Making a Good First Impression: The Elevator Talk Rachel O’Brien Photo and some content from Heather Macdonald and David McConnell’s 2012 presentation and Carolyn Gale’s 2006 presentation to Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences workshop

What is an elevator talk? Imagine that you are in a elevator (or sitting on plane and someone asks you, “What do you do?” You have 30-60 seconds to tell them. What will you say? Michael Tobias http://init4au.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/escalator.jpg

Consider these questions to craft your talk What is the field in which I work? What methods and/or techniques do I use? What is the question I am trying to answer (or the topic I am working on)? Why is this work important?

There is more than one type of audience for this talk Other geoscientists Program officers from funding agencies Other scientists The Dean or Provost (often an academic but not necessarily a scientist) Graduate and/or undergraduate students Your grandmother

Tips on content Goal: A clear and compelling synopsis Avoid technical terms and jargon Use short sentences Use “I” rather than “we” (when possible) • Communicate what excites you most about your research Explain why your work has relevance and/or significance

Tips on delivery Goal: An engaged and instructive conversation Show passion/enthusiasm for your work Vary the tone of your voice Approach this as a conversation Establish eye contact; watch to see if your audience understands you Concentrate on a "I'm glad you asked" expression and posture

Additional comments Your audience should gain a general understanding of what you do. An elevator talk is not intended to teach your audience everything about your work. You will have been successful if you get a response like this: “That sounds really interesting. Tell me more about ....” If this is during the interview, present yourself as a potential colleague, not as a graduate student It’s a bridge for further discussion.