A Librarian's Guide to the Elevator Pitch

Let’s face it, as librarians – or soon-to-be librarians, we aren’t the best at tooting our own horns. Talking about our work, past accomplishments, experiences, skills, and goals in a succinct manner is something that is not often considered in an organized way. But it should be.

The elevator pitch is one of the most important tools for personal branding that you have and can be an excellent opportunity for you to promote yourself at conferences, events, job interviews, and even online. In a recent post, 17 Tips to Improve Your Online Presence, I suggested developing a master bio statement from which you could grab a shorter, one-sentence blurb that would describe you on social networks. Along these same lines, I would recommend that you not only create a written bio, but a more informal version of that bio as your elevator pitch that you can use whenever needed. Here are some resources to help you do that.