Career Success Guide

Networking - Build Your Elevator Pitch

BUILD YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH: FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER Use this guide to develop an introduction when meeting employers during interviews, career conferences, and other networking events. Your goal is to create a positive and lasting impression in a brief amount of time. Build your pitch step-by-step so you are ready to connect with confidence. Step 1: Introduce Yourself What to include: Name, year in school, major, and any relevant academic or student involvement. Example: “Hi, I’m Alex Ramirez, a junior studying Mechanical Engineering at UW-Stout and I recently participated in a design challenge with Engineers Without Borders.” Now You Try: ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Step 2: What’s Your Goal? What to include: Why are you introducing yourself? Are you looking for an internship, co op, full-time position, or simply exploring opportunities? Example: “I’m currently seeking a summer internship where I can apply my technical skills and gain hands-on experience in the engineering design process.” Now You Try: ___________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Step 3: What Are Your Strengths? What to include: A few technical or soft skills, lab experience, software knowledge, or project work that relates to your goal. Example: “I have experience using SolidWorks and recently worked on a project to design a system to deliver clean drinking water to people in remote areas in Africa.” Now You Try: __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Step 4: What Are You Passionate About? What to include: What excites you about your major? What kind of impact do you want to make? Example: “I’m passionate about using engineering to solve real-world problems, especially when it comes to making systems more efficient and reliable.” Now You Try: ___ ________________________________________________________________________ Step 5: How Do You Wrap It Up? What to include: Clearly express your interest, share a next step, or ask for an opportunity to learn more. Example: “I’d really like to learn more about your current projects and how I could contribute as an intern on your team.” Now You Try: _________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Putting It All Together Use this space to combine your responses into one complete pitch. Aim for 3–5 sentences. Keep it clear, concise, and confident! __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

Pro Tips: Practice out loud until it feels natural and confident Break it into segments, rather than delivering it all at once If you know the employer in advance, do some research: • Look into recent projects or innovations in their field • Explore their company values or mission • Reference a recent achievement or something you admire

Real-World Examples: How It Might Sound Scenario 1: After an employer visits your class “Hi, I’m Alex Ramirez, in Mechanical Engineering. I appreciated your talk about sustainable materials. I recently participated in a design challenge with Engineers Without Borders which allowed me to use engineering to solve real-world problems, especially when it comes to making systems more efficient and reliable. I’m currently seeking a summer internship where I can apply my technical skills, like SolidWorks, and gain hands-on experience in the engineering design process. Could I ask you more about the innovations your team is working on?” Scenario 2: Waiting in line for coffee “Hi, I noticed your company logo, are you with XYZ Manufacturing? I’m, Alex, a Mechanical Engineering student at UW-Stout. I’ve been following your recent innovations in HVAC systems, and I’m interested in how your team is improving energy efficiency. I’d like to hear more about your internship opportunities if you have a minute.”

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