Elevator pitch template
Updated
This elevator pitch template has four blanks: who you are, what you do, the value you bring and your ask. Fill them in like this: "I'm [name], a [role] at [company or school]. I help [who] [get what result]. [One thing that sets you apart]. Could you [specific ask]?" Said at a calm pace, that fits in about 30 seconds, and the 60-second version below adds a short story and what you are looking for.
The elevator pitch template, line by line
CareerOneStop, sponsored by the US Department of Labor, suggests aiming for between 30 and 60 seconds and building the pitch from a few parts: your name and where you work, your best strengths, something unique about you, what you are looking for, and a request for specific help. The four blanks map onto that:
- Who you are. Name and role, plus where you work or study. One sentence, no job history.
- What you do. The people you help and the result they get, in words a stranger understands. Skip the job title jargon.
- Your value. One strength, skill or credential that makes you different. A number or a short result works better than an adjective.
- Your ask. A question that is easy to answer: a contact, a meeting, advice. CareerOneStop advises closing with a question, which gives your contact an easy way to reply.
30-second elevator pitch template
Hi, I'm [name]. I'm a [role] at [company, school or "between roles"].
I help [who] [do or get what].
Recently I [one result, skill or credential].
Could you [specific ask]?
Filled in, it might read: "Hi, I'm Dana. I'm a payroll specialist at a regional hospital group. I help managers get their teams paid right the first time. Last year I moved our three sites onto one schedule without a missed payday. Do you know anyone on the finance side at your company I could ask about how they run payroll?"
60-second elevator pitch template
The longer version of the elevator pitch template keeps the same four blanks and adds two lines in the middle: the problem you solve and a short proof story.
Hi, I'm [name], a [role] at [company or school].
A lot of [who] struggle with [problem].
I help them [result] by [how, in plain words].
For example, [one short story: situation, what you did, outcome].
Right now I'm looking for [kind of role, client or partner, and where].
Would you [specific ask]?
Use the 60-second version when someone has asked about you and has time to listen, like a coffee chat or a career fair. In a hallway, start with the short one and add the story only if they ask a follow-up.
Adapting the template to the situation
- Job search or networking event: make the ask about a contact or an opening, not a job offer on the spot.
- Career change: lead with the skill that carries over, then name the field you are moving into.
- Student or new graduate: use a project, internship or class result as your value line.
- Founder or sales: put the customer's problem first and ask for a short follow-up call.
- New team at work: drop the ask for a job and ask what they need from you instead.
- Video call or online event: cut the 30-second version to three lines, because the first seconds on camera often go to sound checks and greetings.
Keep two or three filled-in copies of the elevator pitch template on your phone, one per situation, and update the value line whenever you have a newer result.
Before you use your elevator pitch template
Read the filled-in pitch aloud with a timer. If it runs long, cut words rather than talking faster. Then practice how you say it, because the listener judges that as quickly as the words. Delivery draws on the same presentation skills you use in a longer talk: a steady pace, eye contact, feet still, and a short pause before the ask.
Pitching a company instead of yourself? Our business elevator pitch guide shows the five parts and how to turn the pitch into the full talk.
New to pitching? Start with what is an elevator pitch for the parts of a pitch and a lift timer you can practice against.
Sources
- CareerOneStop, sponsored by the US Department of Labor: How to network, the elevator pitch section (read October 22, 2026).