Going up! Elevator Pitch competition turns 10

By Cathy Temple

Talk about yourself for about a minute. Sounds easy, right? Add in a stage, a spotlight, a microphone, judges, and competitors. Each spring, Nichols College gives students the opportunity to encapsulate and present their best and authentic selves in a 60-second commercial to the campus community, as a dress rehearsal for the real thing.

Spring 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the Elevator Pitch competition and, as in past years, the popular event brought together students, faculty, and staff to boisterously cheer on the 23 participants.

The elevator pitch in professional environments is used to sell your abilities via a conversational response to prompts, such as “What makes you the best fit for this job,” “Tell me a time when you overcame a weakness,” or “Why do you want this job.” The questions help future employers assess your level of confidence, humility, and other soft skills you’ll bring to the company or organization. The responses are used to elicit a next step, whether it’s a follow-up interview, a second meeting to sell an idea or product, or even to get the job itself.

“The Elevator Pitch competition was a fundamental event that sparked my growth as a communicator both personally and professionally. I realized the power of my words and story,” says Ben Carbone ’20, who took first place in 2019. His topic was the dramatic life event his family experienced when his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when Carbone was 8 years old. “Winning the competition opened doors and allowed me to set my goals higher because I had a newfound confidence.”

Each year, alumni like Carbone pitch in to make the competition a success. Fran and Dawn Carlo, 1990 graduates, have sponsored cash prizes for the winners and served as judges, along with this year’s judges, Eric Bernard ’92 MBA ’98, Cari Cyr ’21, and Kellianne Perceval ’02 MBA ’05. As in previous years, last year’s first-place winner, Olivia Antonson ’22, was the master of ceremonies, and Carbone and the 2020 winner Hannah Vangel ’21 shared advice with the participants and led a session on their post-Nichols professional lives.

“Communication is pivotal in my profession as a realtor, and thanks to Nichols, I was able to shape these skills early on,” says Carbone. “Now, a few years later, returning to campus to speak on my experience and the importance of being a great communicator with students is something I truly enjoy.”