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Interviews are perfect occasions for the elevator pitch to work. This is significant particularly when the candidate faces the famous question of ‘explain yourself’. During such instances, elevator pitches help the candidate gain confidence in introducing him to company representatives. For not missing the decisive opportunity, here are some tips on preparing an ideal elevator pitch.

Tips to follow while preparing the ideal elevator pitch

Noting down points on a paper strip:

The candidate is best advised to write the plans down on a piece of paper to find out the relevant matter to be included and those to be excluded. Editing must be done carefully. Unnecessary data must be removed and focus must be on presenting oneself professionally and effectively for those that have very little time.

A Solution for All Questions:

The pitch prepared by the candidate should simply mention who he is, what he does and what he was looking for. All such questions must be answered by a good elevator pitch..

A Professional Tone is Ideal:

DON’T use multi-coloured text or too many different font sizes. Italics, underlining, shading, graphics and vertical/horizontal lines or boxes are also best avoided. DO keep your resume length to a minimum – two or three pages is ideal.Verdana, Arial, Calibri or Times.

DON’T include personal details such as your date of birth, marital status or photo (unless you are applying for a job where these are relevant).

DO include a link to your website, if you have one (and if it’s related to your work). Whether it’s a website or blog, or a Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram account, an online presence can really boost your image and get you taken more seriously, especially for careers in the media, creative industries and IT.

DON’T make vague statements. Give facts context by backing them up with real examples. For instance, don’t just say, “I have excellent communication skills”. Instead, say: “My excellent communication skills have been fine-tuned by… and proved invaluable when…”

DO, wherever possible, quantify your achievements. If you can say, for example, “increased sales by $50,000”, “reduced turnover by 34%” or “increased website traffic by 125%” rather than making a more general claim, that will give your assertions more weight and clarity.

DON’T use a PDF format for your resume, especially for less IT-heavy industries, as some software won’t be able to read it easily. Most companies prefer Word (.doc/.docx) files wherever possible.

DO use testimonials from previous employers. Consider adding them to your resume as hyperlinks, linking them to an employer testimonial on your LinkedIn profile or website (if you have one).

DON’T forget to tailor your resume for each job application. The more precisely you address each of the criteria for the particular job, demonstrating how you fit and satisfy the criteria, the greater your chances of making the shortlist.