Your 30-Second Pitch

Thirty seconds is about 75 words. In this article, I’ll show you a simple formula and 5 pitches you can adapt, from a career fair to an email.

Have you ever frozen at “Tell me about yourself”?

It sounds like the easiest question in the world. And somehow, it’s one of the hardest to answer.

When I moved to California, I had to learn to introduce myself all over again, in another language and in another culture. In Brazil, we usually start with our whole story. Here, people want to know in a few seconds who you are, what you can do and what you’re looking for. That’s what a pitch is.

The formula

1. Who you are: your name, grade and school.
2. What you can do: one skill and where you used it. Remember the words from “How Do People See You?”
3. What you want: an internship, a job, advice, a program.
4. End with a question. It hands the conversation back and keeps it going.

5 pitches you can steal

Steal the structure, then change the details to yours.

1. At a career or college fair

“Hi, I’m Maya Torres, a junior at Lincoln High. I’m on the robotics team, where I run our Instagram and helped raise $640 for competition fees. I’m interested in marketing, and I’m looking for a summer internship where I can see how real campaigns work. What do students usually do in their first summer with you?”

2. “Tell me about yourself” in a job interview

“I’m a senior at Lincoln High, and for the past year I’ve worked weekends at a frozen yogurt shop. That job taught me to stay calm when the line is out the door and to fix small problems before they grow. I even redesigned our toppings board to speed up the line. Now I’m looking for a role with more responsibility, which is why this position caught my eye.”

3. Walking into a store to ask about a job

“Hi, I’m Jordan. I’m 16, I live nearby, and I’m available after school and on weekends. I’ve babysat for three families for two years, so I’m used to being responsible and on time. Are you hiring right now, and who should I talk to?”

Shorter is fine here. A manager on a busy shift wants the facts fast.

4. Meeting a professional at an event

“Hi, I’m Priya, a sophomore at Lincoln High. I volunteer at a senior center on Saturdays, and that’s how I got curious about nursing. I’d love to hear how you got started in healthcare. Would it be OK if I emailed you a couple of questions?”

The last line gets you a name and an email. That’s exactly what your bookmark asks you to leave every event with.

5. In writing: an email or LinkedIn message

“Hi Ms. Lee, I’m Alex Chen, a junior at Lincoln High. We met at the college and career fair on Tuesday, where you mentioned your summer internship. I’ve built websites for two local businesses, and I’d love to learn more about web design. Could you tell me when applications open? Thank you for your time. Alex”

Did that help?

How to practice

• Say it out loud 3 times, then say it to one real person today. Reading it silently doesn’t count.
• Change part 3 for the person in front of you. What you want from a recruiter is different from what you want from a store manager.
• Follow up within 24 hours. Send a short thank-you that mentions something you talked about.

Your turn

Fill in the back of your bookmark: “I’m ___. I’m good at ___. I’m looking for ___.” Then say it to someone today. A pitch only gets good when you use it.

Keep going

This article is part of a series of four, one for each VW Academy bookmark:

1. How Do People See You?
2. Before You Walk In
3. Your Interview Story
4. Your 30-Second Pitch

Want to practice with me? VW Academy runs workshops for high school students on interviews, resumes and workplace skills. See our programs.

Parents: talk to us about bringing these exercises to your teen’s school.