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The most DREADED Interview Question…
Have you ever worked really hard on writing your resume, got it submitted, waited for weeks (or even longer) to hear any news, finally got the interview, and then did your homework and researched the company, picked out an outfit, printed out your resume, got to the interview just to sit down and have the interviewer say, “So, tell me about yourself”…. And then just fumble your way through the answer?
Well… you’re not alone. That question is a very common way to start an interview and it’s one that many people struggle with. Your answer to that question sets the tone for the rest of the interview, so it’s important to address it with confidence. Crafting an Elevator Pitch can help you tackle those preliminary interview questions. A good Elevator Pitch can also help you network more effectively. It can be used as a starting point for a good cover letter or for a LinkedIn bio. When done correctly, a good Elevator Pitch can be tailored to cover many needs in your job search and beyond.
WHAT is an Elevator Pitch?
So what exactly is an Elevator Pitch and why should you care? An Elevator Pitch is a one-minute (or less) sales pitch which is a concise introduction that articulates expertise, accomplishment, and passion. It is an opportunity to make an impactful first impression. An Elevator Pitch not only provides a value statement (explaining your value), it also ignites a two-sided conversation.
So, what’s the point of an Elevator Pitch? As stated early, it can help get an interview or meeting. It’s also a great intro at networking events. An elevator pitch can serve as a quick intro to an executive, recruiter or prospective employer. It can work as a sales pitch for a product or your introduction at a meeting.
The Elevator Pitch and The Interview
But we were specifically talking about interviews, right? Well, during an interview, an Elevator Pitch answers some basic initial questions such as: “Tell me about yourself” or “What about this role interests you?”. Elevator Pitches can also put you at ease during the interview. The more you practice your Elevator Pitch, the easier it will be for it to roll off the tongue, enabling you to ease into the interview itself and help calm interview jitters.
A good Elevator Pitch also allows you to set the tone of the interview with a succinct, well thought out answer. You won’t be fumbling around for a way to answer a slightly awkward question. It gives you some power and autonomy in the direction the interview will take. It’s also a great way to tell them how you want them to see you. You get to pick the highlights of your career past and talk about where you’re wanting your career path to go.
What are the components and formula for a compelling Elevator Pitch?
A good Elevator Pitch will do the following (ideally in this order)
- Identify who you are – confident & compelling statement of who you are professionally
- Give your why – why you are qualified
- Explain why you are there- a chance to show enthusiasm for the role and company
- Include a call to action- the goal is to get the other person to take some action – progress the interview, set a meeting, accept a LinkedIn connection or simply give/take a business card
- Engage with a question – use open ended questions to strike a conversation
Once you have it all together practice outloud and time yourself. You don’t want it to be too short, but it should be no longer than 1 minute.
Here are some additional tips…
- Use bullets for key speaking points – creates an outline of possible things you want to say and allows you to be flexible and deliver differently in every interview
- Have different versions of your Elevator Pitch to tailor to companies, roles and interviewers – bullets make it easy to plug & play for different settings
- Practice, practice, and practice some more… it should roll off your tongue without sounding like it is memorized
Let’s Look an Example
Look at the following example and see you if you can identify each of the 5 parts we went over above.
“I am an experienced HR leader who has managed all aspects of the HR function from recruiting to talent development to total rewards. My strength lies in learning & development strategy for employees and clients. Over the last 12 years, I have rolled out a global LMS to 5,000 employees, developed a corporate consultative selling workshop that changed our go-to-market strategy and drove revenue growth from $400M to $1B. While I have enjoyed everyday at my company, I am looking for the next challenge and I believe my 20 years in the industry could help another company experience the same level of employee satisfaction and growth. I would like to build a Talent Development strategy for a small to mid-size company. Let me ask you, how are your clients driving employee experience today?”
Some Final Tips for Success…
- How you say it is as important as what you say… voice inflection, volume, tone all matter
- Don’t talk too fast, sound unnatural, or forget important elements of your pitch
- Be aware of your body language – conveys as much as your words – smile
- The mirror is your friend – spend time with it – facial expressions matter!
