1. Elevator Pitches and Personal Statements

2. How to answer the question: What do you do?

3. What is the purpose of an elevator pitch
Concise statement of your research/work interests and experiences to be shared informally and orally in various settings.
verbally communicating the relevance of our work in the context of benefits to society and human health is incredibly difficult.
It is safe to assume that everyone you meet will have no clue about what your work is all about.

4. When to use it? Conferences Networking events The bar
Whenever you are asked what you do for a living.

5. Goal Between 30 – 60 seconds, no longer
Goal is to create a memorable and positive impression

6. Questions the pitch should answer
What is the topic of your research/work
What is the problem, issue, or question that you are asking and addressing in your research?
Why is the problem interesting?
How does your work help the field?

7. One way to go about creating a pitch
Frame it as a narrative arc, Happy – Sad – Hope – Happy
Volcanoes are beautiful
But they are also dangerous
We are working to understand volcanoes better
So we can reduce the hazard of volcanoes, while keeping them beautiful
May be possible to create a haiku. Ill keep thinking

8. Another method
Introduction– Necessary if you are the one making the introduction.
One-liner – Incorporate the aforementioned one-liner to start things off.
Reel ‘em in– What is the major question/problem you study? What was your motivation (e.g. I noticed X but no one was looking at it…).
What are you doing?– How are you answering this question? For example, you could describe your use of field surveys, experiments or modelling.
And?– What have you found? What’s next?
Why does this matter? Don’t think of it as a justification for your science. Think of it as an opportunity to show others the value of science.

9. What is needed
Eye contact
Enthusiasm
Lots of practice

10. Proof of concept: the “cocktail party pitch”
Contexts • telling friends or family what you do • discussing your work at poster sessions with possible collaborators, peers, etc. • cocktail parties, receptions, lunch meetings, campus visit engagements
Features • Conversational, more of an exchange, an actual dialogue • Listen very carefully, and respond! • Seek connections between your research interests and your interlocutor’s interests • Ask questions

11. Common Mistakes
Misjudging your audience: professors vs museum goers vs 1st graders
Too much jargon
Too much Information

12. Personal Statements
Upload a 1-page statement in which you describe your objectives in applying to the graduate program in Earth Sciences at the UO, your preparation and skills, your personal and academic accomplishments, your scientific interests, and your goals for the future. The statement provides the opportunity for you to inform the admissions committee about any intangibles not represented elsewhere in your application. If there are specific faculty that you are interested in working with, you are encouraged to identify them in the statement.

13. What to do
Don’t make assumptions: check requirements, review prompt thoroughly
If there are no specifics: trend is towards shorter essays, especially in STEM

14. Keep it personal You as an individual
Your life after college we all picked up a rock as a kid, and found it pretty. So did every other geologist.
For UO, Marla is reading our applications, she is sick and tired of statements starting with, “ever since I was a kid”

15. Tailor it to the university and make connections
Acceptance is about being the best match rather than being the most qualified
They want to see you can participate in ongoing research, and search out advisors to start your own project
Demonstrate that you can thrive in the grad schools environment
Finish with a strong statement about why the school is your top pick

16. 8 basic tips Frame it as academic achievements despite challenges
Articulate your reasons for selecting your chosen career
Be specific
Do not be generic, one size does not fit all
Whatever your reasons for applying, be sincere
Describe professional interests, particularly as they relate to research
Demonstrate your motivation and capacity to succeed
Be concise