Introduce Yourself in Job Interviews
Most people’s anxiety about their self introduction for job interviews isn’t misdirected. It is the one opportunity to convince a potential employer that you’re the right candidate for the position, so any feeling of nervousness is understandable. If there’s a place where the ability to create a good impression can make or break your career, this is it. Furthermore, the doorway to a successful job interview is the way you introduce yourself. It’s often the first request or question from the interviewer. Arriving without preparation is the worst thing you can do. There are many ways to get ready. Read on to find the most important and useful steps on how to craft a great self-introduction.
5 Steps on How to Create the Best Self Introduction
The best way to gather and organize your thoughts is to write them down. That’s the main thing to do first. This way you can modify the contents of your interview introduction and practice its entirety with ease. With consistent practice, you would know how to introduce yourself in English during an interview effectively.
1. Be concise and to the point
It should be the perfect length. Think 1 minute tops, including pacing. Anything longer than that is tedious and unnecessary. Anything shorter is inadequate.
2. Include pertinent information
The first few sentences of your introduction should include your name, your academic background, your previous experience with a similar position or industry if any, the job title you’re interviewing for, and what sets you apart from other applicants.
3. Know your purpose.
Brainstorm the next part of your introduction by asking some important questions. It can give you valuable insights into the message you’re going to portray and the key points you want to address regarding your skills and qualities. Ask yourself the following:
- Why am I here?
- Who am I meeting?
- How does my background relate to the position?
4. Think about what they’re looking for
A good rule of thumb is to visit the company website and check the mission statement. Review the job post or ad you applied for and study the skills and experience that the job entails. This will also give you an idea of what other questions to expect. Try to shift your focus from what you want to say to what they want to hear. By understanding the company identity and the job requirements, you can fashion your words into the most applicable ones.
5. Practice your Introduction
Read your introduction aloud. Practice in front of a mirror if you have to. You can also record yourself to listen to your answer better and make sure that you aren’t taking longer than you’re supposed to. Or perhaps you can ask a friend to listen to you and give some feedback. Adjust the pace between your sentences and apply the right pauses. Ensure that your sentences have variations in length. Put emphasis on the right beats. Remember not to speak too fast or too slow.
5 Best Practices For Job Interviews
Now that you have put your self-introduction in order, there’s the actual interview to tackle. Some interviews have a 1-on-1 setup. Others have a panel or a group of interviewers. In many cases, you wouldn’t know which one you’ll get. In any case, you should anticipate the possible scenarios and behave accordingly.
Professional introductions carry a big weight in any career journey. And beyond the requirement to talk about your employability, you can consider the entire interview as one huge, intricate way of introducing yourself to a future employer. The following are some tips on what to do before and during an interview.
1. Read up on the company
Don’t go to an interview without any practical knowledge of the company you’re applying to. At the very least, you should know what products or services they’re selling. You should check their company profile and figure out the identity of their brand, their values, and their vision. You should consider reading about current events happening within the industry as well. The information you’ll learn can be a solid foundation or structure for how you’ll answer the rest of the questions in the interview.
2. Prepare for follow-up questions
It would be easy to compile a list of common interview questions such as “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”, “Tell me about your previous boss?”, “What are the qualities of a good team player?”, and “What makes you the best candidate for the job?” More than that, you need to expect industry-specific and job-related follow-up questions.
3. Address the interviewer or panel properly
Shake the hands of the interviewer after greeting them. The handshake should be firm and brief, not vigorous or too hard. A good grip and a quick release should be enough. If you’re being interviewed by a panel, and an individual handshake is too awkward or not possible, make sure you greet everyone with a smile and a passing glance.
4. Maintain eye contact
Keep normal eye contact throughout the interview. You can look away when you pause to gather your thoughts, but not too long. Remember that a conversation without eye contact isn’t sincere. In a panel, look directly at the person who asked the question when you’re answering them.
5. Listen carefully
Focus on the speaker. Pay attention to his or her tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, and body language. Try to understand the overall meaning behind what he or she says.
Manners Matter: Non-Verbal Messaging in Interviews
The process of getting employed doesn’t end with answering common interview questions and discussing specific details about your abilities and work experience. Aside from evaluating your educational attainment, work credentials, skills, and qualities, the interviewer will also assess what they see. Subtly declare your commitment to professionalism and work ethic by showing up with confidence and the right outfit.
