SELF INTRODUCTIONS
Self-introductions are a great way to start-off a conversation and ease the tension in high pressure situations like interviews. A well-honed and practiced self-introduction can make all the difference when you first meet someone and can help you sound outgoing, confident, and in control of your surroundings, even in the most challenging of circumstances when you’re not. In nerve-wracking interviews where first impressions are crucial, they are a great confidence booster to fall back on if you’re struggling for things to say when you first meet your interviewer. The self-introduction also gives you a massive advantage when used in an interview to answer direct questions, in particular, where the interviewer specifically asks you to tell them about yourself. On top of this, they are generally a great tool to have in your social repertoire, and can be used in other types of situations when introducing yourself to new people, such as when making presentations to groups and audiences, networking at business or social event functions, as well as so much more…
Self-introductions are normally regarded as highly effective by recruitment insiders. They are sometimes also referred to as elevator pitches, although in reality this is just one type of self-introduction that focuses on grabbing a person’s attention with a view to pitching an idea or product and is mainly used in sales pitches or networking situations as opposed to presenting factual information about yourself for interviewing purposes. The whole premise surrounding any personal introduction is this: if you had 60 seconds to tell someone about yourself, what would you say? While the answer can vary depending on the type of introduction you are using and the particular scenario you are using it in, any effective introduction will do two things: it will get the listeners attention, while at the same time conveying the best and most relevant bits about you. More importantly, it will leave your target audience wanting to learn more about who you are
A self-introduction should last anywhere between 30-60 seconds. It’s basically a very short, smooth, charismatic way of highlighting information regarding your background and accomplishments in the form of a quick synopsis. They can be composed in various ways depending on the situation you’re writing them for, although to be most effective you should follow a standardized structure when composing them such as the ones outlined below
Self-Introductory Titles
If you have any experience whatsoever in your given field of interest, consider concocting a self-introductory title for yourself. This will enable you to better project your professional persona and can be a very effective tactic that goes a long way to helping you create an effective and intriguing first impression when you first meet someone.
A self-introductory title is something you can get away with as long as you don’t go overboard. If you have anything whatsoever listed on your C.V, you can create a self-introductory title based around it, it’s simple and easy to do!
For instance, if you have a work history that involves warehousing duties, and you are interviewing for a role in this area, (titles like Career Labourer, Warehousing Utility Professional, Experienced Warehousing Operative) can be effective ways of introducing yourself.
If you have experience in the retail sector and you’re applying for a retail position, (titles like Retail Service Professional, Experienced Retail Agent, Retail Service Advisor), have the ability to make an impression when you first meet someone.
Or if you have prior sales experience and you’re applying for a job where sales is heavily involved, (titles like Sales Experience Agent, Sales Service Professional, Experienced Sales Advisor) can have a nice ring to them.
Remember that the job titles on your C.V should be listed as they appear on your offer of employment and you should NOT amend them, as these are verifiable positions that can be checked and cross-referenced.
This is not a job title you’re creating for a listing on your C.V – this is a Self-Introductory title you are creating to be used when you first introduce yourself to someone that sums up your professional standing, (see the Cover Letter and Speculative Cover Letter Example areas for more examples of these).
A self-introductory title is very much down to personal choice and at the creative discretion of you as an individual. If you do decide to use this, be sure to choose a Self-Introductory title that reflects your experience in the job field your applying for and is not too far detached from the level of experience you have indicated on your C.V. Also, ensure you use a title relevant to the role you are applying for
WHEN WRITING SELF-INTRODUCTIONS, WE NEED TO START OFF BY THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO INCLUDE IN THEM, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS WE NEED TO CONSIDER. GET A NOTEPAD, GO SOMEWHERE PEACEFUL AND QUIET, AND THINK ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:-
What do people like about you the most?
Example: ‘Others are drawn to me because I’m a people person who has the ability to put the needs of others first’.
What are your 2 biggest personal qualities?
Example: ‘I’m an effective orator with a natural talent for numbers’.
What are your 2 biggest work-related skills? (if no industry experience, what do you feel your 2 main strengths are as relates to the job description?)
Example: ‘I’ve got strong I.T skills a ton of industry experience’.
Name of qualification/name of educational institution/ and date of graduation (*If you completed a higher learning qualification you should include this)
Example: ‘I graduated in 2005 with a Business Management degree in Economics from the London School of Economics’.
What are your career goals? (*Should include this)
Example: ‘My goal is to become a senior investment banker and specialize in mergers and acquisitions’.
Why do you want to work in that industry, or for that company in particular?
Example: ‘I got into this industry because I believe the proper regulation of finance means order and stability for our society. I want to make a difference and I feel I can do that by empowering myself and the institutions I serve through the work that I do’.
What do you feel is the most important thing to convey about yourself?
Example: ‘That I’m ambitious and dedicated to making a name for myself in this industry’.
Now that we’ve compiled some key information about ourselves, we can use it to compose our introduction, although how we compose it depends on the type of introduction we are writing. While there are several types of personal introductions we can write, for the purposes of our preparation we will look at the 3 most relevant ones for interviewing
- The Self-Introduction for interviewing
- The Self-Introduction for networking
- The Self-Introduction for a higher educational background