- Tailor to different audiences – sales, HR, operations, technology, C-level
- Be yourself – your best self, be authentic
- Lead with your strengths
Remember…
An Elevator Pitch is a powerful representation of who you are, and what value you and only you provide. So, take some time to create a variety of bullet points for your Elevator Pitch to prepare you for any role and any interview! Be authentic, practice and make the best first impression! You got this!
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Over the last year, hiring teams have started seeing a wave of new job titles pop up across tech, sales, and operations.
Some are legitimate new roles.
Others are existing jobs with a slightly different name.
And many of them have one thing in common: AI is suddenly part of the job description.
From Go-to-Market Engineers to AI Specialists, companies are experimenting with new roles as they figure out how automation and AI fit into their teams.
But most of these positions aren’t entirely new. They’re evolutions of existing roles.
The Rise of Go-to-Market Engineers
One role that is gaining traction is the Go-to-Market Engineer.
Depending on who you ask, it is either:
- A new role focused on automation and AI-driven growth
- A modern version of Revenue Operations (RevOps)
In practice, it is a bit of both.
As Matt Tokarz recently pointed out after closing a search for an Outbound & Go-to-Market Specialist, the role looked very different from traditional RevOps. The focus was not reporting or CRM hygiene. It was building prompts, leveraging tools like Clay and Smartlead, and enabling SDRs and AEs with backend insights to accelerate pipeline growth.
Instead of traditional RevOps work like reporting and CRM management, the focus was on:
- Building AI prompts
- Creating campaign messaging
- Automating outreach workflows
- Using tools like Clay, Smartlead, and Trigify
The goal was not simply managing sales data. It was accelerating pipeline generation through automation.
AI Isn’t Creating New Functions. It’s Changing Existing Ones
One trend is becoming clear. Companies are not replacing entire departments with AI.
Instead, they are changing how existing roles operate.
Sales teams still need pipeline.
Marketing teams still need content.
Engineering teams still need to build software.
The difference is that employers now expect candidates to use AI tools as part of their workflow.
As Zac Colip noted during the discussion, we are currently in a transitional phase where companies are labeling roles with “AI” as they experiment with how the technology fits into teams.
But that may not last forever.
Why Many “AI Job Titles” May Disappear
Right now, AI still feels new enough that companies highlight it in job titles.
But eventually, AI will likely become a baseline expectation, not a specialty.
Think about it like cloud technology or data analytics.
At first, companies hired “cloud specialists.” Now most engineers are expected to understand cloud infrastructure.
The same shift will likely happen with AI.
Instead of hiring “AI-enabled marketers” or “AI engineers,” companies will simply expect employees to know how to work with AI tools.
The Talent Pool Is Still Small
One challenge with these emerging roles is simple: there aren’t many candidates with real experience yet.
Many of these positions didn’t exist two years ago.
In one recent search, we started looking for a candidate locally in Chicago. Eventually we expanded nationwide because the pool of people with relevant experience was extremely limited.
This is a common issue with emerging roles:
- Companies want experienced candidates
- But the roles themselves are still new
That gap will likely persist for the next few years.
Hybrid Roles Are Becoming More Common
Another noticeable shift is that roles are becoming more hybrid.
Instead of hiring for narrow responsibilities, companies are combining multiple functions into one position.
As Matt Mulcahy highlighted, one example is the rise of Forward Deployed Engineers, a model popularized by Palantir.
These engineers:
- Work directly with clients
- Gather product requirements
- Write user stories
- Build the software themselves
What used to involve several roles, including product managers, engineers, and solution architects, can now sometimes be handled by one person. AI development tools are part of what makes this possible.
AI Adoption Is Happening at Different Speeds
Not every industry is moving at the same pace.
As Ashley DuBois pointed out, some sectors, such as transportation, are applying AI to specific workflows like load booking and operational automation.
