Perfect Your Pitch

I have a file on my computer containing over 40 detailed job applications for roles that seemed to fit my experience and skills perfectly, which doesn’t include numerous jobs where prospective employers wanted initially to view my CV instead of a specific application form.

If you’re in the market for a job, you need to be able to communicate your value as a potential employee in 15 seconds or less. That may be all the time you have with a recruiter or hiring manager. Your message has to be crisp and tailored. Say specifically what value you bring — for instance, “My specialty is streamlining messy, complex processes” — but don’t pile on so many details that you struggle to get everything in. Delivering an elevator pitch at breakneck pace is extremely off-putting. Speak at a steady pace that shows you’re calm and confident.

If you’re in the market for a job, you need to be able to communicate your value as a potential employee in 15 seconds or less. That may be all the time you have with a recruiter or hiring manager. Your message has to be crisp and tailored. Say specifically what value you bring — for instance, “My specialty is streamlining messy, complex processes” — but don’t pile on so many details that you struggle to get everything in. Delivering an elevator pitch at breakneck pace is extremely off-putting. Speak at a steady pace that shows you’re calm and confident.

Elevator pitches, and the reams of advice about perfecting them, have been business staples for decades. In his new book, "To Sell Is Human," bestselling author Daniel Pink argues that there are two major reasons its time has passed.

This free online tool from Harvard Business School takes you through building your perfect elevator pitch.

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn.

I recently attended my third Renaissance Weekend in Charleston, where among the normal cornucopia of ideas and fellowship, Sam Horn was incredibly generous in helping me sharpen my elevator pitch for a new project.

The technology company, behind O2 in the UK, received nearly 3,500 applications from 32 countries. After the filtering process 30 finalists battled it out at O2’s headquarters in Slough to win a place at the prestigious London academy which opened in April 2012 and has a dedicated focus on nurturing the best ideas and talent in the field of ICT. The 30 start-ups were subjected to a three day intensive pitch process, dubbed wayraWeek, where they were assessed and judged by a panel of eight experts, including names from Hailo, to Seedrs, to Silicon Valley Bank.