Pitching yourself
It happens in every interview. It happens at every networking event. It could even happen when you’re out walking your dog. Eventually, someone is going to ask you the question: “So tell me about yourself. What do you do?”. Your answer to this question is very important. Depending on the situation, it could lead you to job opportunities and valuable contacts. It can sell people on you and your skills. It can show potential employers exactly what you can do for them. In 30 seconds to two minutes, it can open doors for you and help grow your network and brand. It’s your introduction pitch, and it’s very important that you have one so that when the inevitable question is asked, you’ll have a stellar answer to sell yourself, your skills and your added value.
To help you create an introduction pitch, we provide you a step-by-step guide which you can use during this process. Here, you will find everything that should be included in your pitch and an example.
Step 1: Answer key questions first
The goal of an introduction pitch is to sell yourself and your abilities in 30 seconds. As soon as someone asks what you do, you want to give them a quick overview that intrigues and interests them. That means quickly giving them some key information:
- Who am I?
(name, profession/student) - What am I studying / What is my expertise?
(study, experience, skills) - What am I looking for?
(internship, job, increasing your network) - Who is in front of me?
(future boss / recruiter / employee working at an interesting organisation)
“My name is Jane Doe. I’m a Consumer Studies student at Wageningen University and Research. I’m currently looking for an internship position in Amsterdam.’’
By answering the key questions, you’ve given them the facts. But there’s nothing there to hook your listener. It needs something more.
Step 2: Elaborate on your expertise/skills
You need to eleborate on your expertise and skills. You need to tell your listener why you’re awesome. What’s in it for them? What do you do that makes you suited to meet your goal — in this case, to find an internship or job? Try to be precise and to the point. Think about your transferable skills: what are your super powers? By adding those in, your pitch starts to take shape.
“My name is Jane Doe. I’m a Consumer studies student at Wageningen University and Research. Through my program, I have hands-on experience with supply chain management, and I lead my colleagues as class representative. I’m looking for an internship where I can put my skills to work for an organisation in Amsterdam.”
Now, you have a pitch that’s really shaping up. You have your name and program, an industry-related skill (supply chain management), a transferable skill (leadership), and what you’re looking for.
Step 3: End with a call to action
Finally, like all sales pitches, your introduction pitch should end with a call to action for the listener. Often, this will take the shape of a question you ask. This gives the listener the opportunity to respond to you and drive the conversation along. The question you end on should further your goal — in this case, finding a position. Some possibilities are:
- “Are there current opportunities in your organisation?”
- “Do you know of anyone looking for interns?”
"My name is Jane Doe. I’m a Consumer Studies student at Wageningen University and Research. Through my program, I have hands-on experience with supply chain management, and I lead my colleagues as class representative. I’m looking for an internship where I can put my skills to work for an organisation in Amsterdam. Has your company ever brought on interns?”
This ending allows the conversation to carry on. It can encourage the listener to ask you more questions, opens the door for you to talk about the benefits of co-op and your program, and may give you the chance to talk about why you’d be the perfect hire at their organisation.
Step 4: Finalize
Now that you have written your pitch, have a close look at it.
- Look at those sentences which are not necessary, clear or do not add value. Remember who is in front of you, in which situation will you use this pitch?).
- Do you doubt whether you should have a certain part in your pitch or not? Let it go!
- Is your pitch personal and unique? E.g. do you use storytelling, do you tell about your ambitions/personal superpowers?
- Do you use clear language and connecting words (such as therefore, first of all, nevertheless etc.)?
- Try to be concise and not elaborate endlessly: use short sentences.
- Mention facts and results, use metaphors/visualisations and/or try to involve your audience with humor or creativity.
- Does it end with a call to action? This can lead to a constructive conversation after your pitch.
Step 5: Practice
First, practice, practice, practice, so that you’re comfortable with it. Depending on the situation, you’ll usually have to modify it on the spot. If you have it committed to memory, that becomes much easier to do. You may want to record yourself while you practice your pitch. This helps you to reflect on your pitch.
Remember: your introduction pitch is a key component of your presentation about yourself. Because of this, it can find a home in all parts of your professional toolkit. From your LinkedIn summary to your personal profile on your CV, you want to reflect those same skills and abilities that you have in your pitch.
Like any other part of your job hunting kit, your pitch will change and update as you learn more skills and get more comfortable in your industry. Don’t be afraid to revise it every so often, so you know it’s the best it can be. It’s yours, and will help you find all kinds of interesting people and opportunities!