Dress Appropriately
“Dress for the job that you want” is a common saying about navigating the career ladder. It doesn’t mean you have to show up in a pilot’s uniform if you’re applying for a position in an airline. What it boils down to is dressing professionally. But what does that mean? Don’t wear something that’s too loud or distracting. While wearing a quirky red dress might work in some industries, as a whole, try to dress in neutral color tones.
Review the job post again and check if there’s a vibe you can match. If it’s a semi-casual workplace, a suit would be overdressing the part. If there isn’t any basis you can work with, standard formal or smart casual wear will do.
However, don’t appear in elaborate business attire if you’re applying for an entry-level position. Instead, try to complement the job post you’re interviewing for. Make sure your clothes are tidy and pressed. You can wear accessories, but not ones that make disrupting noises. Pretend you’re the CEO of your own company and ask yourself how you would react if someone arrived at an interview wearing your clothes.
Don’t forget the importance of body language
Eye contact and a firm handshake are vital before the interview and during introductions. Nevertheless, enact the appropriate amount and don’t stare. Also, a handshake shouldn’t take longer than a few seconds. When the interviewer is explaining something about the company or the job, respond with a nod to indicate that you’re interested and that you’re listening. Only ask questions when the opportunity is presented. If the interviewer has set a conversational atmosphere, don’t interrupt if you do have questions. Allow the interviewer to finish what they’re saying before asserting your query. Don’t forget to exercise politeness. Saying “May I ask a question?” is a good way to do it. However, don’t ask the same phrase multiple times during the interview. Think of a few variations such as “I’d like to circle back to what you said earlier about… I’m curious to know if…” and “I’d like to ask a question about that.” At any point during your interaction, don’t pretend that you understand anything if you don’t. Seek clarification if you have to. Your interviewer will appreciate you for it. Lastly, don’t force a smile. Only smile when you’re sincere about the gesture. The best thing to manage this is to act naturally and smile or laugh when you’re pleased or if the interviewer has said something amusing.
How to Answer Questions After a Great Intro
As previously mentioned, it’s probably best to treat the whole interview as an extensive introduction. Competent interviewers listen well and base many of the interview questions on how the job applicants answer them. Practicing how to answer professional questions is one thing. But anticipating potential questions allows you to practice sample answers so you don’t ramble or struggle, which can happen when you’re on edge. You should prepare to elaborate on your educational qualifications, skills, qualities, hobbies, and interests.
Expounding on Educational Qualifications
Many hiring managers and screening committee members attest that job experience and educational qualifications, including certifications in particular fields, are deciding factors in hiring a candidate. While you would have talked about your education generally in your self-introduction, you need to prepare to get into details in subsequent follow-up questions.
The main thing is to focus on your achievements: things you’ve accomplished during your studies and career that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. If you are a fresher straight out of college without any previous work experience, you can talk about the portfolio that you’ve amassed during your schooling. This may include volunteer work, significant research papers, seminars you’ve attended, internship experience, and part-time jobs that display your key abilities. As for your previous job experience, highlight your duties and responsibilities and anything that could demonstrate innovation and initiative.
A lot of employers want to know if you can adapt to their company culture and work with a team. It’s important to take any opportunity to get to know what the company is like. Most job posts have a detailed description of what kind of person they’re looking to hire. You should use this as an advantage in describing yourself. When talking about weaknesses as some interviewers are bound to ask those, illustrate a challenging event that you’ve encountered and how you found a solution.
Elaborating on skills and qualities that set you apart
Every job applicant is unique, but there are things that can reveal the qualities that an employer is trying to find. The best way to stand out from the horde is to find something from your academic and professional experience or history that can draw attention to these qualities.
For example, if the job calls for someone who is analytical and pays attention to detail, you can talk about a school project or a task at work that required you to scrutinize and evaluate a considerable amount of data. If the job description expects someone who has great people skills, you can talk about volunteer work that needed teamwork and coordination or an event at work where you collaborated with international delegates or associates.
Another thing is to show distinctive proficiencies and encounters. For example, you can speak several languages or dialects, you spent some time studying or working overseas, you wrote a book, you put together fundraisers, you were in a cultural exchange program in college, and so on. Employers usually search for a candidate with positive thinking. A self-motivated, hard-worker, and honest person. Don’t just enumerate these qualities. It’s better to illuminate actions where you exhibited them.
Talking about more personal things
Some interviewers like to set a casual or informal tone during an interview. They’re looking for a good conversationalist, someone with an interesting personality, who is engaging but can remain respectful, and who can be at ease with somebody they’ve just met and put that person at ease as well.
