September 30, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "The elevator pitch is dead and gone. It was a bad idea before and it is a worse idea today," says Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University, in an article published in the Chicago Tribune. "So, if is not gone, it should be." Langerud is one of several experts called upon to discuss the value (or lack thereof) of prospective employees boiling their message down to a 15-to-30-second message stating what they would bring to a job.
According to Langerud, "The main problem with the classic elevator pitch is that it was passive, focused on the worker and not the employer, and, most often, centered on a specific job, title or industry! It was all about a ‘commercial’ about yourself. Boring, off point and not effective. Those days are dead and the employer just doesn’t care. Especially in times like we are seeing now workers must demonstrate value and transcend industries."
His comments are included in an article by CareerBuilder.com's Anthony Balderrama, accessible at the Tribune's website.
Steve Langerud has helped more than 15,000 people with workplace issues and is regularly quoted in articles on the job market and career development, including a U.S. News & World Report story last week and a piece on Skype interviews earlier this week.
He is available to help DePauw students and alumni with career planning. Visit DePauw's Office of Civic, Global and Professional Opportunities here.