How To Introduce Yourself In Job Interview

Choose The Right Starting Point For Your Story

Your goal when answering, tell me about yourself, is to give a brief, concise walkthrough of your career story that will show off relevant pieces of experience.

You want to start at a point in the past , and end up at your current situation. So the first thing to decide is where youll begin the story

If youre a recent graduate: Start with the fact that you just graduated, and explain why you chose this career path or field of area of study.

For example, you might start your answer like this:

I graduated with my degree in Economics two months ago. I chose that field of study because Ive always been interested in finance and money, and a couple of family members told me it leads to great career options, too.

If you have 1-8 years of experience, start with the moment you graduated and walk them through your employment experience since then.

Heres an example of how youd start your interview answer in this situation:

I graduated with my degree in Industrial Engineering six years ago and immediately went to work for a small design firm in Chicago. Since then, Ive

And if you have 8-20+ years of experience, you can start with a mid-point in your career. This will keep your answer from getting too long.

For example, if youre a manager, you could start with how you first became a manager. If youve been working for 25 years but have only been a sales professional for 12 years, you could begin with how you got started in sales.

Tell Me About Yourself

A personal commercial is a quick, effective way to make an impressive introduction. You will use your personal commercial when introducing yourself to a potential employer at a job fair, an interview, or anytime you are asked to introduce yourself professionally. It is also helpful when responding to the popular statement, Tell me about yourself.

Try using these questions to organize your thoughts:

• What is your career goal?
• What skills, strengths, or experiences do you have that would help you realize that goal?
• What accomplishment best represents how you use these skills, strengths, or experiences?
• What are you searching for in a job or internship?

• How can you immediately benefit the organization?

When To Get To A Job Interview

It’s important to arrive a few minutes early, or on time, at the latest, for a job interview. Know where you’re going, how much travel time you need, and how to get to the interview location. Check out the logistics ahead of time, so you ensure that you’re not late.

You also may want to confirm the interview ahead of time, so you’re sure about where and when you need to arrive.

Giving yourself a bit of extra time will provide you with an opportunity to stop in the restroom and freshen up, if need be, to make sure you don’t have any hair, makeup, or wardrobe malfunctions.

A few extra minutes will also give you an opportunity to catch your breath and stay calm. An interview is even more stressful than normal if you’re rushing to get there on time.

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More Tips For Your Phone Interview

Starting a phone interview can seem just as daunting as an in-person interview, but taking the following tips into consideration when you prepare for your phone interview can add to your interview success:

• Make a list of your skills and qualifications.

• Take the call in the right environment.

• Use a landline instead of a cell phone.

• Ask about the next steps in your follow-up.

Brief Them About Yourself And Your Educational Background Work Experience Etc

When you are being asked to introduce yourself at job interview, the first thing you must avoid doing is to start reciting your resume.

Your interviewers have already looked through your resume, and after consideration of it, called you for an interview. They do not want to hear you talk about something they already know.

Start off by wishing them, tell them your name, and brief them about your educational background. Do not take this opportunity to start naming each and every achievement or award you have won in school or college.

If you must mention an achievement, make sure it pertains directly to your interview and the job you are applying for.

For example, if you are applying for the job of a clerk in a bank, you do not need to mention your perfect attendance award in school or your first class rank in your history class.

Only mention those things which you think will work in your favour for the job. It could be advantageous to mention that you have experience in accounting and are good at math, as these are both skills which are required for a banker.

Unless specifically asked, do not mention your hobbies, or what you enjoy doing in your free time. You are applying for a job interview and your interviewers are not in the least interested what you do after your working hours.

Saying that your hobbies are eating and sleeping might cost you a point in their books, as they would like to employ a dynamic person into their organization.

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Be Concise When Answering

When they say tell me about yourself, its going to be tempting to give a long-winded answer. Its such an open-ended question.

And we covered a lot above, but theres something just as important as any of that. You need to be concise.

Your communication and ability to stay on track with your answer is something they are watching closely.

The interviewer wants to see that you can tell your story from Point A to Point B without getting sidetracked, distracted or scattered.

