1. Making a Good First Impression: The Elevator Talk
Rachel O’Brien
Photos 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

2. What is an elevator talk?
Imagine that you are in a elevator
(or sitting on plane) and someone asks you, “What’s your area of research?” You have ~60-90 seconds to get your message across.
What will you say?

3. Consider these questions to craft your response
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?

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

5. Content: A clear and instructive 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

6. Delivery: An engaged and compelling synopsis
Show passion for your work
Vary the tone of your voice
Establish eye contact; watch body language to see if your audience understands you
Concentrate on a "I'm glad you asked" expression and posture