# How to Write an Elevator Pitch About Yourself (30 Seconds)

A 30-second elevator pitch is about 70–80 spoken words in three parts: who you are (your role or field), what you do well (one specific example or result), and what you want from this person (a job lead, a conversation, an introduction). End with a question so the other person can reply, and say it out loud until it sounds like talking, not reciting.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/presentations/elevator-pitch/

## The three parts, in about 75 words

At a normal speaking pace of around 130–160 words per minute, 30 seconds is roughly 65–80 words. That's four or five short sentences. There's room for three things only:

| Part | What it answers | Length | Example line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Who you are | "What do you do?" | 1 sentence | "I'm a final-year civil engineering student." |
| What you do well | "Why should I care?" | 1–2 sentences, one concrete detail | "I spent last summer on a bridge inspection team and wrote the drainage section of their report." |
| What you want | "What do you want from me?" | 1 sentence | "I'm looking for a graduate role in water infrastructure." |
| The hand-off | Lets them reply | 1 question | "Does your team take graduates?" |

The hand-off question is what turns a speech into a conversation. Without it, the other person has to invent a reply, and the moment goes flat.

## A fill-in template

> "I'm a **[role or field]** who **[what you do, in plain words]**. Most recently I **[one specific thing you did and what came of it]**. Right now I'm looking for **[what you want]**, so I'd love to **[the ask]**. **[Question for them]**?"

Fill it in, then read it aloud and cross out every word you'd never say in conversation. "Leveraging", "passionate about synergies" and "results-driven professional" all go.

## Examples for different situations

These are made-up examples. Each is about 30 seconds spoken.

### A student at a career fair

> "Hi, I'm Priya. I'm finishing a degree in statistics, and I've spent the last year tutoring first-years in data analysis, which taught me to explain numbers to people who hate numbers. I'm looking for an analyst internship next summer, ideally somewhere the data actually changes decisions. What kind of projects do your interns work on?"

### A career changer talking to a recruiter

> "I'm Marcus. I taught high school science for six years, and for the last two I ran our school's switch to a new learning platform, training forty teachers on it. I realised the part I loved was the training and the rollout, so I'm moving into customer onboarding for software companies. Are you hiring for onboarding or implementation roles?"

### An experienced professional at a networking event

> "I'm Elena, I lead the payments team at a mid-sized online retailer. Last year we cut failed checkouts by a third, mostly by fixing how card errors are explained to customers. I'm starting to look for a head of product role in fintech, and I'm trying to meet people who know that world. How did you end up in it?"

### A freelancer meeting a possible client

> "I'm Tom, I'm a freelance video editor. I mostly cut short training videos for software companies, the two-minute how-tos that sit in help centres. Clients usually come to me when their support team is answering the same question fifty times a week. What does your team use for training right now?"

Notice that none of them lists a CV. Each picks one detail the listener can remember and ask about.

## Shorter and longer versions

Have three lengths ready, built from the same parts:

| Version | When | What to keep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 seconds (about 25 words) | Quick introductions, a crowded room | Who you are + what you want |
| 30 seconds (about 75 words) | Career fairs, recruiter calls, meeting someone new | All three parts + a question |
| 60 seconds (about 150 words) | "Tell me more", the start of an informational chat | Add a second example and why you're moving in this direction |

You can check how long your words will take with the [speech length calculator](/speaking-coach/tools/speech-length-calculator/).

## How to make it sound natural

1. **Write it, then say it out loud five times without looking.** Change any word you keep stumbling on to one you'd naturally use.
2. **Learn the parts, not the script.** If you remember "student, tutoring, internship, question", you'll say it slightly differently each time, which is what makes it sound real.
3. **Record yourself once.** Listen for speed. Nervous pitches run fast; 30 seconds should feel slightly slow to you.
4. **Try it on someone.** Notice what they ask about. That's the detail that works, so keep it.

Practicing with a partner who asks a follow-up matters, because the follow-up is where the real conversation starts. In Speaking Coach, the "Introduce yourself" and "Meet someone new" scenes give you exactly that.

## Mistakes to avoid

| Mistake | Why it hurts | Instead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting with your life story | You run out of time before the point | Start with your current role or field |
| Adjectives instead of a detail | "Hard-working" is forgettable | One thing you did, with a result |
| No ask | They don't know how to help | Say exactly what you're looking for |
| Ending with silence | They have to rescue the conversation | End with a question about them |
| One pitch for everyone | A recruiter and a peer need different asks | Swap the ask and the example per person |

## Questions people ask

### How many words is a 30-second elevator pitch?

About 65 to 80 words, depending on how fast you speak. Write around 75 and time yourself saying it.

### Should I memorise my elevator pitch?

Memorise the order and your key detail, not every word. A word-perfect pitch tends to sound recited, and it breaks if you're interrupted.

### What's the difference between an elevator pitch and "Tell me about yourself"?

An elevator pitch is shorter and ends with an ask, usually to someone you've just met. "Tell me about yourself" in an interview runs 60 to 90 seconds and connects your background to the job; see [how to answer it](/speaking-coach/interview-questions/tell-me-about-yourself/).

### What if I don't know what job I want yet?

Make the ask about learning instead: "I'm exploring roles in product and analytics, and I'm trying to understand what the day-to-day looks like. What does yours involve?"

### Do I need a different pitch for LinkedIn or email?

The same three parts work in writing, but you can cut the spoken warm-up and add a link to your work.

---
Speaking Coach on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6767124039
Speaking Coach on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sodhera.speakingcoach