in my services before I feel ready?”

Sound familiar?? (Hello, little unsure voices in your head!) Well, fuhgettaboutit! If you’ve actually done the work, there’s no need to feel unsure. Don’t oversell yourself but DON’T sell yourself short. And, if you’re a stay-at-home parent, you can definitely connect the amazing work you do raising a family with the amazing work you do online.

New Elevator Pitch:I’m a web designer who’s making the Internet a more beautiful and positive place! My background in counselling helps me understand what the bloggers and small business owners I work with need. And, thanks to working in administration AND now being a stay-at-home mom, I’m great at coming up with solutions, no matter what you throw at me.

WHEN YOU’RE MULTI-PASSIONATE

Donovan

Old elevator pitch:“I left college to work as an artist—things like mural and decorative painting, studio painting, model building—then I left that career to finish my degree in history at the University of Pennsylvania. I did that. Now, I’m going back into the arts and getting into web design. I’m looking for a job in arts administration while I get started in web design and relaunch my fine art career.”

Analysis:Donovan feels “like my elevator pitch tries to serve too many masters because I’m thinking about both immediate goals and long-term goals.” He says his main goal is: “to have a fine art studio where I can paint and direct large art projects, and then web design and creative brainstorming with companies.” And, he knows he’s “good at both creative and analytical thinking”.

Instead of getting stuck in the past, Donovan should focus on the great range of skills and talents he has now (even if he got them from former jobs) and the work he’s interested in doing in the future.

New elevator pitch:I’m an analoganda digital artist. I use my fine art and tech skills to design beautiful website experiences and develop projects ranging from creating art to creative brainstorming.

WHEN YOU’RE TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE CORPORATE WORLD

Michelle

Old elevator pitch:“I am a web designer and I transitioned from a background in law and human resources with a specialization in organizational development.”

Analysis:Michelle’s opinion of her pitch is that “it leaves out quite a bit about who I am.” She also has experience in entertainment (both performing and producing) as well as in event planning. As she puts it, “Essentially I am artist. However, I usually keep that separate from my ‘day job’ persona.”

If you’re looking to move from one industry to another, find a way to show how the skills from your former (or other) life will make you better in your new career. In other words, you should own—not disown—your experience and skills, even if you got them from a job you’re hoping to leave behind.

New elevator pitch:I’m a multimedia artist. I do photography, film production, and web design and development. And, luckily, I come from a corporate background, so I have the research and management skills to develop projects like the multimedia blog I just launched.

WHEN YOU’RE A “MAKER”

Katie

Old elevator pitch:“I’m a web and graphic designer, artist, and illustrator.”

Analysis:Katie wants to avoid having to look for part-time work and instead land design gigs. She’s realizing that “I love making things, and websites are no different.” And she wants to “practice what I’m learning” and also make art and comics and continue pet sitting.

Katie has a fascinating combination of talents and interests, but her pitch is forgettable. She needs to bring out her uniqueness as well as emphasize what diverse skills she offers.

New elevator pitch:On the digital side, I make web designs, WordPress sites, and graphic designs. But I also create pen-and-paper illustrations, comics, and paintings. Because I’m so passionate about the arts, I also do “behind-the-scenes” work, like applying for grants, writing proposals, doing comic readings, and putting on festivals.

WHEN YOU HAVE A BREAK IN YOUR CAREER

Monica

Old elevator pitch:“I’m a stay-at-home mom who helps people with technology on the side.”

Analysis:As Monica puts it: “I do so much but it doesn’t fit into any PERFECT MOLD and not much of it is paid, so I usually downplay what I do.” She’s concerned about having been out of the workforce for 15 years and says she’s just done “small jobs” in tech.

But there’s no reason for Monicanotto talk about her work just because she’s not getting paid for it—yet! She’s built websites and trained private individuals and companies to use their technology, so she has every right to claim those digital skills are hers!

New elevator pitch:I’m a technophile and web developer specializing in testing, website maintenance, and tech support for small businesses. And I’m also passionate about being a mom and a co-owner of a medical business.

WHEN YOU’RE ON TWO DIFFERENT PATHS

Amanda

Old elevator pitch:“I’m an ESL teacher in Hanoi taking online courses in programming.”

Analysis:Amanda probably sums up your feeling about elevator pitches: “Think how much I dread being defined by what Ido.” She goes on to say she has “a silent interior life crisis over why I can’t just succinctly define myself as a job.”

If you have a diverse background like Amanda does, you can feel like you’re both the square peg AND the round hole. But that diversity can be exactly what makes someone remembers about you when they’re looking for a solution to their tech problems.

New elevator pitch:I combine different worlds in my work. I do physical design for textiles and surfaces and virtual design for websites. And I get my unique design aesthetic from my experience studying archaeology and teaching abroad.

WHEN YOU’VE GOT ONE FOOT OUT THE DOOR

Chris

Old elevator pitch:“I work in real estate, working with clients and managing a boutique office. I’m also a freelance photographer and designer…” or “I work in real estate, working with clients and managing a boutique office, but I developed a social network with a couple brit friends that just launched last year…”

Analysis:Chris admits that her elevator pitch has been a challenge for her. “It changes every time because I vacillate between saying what I do now versus what I am working towards and it ends up being a rambling, inarticulate run on.” She’s trying to leave her current job behind and “focus on creative projects as much as possible.”

It’s scary and not a decision to make lightly, but, once you’ve set your sights on a new career, it’s time for to leave the past behind and focus on the future. So, make sure your pitch is up-to-date too.

New elevator pitch:I’m a tech triple threat — designer, developer and digital project manager. My super power is my organizational skills paired with my creative background in photography, graphics, and social media marketing. And, currently, I’m part of a team developing a social networking app.

Site Source: These case studies were taken from the article

Form WFC518-1115Page 1 of 5Issued 11/05/2015

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