# Elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a short self-introduction, usually 30 to 60 seconds, that covers who someone is, what they do, and what they're looking for next. The name comes from the idea that it should fit inside a short elevator ride.

In a job search, it's the answer a candidate gives before an interviewer asks a single specific question.

**Elevator pitch** — An elevator pitch is a short self-introduction built to cover three things fast: current role or background, the specific value or skill someone brings, and what they're aiming for next. It isn't a full career history. Anything that doesn't fit that three-part structure usually belongs later in the conversation, not in the opening pitch.

An elevator pitch gets used at networking events, career fairs, and cold introductions, but it also functions as the backbone of an interview's opening answer. A candidate who has a tight version ready doesn't ramble when asked to introduce themselves, and doesn't repeat information already on the resume the interviewer has open in front of them. The common mistake is turning it into a chronological list of past jobs instead of a pointed statement about what comes next.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long should an elevator pitch be?

About 30 to 60 seconds spoken aloud, which usually works out to 75 to 150 words. Longer than that and it stops being a pitch and starts being a full introduction the listener didn't ask for.

### What three things does an elevator pitch need to cover?

Who you are or what you currently do, the specific value or experience you bring, and what you're looking for next. Leaving out the third part is the most common gap.

### Is an elevator pitch the same as answering 'tell me about yourself'?

They overlap heavily. An elevator pitch is the shorter, more rehearsed version; "tell me about yourself" gives a little more room to expand, but a solid elevator pitch is a strong starting point for that answer too.

## Related pages

- ["Tell me about yourself"](/glossary/tell-me-about-yourself)
- [Browse open roles](/jobs)

## Say your pitch out loud before it counts

Run a general AI interview on Intervieux and hear how your self-introduction actually lands before a real one counts.

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