Kian Lu: Building Your Elevator Pitch and Personal Story
There are two primary speeches you would be utilizing in the majority of your professional endeavors: your elevator pitch and personal story.
What is an Elevator Pitch?
Think of your elevator pitch as a personal trailer to a movie about you! It should be a 30-second introduction intended to make a strong, memorable first impression that communicates who you are, what you do, and what drives you.
How do we build a good Elevator Pitch?
1. Start with a simple introduction with your name, background, and what you did before. For example, I would introduce myself as “Hi, my name is Kian Lu, a senior studying Accounting Information Systems and Economics at Santa Clara University.”
2. After this background, I would continue by highlighting what you do or what you’re passionate about. Whether it is a project or experience you have done in the past, or something that interests you professionally, this is your time to voice it. Here is how I would phrase it myself “Throughout my time in college, I’ve been exploring how finance and data analytics can help organizations make smarter, more sustainable decisions, and have gotten involved in various organizations like my school’s investment fund and the Finance Association.”
3. Now, this is the time to give a brief sneak peek as to what you have done, your impact, and ultimately, your value. Think deep. What makes you stand out? I have utilized this time and time again to show my impact: “Through my work in the Santa Clara Investment Fund, I learned what makes companies attractive to investors and how to communicate my findings clearly to 50 analysts.”
4. Lastly, I would conclude with connecting your story to what you are hoping to pursue in the future. Describe your sense of direction and how it relates to the person you are pitching to. “Looking forward, I’m excited to apply those skills in a finance role where I can be a connecting piece between the business and operations side.”
5. Here is what it can look like altogether: “Hi, my name is Kian Lu, a Senior studying Accounting Information Systems and Economics at Santa Clara University. Throughout my time in college, I’ve been exploring how finance and data analytics can help organizations make smarter, more sustainable decisions, and have gotten involved in various organizations like my school’s investment fund and the Finance Association. Through my work in the Santa Clara Investment Fund, I learned what makes companies attractive to investors and how to communicate my findings clearly to 50 analysts. Looking forward, I’m excited to apply those skills in a finance role where I can be a connecting piece between the business and operations side.”
What is a Personal Story:
“Tell me about yourself.” This is one of the most common and deceptively difficult questions that I have faced in any professional setting. Similar to the elevator pitch, there is no panacea for a perfect response, though I believe it needs to accomplish a few things: 1) Building connection, 2) Showing context and direction, and 3) Reveal Authenticity. Personally, I like to think of the personal story as a more extended and in-depth elevator pitch with even more personal flair.
How do I build a good Personal Story?
As previously mentioned, I don’t believe there is a perfect formula for the answer, but I have found this structure to be effective… call it the funnel method if you will. Let’s take a look at my story for when I wanted to pivot from startup consulting roles into healthcare finance:
1. Present: Who you are today. Start with where you are right now, mention your academic focus, current role, and/or area of interest. This should look pretty similar to the first bit of your elevator pitch.
2. Past: How you got there. Explain the path that led you to this point, highlighting what was going on in your mind when approaching and learning from internships, projects, or experiences. Here is an example of how I connected an immersion trip I participated in with social entrepreneurship and finance: “My interest in finance began during a social entrepreneurship trip to Nepal, where I saw how access to capital and resources could transform communities. I have interacted with multiple organizations, each with meaningful missions, but a lack of business understanding and direction to get there. This inspired me to explore various student consulting projects with the Ciocca Center to gain a better understanding into what businesses would truly need.”
3. Future: Where you are going. Wrap up with your professional direction. Tie in your prior experiences to what you’re seeking, learning, or hoping to contribute in a role. This would be akin to the elevator pitch, but with more detail and personal tie. “Now, with a deeper background in startup consulting, I’m eager to apply these skills as a financial analyst where I can help (X company) make more informed, impactful decisions to ultimately (X mission: help as many individuals as I can).”
Hopefully, with all of these pieces together, along with a rough example, you can have some inspiration crafting your own personal narrative!
How do I put these into practice?
Now that you have crafted your two speeches, it is important to put them to use. It is certainly going to take a little bit of practice rehearsing these over and over again. Whether it is practicing with a friend, somebody who recruited for these roles before, or even to a wall, it's important to get those repetitions in to build your own confidence. It could be helpful to record yourself and listen for pacing or filler words, to make sure the story flows well when you present it, and to even include or subtract different topics presented.
Lastly, your personal story isn’t static, but grows with you. Every time you accrue new experiences, that’s an additional chapter in your life. The more you reflect on what drives you, the more authentic and adaptable your story becomes.