SELF INTRODUCTIONS
SELF-INTRODUCTIONS FOR INTERVIEWING
For face-to-face interviewing, the main type of introduction you’ll use is a self-introduction for interviewing. This isn’t an introduction where you formally introduce yourself per se, rather, its used to convey to your interviewer why hiring you would be a logical choice by using the most effective wording possible, and with this type of introduction the way you are trying to do this is by conveying a relevant piece of information about yourself that an interviewer might ask over the course of an interview, such as one of your biggest strengths or proudest accomplishments. Moreover, this type of self-introduction is great as a confidence booster and can still be very useful if you are struggling to make conversation when you first meet your interviewer or are struggling to find your footing when answering other similar types of questions during the interview as well
Self-introductions should always be spoken in the present tense. Anywhere from 30-60 seconds is a good length for this type of introduction. Remember to use positive and assertive body language when presenting your introduction. Practicing your introduction is also really important too. Try and practice in front of friends and family so they can give you constructive feedback about what you’re doing right and on where you can make improvements. A good introduction should sound like you’re telling a story, and in order to be effective it needs to sound smooth and polished so you can recall it without pausing. Lastly, remember that it’s okay to feel nervous, and from time to time you might make a mistake. If that happens, don’t worry, simply keep going, and remember humour is always a great way to deflect an error
You should start the introduction off by mentioning your name and job title. If you’re currently between jobs, consider creating a title for yourself based on your main area of expertise, or a title most relevant to the role you’re applying for.
Example: ‘Hi, it’s a pleasure to be here today. I’m Dalek, a service hospitality professional’.
Example: ‘Hi, it’s great to meet you today. I’m Cyloen, an experienced career labourer whose looking to get back into the job market’.
If you’ve never held an actual position before or you’d prefer it as an alternative to creating a descriptive career title, instead you can mention a higher academical qualification or state the job position you’re looking for instead.
Example: ‘I’m really excited to be here today. My name is Tywin, a bachelor of arts and literature graduate from Glasgow University’.
Example: ‘Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name’s Rowan, and I’m looking for a job as an office administrator’.
The golden rule for this type of introduction is that it has to be short, between 30 to 60 seconds at most. What you are trying to do is convey why you would be a logical choice for the employer to hire you by using the most effective wording possible. You can do this by recalling something you’ve learned that you’ve carried with you throughout the course of your career, or you can lead in with a quote, then relate its meaning as a motif or metaphor to qualities or experiences you possess that’ve helped you in that line of work. However you choose to compose this, you need to relay relevant information about yourself that demonstrates your ability to do the job and finishes off with a strong close that underscores your motivations for performing the role in question
SELF-INTRODUCTIONS FOR NETWORKING
Self-introductions for networking can be used in interview scenarios as well as other types of social functions. Their main advantage is in a group interview setting, where they can be used to introduce yourself to your interviewer(s) and to the rest of the group. As with the Self-Introduction for interviewing, the Self-Introduction for networking is also a great confidence booster, and can be very useful if you’re struggling to make conversation when you first meet your interviewer or are struggling to find your footing when answering other questions during the interview
As well as being used as an effective introduction in a group interview setting, the Self-Introduction for networking is also very versatile in that it is great to use in other types of non-interview related situations too. For instance, it can be used for networking at job fairs and career expos, as well as other things like presentations or introducing yourself to a group at a work-related function or social gathering
Self-introductions for networking are normally slightly longer than other types of introductions. Depending on the situation their written for they can be up to 2 minutes long, although in an interview setting you should limit this to 45 – 60 seconds max. Remember to use positive and assertive body language when presenting your introduction. Practicing your introduction is also really important too. Try and practice in front of friends and family so they can give you constructive feedback about what you’re doing right and on where you can make improvements. A good introduction should sound like you’re telling a story, and in order to be effective it needs to sound smooth and polished so you can recall it without pausing. Lastly, remember that it’s okay to feel nervous, and from time to time you might make a mistake. If that happens, don’t worry, simply keep going, and remember humour is always a great way to deflect an error
As with most types of self-introductions, the best way to start them off is by mentioning your name and job title (if not used in an interview setting choose a title most relevant to the situation you are using it in). Example, ‘Hi I’m Dee, a lifelong botany enthusiast’.