To cover all your bases, you should anticipate this line of questioning, too, where you would need to talk about yourself on a more personal note. You don’t need to speak about your entire life story, including your family tree or your innermost desires. Listen mainly to the questions and stick to their parameters. The employer is trying to establish a profile about you as a person, not just your professional skills. You can have the best credentials and still not get the job if your individuality doesn’t match the company culture or a certain personality profile that can complement the rest of the team.
Personal questions can touch on a range of trivial topics such as hobbies, interests, and special talents. Prepare for these topics so they don’t throw you off. Still, remember to talk about them in a fair amount of time. If you spend your free time painting, for instance, the interviewer won’t ask a 5-minute explanation about your process, unless he explicitly said so and truthfully wanted to know.
Let’s say the question is “What are your hobbies?” Give a straightforward answer plus a couple of details and stop: “I enjoy painting. I mostly paint seascapes because I find ocean colours relaxing. It takes a lot of time though, so I only paint during the weekends.”
Video Introduction for Job Interview
The trend of remote jobs is going to remain for a long while, which entails a different interview process. You’ll eventually find yourself making an intro for an interview via video conference. A video interview has a different atmosphere. There’s a sense of detachment due to several factors such as connection lags, audio quality, and synchronicity issues. Expect some form of disconnect because you may have to repeat yourself.
Other than that, there’s not much difference in the way you prepare for an in-person interview except that a video introduction can be more exhaustive and thus a little longer. Remember that the video screen may induce closer inspection and a deeper focus. Nevertheless, keep your introduction concise and relevant.
Avoid talking for more than a couple of minutes and make sure every sentence has a purpose. In order to keep yourself from sounding monotonous, vary the length of your sentences and enunciate or stress certain phrases or words. Don’t sound overly formal or you’ll come across as stiff. Breathe and smile to show you’re confident in your skills and have earned the right to be considered for the job.
Introduction for Interview: Samples for Freshers
If you’re fresh out of a college or university degree and looking to land your first job, the following are samples of self introduction in interviews for freshers that you can use. Simply change the appropriate details to match your information:
Sample 1
“My name is Tani Chandra. I am 21 years old and I am a fresh graduate from West Gamban University with a BA Degree in Business Administration. My major’s main emphases were intercultural communications and international business affairs. I maintained a GPA of 3.7 and was an active member of my department’s Junior Jaycees. I’m a passionate and hardworking person in general, but as a student, I was even more dedicated and have taken my subjects very seriously. Now that I’ve graduated, I want to apply what I’ve learned to my profession. I want to build a career in business which is the reason I’ve applied for this job. I may not have real-world experience, but I’ve had a lot of exposure to the corporate world during my studies, where I’ve developed my skills and my own professional ethics. With that, I can assure you that I will be a valuable addition to your team.”
Sample 2
“Good morning everyone. First, I would like to express my sincere thanks for giving me this wonderful opportunity. I’m (name) from (place of birth). I completed my (degree) with (school name) with a GPA of (GPA score).
Last year I went to the US for my university’s student exchange program, which allowed me to broaden my perspective and develop my skills in cultural communication. I may be a fresher, but I am adaptable and highly trainable. I also like being a part of a team and collaborating with like-minded people. I can guarantee that my strong dedication to my studies will translate into the same quality of service as your employee.
I have a very solid interest in (name of industry) and it’s my short-term goal to work for a company with your reputation, where I hope to jumpstart my career and learn what I can about the trade. I’d be honored if I can be a part of your company long-term. Growing with your company and attaining a better position are my ultimate goals.”
My Self Introduction: Samples for Experienced Candidates
For experienced candidates, you can use the self-introduction as a “golden opportunity” to emphasize your work experience and the duties you’ve accomplished in your previous jobs. Remember that certain industries have specifications. Here are self introduction samples for job interviews to use as a framework or basis for how to introduce yourself:
Sample 1
“I am Maheep Tripathi from Bangalore. I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the Bangalore Institute of Sciences in 2012.
I have been working as a senior data analyst at Convergys Global for the last 5 years. My job entailed using company-issued software to support our sales department with product and service analysis reports.
I excel in both verbal and written communication and have attained native-level fluency in English and Spanish. I am also proficient in several administrative software such as MS Office and Canva. I have a typing speed of 60 words per minute.
I have a keen passion to learn about new technological trends in the industry, and I look forward to being a productive member of your staff.”