At the same time, some companies are adding “AI” to job titles even when the core responsibilities remain largely traditional.
In many cases, it is still essentially an IT manager role with AI familiarity layered in.
This reflects a broader transition period where companies want to signal modernization and candidates want to signal relevance.
Automation Is Changing Operations Roles
In logistics, AI is increasingly handling scheduling, tracking, and coordination tasks.
According to Brittany Lasky, operational roles such as logistics coordinators may experience the greatest impact from automation.
However, freight brokers who manage negotiation and strategic RFPs remain in demand.
AI can optimize processes. It does not replace relationship management or strategic negotiation.
Across industries, a pattern is emerging.
Execution becomes automated. Strategy becomes more valuable.
Finance Roles Are Becoming More Analytical
Automation is also reshaping finance and accounting roles.
As Adam Slater noted, accounts receivable jobs that once focused on high-volume manual processing are evolving into more analytical positions centered on reporting and insights.
The work is not disappearing. The expectations are increasing.
Organizations are now hiring for:
- stronger technical skills
- analytical thinking
- systems understanding
Even roles traditionally considered administrative now require deeper technical capability.
Analyst Roles Are Expanding
AI is not eliminating analyst roles. It is expanding them.
Financial analysts are also expected to understand tooling, sourcing, and data transformation.
In many cases, two or three roles are being combined into one.
This raises a long-term question.
If entry-level roles become more complex or disappear entirely, how will organizations develop senior talent in the future?
Sales Development Is Becoming More Human
The traditional model of high-volume cold calling is changing.
According to Jack Smith and Emily Canna, teams are shifting toward:
- personalized LinkedIn videos
- voice memos
- highly tailored messaging
At the same time, companies are moving away from activity-based KPIs and focusing more on outcomes such as demos set and SQLs generated.
In a market saturated with automated outreach, authentic communication has become a competitive advantage.
Several clients have said it directly. They want a human in the seat.
Go-to-Market Teams Are Rebuilding the Fundamentals
Every six to twelve months, hiring trends in go-to-market teams shift.
As Jennifer Salerno noted, companies move through cycles.
One quarter it is BDRs.
Then RevOps.
Now it is go-to-market engineers.
Many companies experimented heavily with AI to accelerate pipeline generation.
What those experiments exposed were structural gaps, particularly in outbound strategy.
AI can support execution. It does not replace a well-built top-of-funnel engine.
Inbound momentum can hide weaknesses. Outbound forces clarity.
The companies gaining traction right now are not chasing trends. They are rebuilding the fundamentals of their go-to-market strategy.
What This Means for Hiring
For employers, the takeaway is straightforward. Job descriptions and expectations need to evolve alongside technology.
Across functions, we are seeing the same shift play out. AI is not eliminating entire roles. It is changing how those roles operate and increasing the baseline skill set required to perform them well.
Hiring managers should start thinking less about traditional titles and more about capabilities. That often means prioritizing candidates who can:
- Learn and adapt to new tools quickly
- Think in terms of systems, automation, and workflows
- Combine technical and business skills within a single role
In many cases, the perfect candidate with the exact title simply does not exist yet. The strongest hires are often people who have developed adjacent skills and shown the ability to adapt as the tools evolve.
The Bigger Trend
The broader trend is that AI is accelerating a shift that was already underway.
Roles are becoming more hybrid. Expectations are increasing across nearly every function. And repetitive tasks are being automated, leaving more strategic work behind.
Sales teams still need pipeline.
Operations teams still need coordination.
Finance teams still need reporting and analysis.
Engineering teams still need to build software.
What is changing is how the work gets done and what skills are required to do it well.
Right now we are in a transitional phase where companies are still labeling roles with “AI” as they experiment with new workflows and technologies.
Over time, that label may disappear.
AI will simply become part of how work gets done.
And the roles themselves, while evolving, will look more familiar than the titles might suggest.
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