When you're attending a career fair, your elevator pitch can make or break a successful invitation to interview with a recruiter. Your pitch should communicate the most important aspects of your strengths and weaknesses and convey who you are, personally and professionally. Learn what our recruiters advise when it comes to creating the perfect elevator pitch below.
- Prepare. Before crafting your elevator pitch, you should start by having a solid plan for how you're going to approach the career fair. Research companies attending the fair and make a game plan. Seek out advice from professors and career fair coordinators. Which lines are historically longer? If that’s a company you want to speak with – go to their table first. After your research, if a company you’re interested in isn’t hiring for roles you are actively pursuing, speak to them anyways. Be smart with your time, but remember it’s all about networking!
- Map out your pitch. State your name, year in school, and your major/minor that you’re studying. Also include something that will make you stand out (athlete, veteran, member of a specific organization or social club, etc.). Then, mention your specific career goal/interest and the type of role you’re seeking (full-time or internship). You should mention that you are interested in their company and include a specific position you want to apply for. If you are unaware of exact opportunities, ask “What type of roles are you hiring for?”. Once the conversation starts, that’s when you can plug how you’ve demonstrated specific skills in past roles, and why you are qualified to work for their company.
- Deliver with confidence and clarity. Start your introduction with recruiters with strong eye contact and a firm handshake.. Come prepared with a few questions that you want to ask the recruiter/associate that you’re speaking to. Also, don’t forget to ask about next steps and get their business card! Even if it’s not a recruiter, you’ve still made an internal connection at that organization that you can follow up with afterwards.
- Smile and have fun! Practice makes perfect- don’t expect to deliver a flawless pitch your first time. Instead, look at every opportunity to present yourself as a gradual path to improvement. At the end of the day, the recruiter is evaluating your pitch as a means to assess your alignment with the company. Recruiters converse with countless candidates during a career fair so it’s important to remain authentic and stand out by letting your personality shine!