Sample 2
“I’m Ezra Chavan. I have a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Tripark College. I’ve been working as an accountant since my graduation and have over a decade’s worth of experience. Two years ago, I was promoted to Junior Department Head at CDE Auditing Firm. Now that I have assumed a supervisory role for a few years, I’m looking to advance to a higher managerial level and continue leading teams. When I came across your job post, it became quite apparent that the position is a great fit.
I’ve worked with several types of solutions in my previous roles, including Microsoft Dynamics GP, Netsuite, Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Tally. Furthermore, I’m quite confident in learning new tools if necessary. Mentoring teams is a passion of mine. I especially like collaborating to innovate and upgrade new and current systems with company objectives in mind. I believe in positive reinforcement and fostering a sense of community within a team. I know I could be an asset to your company. Your vision to be a market leader in auditing solutions is exemplary and it would be an honor to be a part of it.”
Conclusion
Going through a hiring process can be daunting to the inexperienced, more so if you’re thinking about how to introduce yourself in interviews. However, there are methods to alleviate the anxiety. You can prepare beforehand and practice. There are several samples that you can use as a framework for your self-introduction. It’s also useful to research the company and understand the qualifications needed from the job descriptions of hiring ads. A prior assessment of what questions to expect and how to behave during the interview could work to your advantage as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
A personal introduction can take many forms but is mainly done when meeting people for the first time. It can be during a casual meeting, a speaking activity in an English class, a work convention, a job interview, an introductory email, and so on. It can also take either a formal or informal tone matching its purpose. A personal introduction can be brief or take longer. It can be as personal or detailed as you want it to be. In casual settings, it comprises your name, hobbies, favorites, interests, etc. In an interview process, you may need to answer professional questions or write a professional email.
It seems like a trivial question, but for non-native English speakers, the task of spontaneously coming up with an “introduction about myself” or answering the request “talk about yourself in English” can cause a bit of distress. The good news is, with practice, answering this and other similar questions will eventually become natural. The more language exposure you have, the better you’ll remember what to say and how to say it.
You don’t have to go overboard. A greeting and a handshake, telling someone your name, and sharing a few details about your personal life are all it takes. Self introduction for an interview is different though. When applying for work, you need to prepare an introduction that includes background information about your academic and professional experience. In other situations such as interacting with people at a work-related convention, a mix of casual and interview introductions in English is necessary. Conversational yet framed in business-related topics. You may also need to exchange business cards.
A smile and a greeting, a firm handshake, and a short introduction are adequate.
For example:
“Hi, I’m Kim, the new executive assistant.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yael, the newbie on Amihan’s team.”
“Hi, my name’s Aaron. I just started in the IT department. It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
You can nurture professional relationships with your colleagues the longer you stay at work. Be natural and don’t force it. It’s also important to listen so you can follow up with relevant questions if an opportunity for a longer conversation presents itself.
It’s quite similar to the things we’ve covered so far. The difference is that you must maintain a polite or deferring tone when introducing yourself to the employees. If the company where you have an internship is in the same niche you want to build a career in, your attitude towards your work and the staff/team will be noticed. These are the same people who can support you in the future, so building bridges is tantamount, especially if you’re working with a talented team of experienced professionals.
If your boss is the same person who interviewed you, introducing yourself will be redundant and therefore unnecessary. If you were interviewed by an HR officer or a project manager, they will be the ones responsible for formally introducing you to your superior. If you meet your boss by accident give them a typical greeting. They won’t have time to engage in small talk especially if they’re on the clock. If they stop, give them a handshake if it’s appropriate to the situation. If they ask who you are, say your name and position in the company.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a team of writers who can do this for us anytime? In an ideal universe perhaps. You’ll have to settle for the tips and samples used in this article. The trick is to have a purpose for each sentence and analyze the structure to create your own framework. You can then replace parts with your own information and modify it until you’re satisfied.
When meeting the hiring manager for the first time, speak formally. It can be expected that you would need to introduce your name to them before the interview even begins, so there’s no need to repeat it during the interview. A formal tone is courteous, but never too soft and submissive. You should know your worth. Don’t forget that they’ve considered your CV worthy of an interview. You can be confident and maintain a polite manner at the same time.
Before you say your farewells, make sure the topics or discussions covered in the interview are clear to you. You would’ve made use of this already towards the end where the hiring officer usually gives time for your questions. The typical question to ask is when you can expect to hear from them. “When can I expect to hear from you regarding the results of the interview?” If everything else is clear, an expression of thanks followed by a handshake is all you need to say and do when the interview has finished.
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