Or, ‘Hi I’m Quinn. Even though I’ve been teaching for 10 years I still feel like I learn something new every day’.
From here, depending on what situation your introduction is for (i.e., interview, social function or gathering, social club or voluntary gathering, business presentation, etc), there are several different routes you can take to go about composing it:
One route you can take if your introduction is interview or work related is to mention your career interests and aspirations, then further expand on these by tying them into any professional training or qualifications you have that are relevant to the role in question. There are many different variations of this where you can expand on what attracted you to the role, where you re-emphasise your desire and commitment for the job, or where you simply expand on what you can bring to the role
If you want to go into a bit more detail, you can expand on this further by highlighting any skills and experiences you have that are useful to the role you are interviewing for. From here you should be able to move seamlessly onto your education and work history. Start with your least current job first, touching on past job roles, until you reach your present occupational status. Mention only the job roles that are on your C.V. It also makes your answer much stronger if you can close the introduction with a relevant goal or aim you have for the future. As always, you should prioritize your time when delivering this introduction to highlight the roles and experiences that are most relevant to the position you’re applying for
If you want to go even more in-depth, start with your personal background first, such as any notable places you’ve lived and 1 or 2 personal interests you have (non-interview situations only), mention only career-related interests and aspirations for interviews. Give insight into why these are things that interest you, what you have gained from these things, and what, if anything, you hope to achieve from them.
From here you should be able to move seamlessly onto your education and work history. Start with your least current job first, touching on past job roles, until you reach your present occupational status. Mention only the job roles that are on your C.V. As always, you should prioritize your time when delivering your introduction to draw attention to the roles and experiences that are most relevant.
From there you can provide further insight and emphasis on the importance of your work history and educational background by bringing up any accomplishments or achievements you have that are either directly related to the role or topic, or that have provided you with formative experiences or insights of relevance. Doing so is a great way to immerse your listener more, and helps build a genuine bond with them
Lastly, tie this in with 1 or 2 things you love about the job/ industry, and briefly state what your underlying motivations in applying for the role are. Remember it makes the delivery so much stronger if you can close this off with a relevant goal or aim you have for the future
SELF-INTRODUCTIONS FOR A HIGHER EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
This is a more specialized type of introduction, centred around a higher educational background. It’s ideal for recent graduates and can be very useful when describing a degree or other sort of qualification. The great thing about this type of introduction is that it’s best utilised in roles where there is a specific requirement for a degree or qualification, and as such, it is a type of self-introduction that is highly relevant and effective when used under the correct circumstances
Self-Introductions should always be spoken in the present tense. As with most standard introduction types, keep it short, around 30 seconds is a good length for this type of introduction during an interview. Remember to use positive and assertive body language when presenting your introduction. Practicing your introduction is also really important too. Try and practice in front of friends and family so they can give you constructive feedback about what you’re doing right and on where you can make improvements. A good introduction should sound like you’re telling a story, and in order to be effective it needs to sound smooth and polished so you can recall it without pausing. Lastly, remember that it’s okay to feel nervous, and from time to time you might make a mistake. If that happens, don’t worry, simply keep going, and remember humour is always a great way to deflect an error
With the educational self-introduction, the best way to start it off is by mentioning your name, the type of degree or qualification you have, the name of the university or place you attained this from/ and the year you attained it. From there, you want to immediately expand on your experience surrounding the undertaking of this qualification. Honing in on a singular aspect of your educational journey either by emphasizing a specific project or assignment that was particularly enjoyable, or by mentioning some other aspect of the qualification that embodied your learning experience is the best way to do this
Because this is only a short introduction, you are looking to pick up on one singular but important thing only, and over 2 or 3 sentences share this experience in a way that conveys how you’ve gone about achieving your qualification, or that reflects what you’ve learned over the entirety of that course. In doing so it will effectively grab your listeners attention and help them buy into what you’re saying.
If has been more than 4 years since you attained this qualification, (you can still use the same structure), but you may instead want to relay how you’ve been using this qualification instead, because after such a length of time this is usually more relevant to the interviewer