This is a great question! As someone who's changed careers three times, I've had to navigate this carefully :) For me, I find it best to not feel as if I am reading from a script. I create an inventory of my skills, big projects and accomplishments. Next, I consider my audience and purpose. Am I trying to land an interview, expand my network or pitch a sale? I always find it best to understand what the audience is focused on or values, and connect my wins / skills / big projects to their win or their desire to win.

Hi Heartie! So many people get tripped up on their elevator pitch. They either over talk and go off, trying to fit it all in. Or they get tongue-tied and find themselves rattling off adjectives that could be applied to anyone. Curating your elevator pitch is critical. Here's a great way to outline it. First, decide which skills and zones of genius you want to highlight. Consider how these are unique to you and stories around them. Craft the stories so you are always answering, what does this mean for the company and how could it benefit them. Driving home the results will be key. I have a free resource, The Brand of You Creative Brief I think will help. It teaches how to craft your brand and most importantly, tell a story. If you want to leave your essence behind, be memorable. You can copy and paste the link in your browser. https://www.subscribepage.com/n2p0e4

I am assuming that you are talking about an elevator speech to answer a question in a job interview. Your elevator speech needs to be tailored to highlight your relevant skills and experience that the job description of the position you are seeking. Below are my thoughts of the a framework for the elevator speech that should be 2 to 3 minutes. Tell me about yourself? "I consider myself to be an expert in [job field]. For the past [relevant years of experience of total industry or position experience]. One of my key achievements was [achievement with quantified results e.g. increased sales X%, or decrease costs Y%]." The achievement should match the key responsibilities of the job. For example, I work in marketing research. If the job is for new product development, I would highlight a market research accomplishment for a new product. What do you want to do? 1) Stay in current field "I am currently working in [field] as a [job title] with [responsibilities]. I enjoy working in this area because I like doing [activity]. This is an example for a person in market research who want to stay in the field. I currently work in market search as a insights director with responsibilities for identifying new product opportunities. I enjoy market research and want to stay in this field. I enjoy the problem solving aspects. It is like figuring out the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I have enjoyed solving puzzles since I was a child. 2) Transition to new field "I am currently working in [field] and have developed skills such as [transferable skills]. However, I have an interest of moving into [new field] because [why]." Here is an example when of a person transitioning from marketing to market research. I currently work in marketing and have developed skills in understanding consumer behavior. However, I am interested in moving into market research. I want to use my understand of consumer behavior to solve problems related to satisfy unmet consumer needs. In marketing, I don't have that opportunity because my responsible are focused on development of marketing strategies and execution of marketing plans. I hope this helps.