An elevator pitch is just a rehash of a CV. Like a resumé, it is information-based, but it does not give anyone any reason to want you. And like a CV, it contains the usual buzzwords. You know the ones I mean. I am a:
- good communicator
- team player
- professional
- people person
- problem solver
- hard worker
- highly qualified candidate
- self-starter
- collaborator
- seeker of excellence
- driven and passionate employee
- responsible person
What a load of B.S. Get rid of all of them. These buzzwords tell me nothing—in fact, some of them might cause me to pause. Maybe I’m not hiring for a team player, or your definition of team means a team you control. And don’t tell me you’re a problem solver. I didn’t know I had a problem until you brought it up.
Here’s the clincher, though. At the end of the day, am I going to pay you for any of these things? Most of that stuff covered by the buzzwords is not at the core of who you are; you’ve learned to say those things because you think that’s what people want to hear.
