Your elevator pitch is a quick statement selling yourself. It could be used in an email introduction, as part of your cover letter, or during an interview (in response to a question such as why should we hire you?). In just a few sentences, the elevator pitch should highlight a strong interest in the opportunity and the skills that are most important to being an attractive candidate and successful on the job. For entry level and early career positions, your elevator pitch should highlight at least 3 of the following 7 Elements of a Good Story:  Industry Relevance, Communication Skills, Leadership, Problem Solving, Expertise, Pedigree, and Impact.

If you are pursuing a pre-MBA position at a private equity firm, I would suggest that you focus on the following elements: INDUSTRY RELEVANCE, PROBLEM SOLVING AND PEDIGREE.

CANDIDATE WITH INVESTMENT BANKING BACKGROUND

Weak Pitch

I’ve spent the last two years working in mergers & acquisitions. I am now ready to apply those skills in private equity, where I am more vested in the outcome of the transaction and can expand my understanding of the legal and strategic aspects of the deal. I have broad transactional experience, having worked on more than 7 different transactions including a very large acquisition of mining operations in Chile. 

Strong Pitch

I’ve spent the last two years working in the M&A department at Morgan Stanley where I have developed a strong foundation in corporate valuation, financial modeling and deal structuring. I am now ready to apply those skills in private equity, where I am more vested in the outcome of the transaction and can expand my understanding of the legal and strategic aspects of the deal. I received the top tier bonus in my analyst class, based upon my work on seven different buyside transactions including two of the three largest transactions completed by Morgan Stanley in the past year: the $4 billion acquisition of Paul Corporation by General Electric; and an $11 billion acquisition of Chilean mining operations by Rio Tinto. I was the senior analyst on both of those transactions and was responsible for developing the acquisition models. I have always been at the top of my class and graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth while also competing on the varsity swim team. 

Commentary

In both examples, the candidate articulates an interest in private equity as a way to enhance his/her transactional knowledge.  In the STRONG pitch, the candidate does a better job of highlighting his/her specific experiences, responsibilities and transactions (INDUSTRY RELEVANCE). For instance, the candidate articulates that his/her experience is “buyside” transactional experience; the candidate also gives specific examples of deals. If the deals are public, then you should feel comfortable listing them. The candidate also spends significant time highlighting his/her PEDIGREE. Breaking into Private Equity is very challenging. They only take the best and the brightest, so you need to let people know that you fit the profile up front (see Profile of Candidates for Top 50 Private Equity Firms). The size of the transactions  (e.g. “$11 billion”), the reputation of the firm you work for (e.g. Morgan Stanley), the profile of the transactions you worked on (e.g. General Electric), your performance at the firm (e.g. “top tier”) and your academic credentials (e.g. “summa cum laude”) all make an impression upon people. 

To see more advice and examples on elevator pitches:

What is an Elevator Pitch and Why is it Important?

Elevator Pitch Examples (Strong/Weak) 

Elevator Pitch Example for a College Student - Investment Banking