An elevator speech is a short 'sales pitch' that you can use to let an audience know who you are, what you can do, and why they should hire you or accept you into their college. The term "elevator speech" comes from people presenting themselves to others while they were in an elevator together. While the name stuck, the venue has changed. Elevator speeches are useful at job fairs, when networking, in interviews as an answer to the "tell me about yourself" question, and in a myriad of other situations.

Creating an elevator speech:

• Be specific. Use the language of your chosen career. Vocabulary counts! 
• What skills do you have that people will want to know about? What relevant classes have you taken?
• What are your strengths?
• How would a company benefit by hiring you?
• What do you want to get out of this contact?
• How will you stand out from the crowd?
  

Example:

    "Hi, I'm Ted, and I am currently enrolled in the Forestry and Natural Resources program at the Hannaford Career Center. Over the past year, I have been working to develop skills related to arboriculture: knowledge of types of trees, tree diseases, conservation strategies, tree trimming, climbing, and herbicides, just to name a few. I have competed in state forestry competitions, and placed. I would like to use my skills to benefit a company such as yours. Can you tell me what opportunities your company might have for someone with my background?"

Business Week - "The Perfect (Elevator) Pitch"