Because it tells them how youll communicate as an employee when theres a problem, when theres a disagreement, or when you simply need to share your knowledge or opinion.

If you take this answer beyond 2 minutes you are shooting yourself in the foot. In fact, below 90 seconds is ideal. Practice at home with a timer!

Thats why I recommend choosing a starting point based on your experience because if you have 25 years of experience and you start at the moment you graduated from college, your answer will be too long.

What To Say When You Arrive At The Interview

Be prepared to make a quick introduction to the person who greets you. When you arrive at the interview site, introduce yourself to the receptionist by stating your name and the reason for your visit.

For example:

• My name is Tim Jones, and I have an interview scheduled with John Smith at 2 p.m.
• I’m Janine Bellows, and I have an appointment with Jack Clark at 10 a.m.

Be courteous and respectful to this first contact at the company. Many hiring managers will ask the receptionist for his or her impression of a candidate. If you act rudely or dismissively, you could put yourself out of the running for the job before you even meet with the hiring manager.

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How To Introduce Yourself

Here are seven easy steps to introduce yourself to your interviewer and leave a great impression:

Dont Regurgitate Your Resume

It may be tempting to nearly read off your entire resume, but dont. You can generally mention where your career started, some jobs along the way, and your most current role, but now is not the time to list them one by one or to talk about every task you had at each job. As we said before, keep it succinct and about 30 seconds long.

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Relate Your Answer To The Job At Hand

Tell me about yourself is probably better phrased as, Tell me what brought you to apply for this job, and some of the main qualifications that make you stand out. And maybe throw in something that helps showcase your personality.

But thats obviously too long a statement to make, so employers often shorten it to a much broader question. No matter how a hiring manager phrases it, focus on these four aspects in your answer:

• Your most recent background that is applicable to the job
• What made you want to apply for the job
• Your top qualifications for the job
• What makes you interested in the company

Introducing Yourself At A Video Interview

When you’re interviewing via video, be sure to arrive at the meeting slightly early, so you’re sure all your technology is in working order. Arriving late is one of the Zoom interview mistakes you don’t want to make.

Look directly at the camera, and try to keep your focus on the camera during the interview. That’s how you’ll make eye contact with your interviewer. The interviewer will start the meeting by introducing themself. After the interviewer’s introduction, you can reply with a simple introduction of your own:

• Hi. I’m Sylvia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
• Hello , I’m Katie, and I’m looking forward to talking with you.
• I’m Jason. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

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Example : Introducing Yourself To A New Coworker

Your new colleague will likely meet multiple people on their first day, so keep your introduction brief.

Example: My name is Aliyah, and I work in the marketing department as the social media manager. Our teams hold weekly meetings, and I look forward to working together in the future. Please let me know if I can help with anything as you orient yourself with the office.

Example Answer For Experienced Candidates:

I graduated with a Business degree in 2010, and was offered an account management position from a telecommunications company I had interned with. I loved working with customers and managing and growing my accounts, but the industry we were in just wasnt very appealing to me. After that, I stayed a full year and learned a ton about how to build and manage accounts successfully and I ended up becoming a top performer in my group before leaving. I left at the 1-year-mark to pursue a very similar position within an industry Im much more excited about- healthcare. Ive been at this healthcare startup space for 2 years with this company and I feel ready to take my career to the next level so thats why Im currently looking for a new opportunity.

That first example showed you how to answer tell me about yourself for experienced job seekers .

Now lets look at an example for entry-level job seekers and job seekers with no experience.

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Tips On How To Introduce Yourself In An Interview

How recruiters perceive you as a candidate depends on how well you introduce yourself. Self-introduction is crucial because it not only lets interviewers see your personality and presentation skills but also provides you with an opportunity to directly interact with employers about your skills, experience, and other achievements. Here are the top campus placement interview tips on how to respond to the “tell us about yourself” question.

1. Greet Your Interviewers

Greeting the interviewers is an excellent way to begin your self-introduction. Next, express your gratitude to the interviewers for calling you for the job interview. The first part of your self-introduction should be about who you are and where you live. For instance, you can say, “My name is Leonardo, and I am from San Francisco”.

2. Let Your Interviewers Know About Your Educational Background

Without expanding more on your personal details, talk about your educational background if you are a fresh graduate. Tell your interviewers the name of your school, college/university, and the academic degree you have. State your Cumulative Grade Points Average if you think it is worth mentioning otherwise, refrain from discussing grades. You should also mention the projects you have completed, if any, and the certifications you have acquired related to the position for which you are applying.

3. An Alternate Approach for Seasoned Professionals

4. A Line or Two on Your Passions and Hobbies

5. The Vital Closing Statement

How Do You Introduce Yourself To Your Boss

Introduce Yourself to a New Boss

A self-introduction to a new boss should include your name, position, how long youve worked for the company and what makes you a loyal employee. If youre new to the company, your new employee self-introduction speech can be tweaked. Example: Its so nice to meet you.

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Examples Of How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself In Interviews

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In this article, Im going to walk you through steps and examples of how to answer the Tell me about yourself interview question to impress employers and get more job offers.

Well also cover the costly mistakes you NEED to avoid if you want to pass this question.

Heres exactly what youre going to get:

• The most-recommended method of how to answer tell me about yourself
• 4 examples of good answers to tell me about yourself
• A shorter, newer method for experienced candidates
• How to practice your answer to make sure youre 100% ready for the interview

Lets get started

How Do You Introduce Yourself Creatively

20 Creative Ways to Introduce Yourself

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Follow Up After The Interview

No introduction is complete without a goodbye. After your interview has ended, follow the lead of your interviewer: stand when they stand, shake their hand again and thank them for their time with a smile. You can prepare to say a few phrases that will end the conversation on a positive note, like,

• It was a pleasure meeting you, I appreciate your time today.

• Thanks for a great conversation, hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

• It was great to hear more about your role here, I hope to be in touch in the future.

If you have multiple rounds of interviews, be prepared to stand and greet your next interviewer, repeating the steps above.

After youve had some time to process and review your interview notes, remember to send timely follow-up notes to your interviewers, whether that be via email or handwritten. Sometimes recruiters dont give out interviewer emails, so be sure to ask for their business card or ask the recruiter if they can pass a thank you message to the interviewer. If youre sending handwritten notes, an easy way to get them to your interviewers is to send to the office address under their name.

Related:

Here are a few additional considerations for making a great first impression.

Example : Reaching Out To A New Client

Having a professional email introduction can be equally as important to networking as a face-to-face meeting. Rather than body language and tone, however, emails rely on clarity of language and accuracy of writing. Having a concise and error-free email might impress your contact and have them consider your request.

Example: My name is Jin, and I am reaching out from Bags Unlimited to inform you of the services we provide. Our company sends out automatic shipments of a variety of takeout bags to restaurants each month so you will always have enough for your customers. We offer different packages based on your needs, so I would love to set up a time to speak with you and give you more information.

Read more:

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Before The Interview Begins

When you get to the venue you will need to introduce yourself to a few people before you reach your interviewer.

Remember, it is a job interview and you must maintain your interview etiquette at all times while you are at the venue.

Here are a few things to remember when preparing for a job interview.

Greet everyone politely

When you visit an office as a visitor, it is only natural that you will be asked for your introduction quite a few times by the security, at the reception, etc.

Heres what you can do, step forward and give them your full name, the purpose of your visit and also the name of the person you are meeting.

They might ask to see a document of the purpose of the visit. Keep the email out beforehand. This way you will save time and will showcase preparedness.

So, heres a self-introduction sample that you can use to introduce yourself to people other than your interviewer.

Hello, My name is . I have an interview appointment with Mr. X at 12 pm for the position of .

Be patient

When appearing for a job interview at a new office, you might need to go through a series of security procedures and a bit of waiting to do before you actually reach the main interview room.

It is understandable that you are nervous and security layers or providing your introduction at every stage might be a little overwhelming.

Be patient, dont lose your cool if you have to wait. Unnecessary snapping will not leave a very good impression on your interviewer.

What Have You Studied

Give a brief account of your educational background such as your school, graduation, post-graduation and so on. Mention extra-curricular activities you have been a part of.

Do not list all the courses and certifications you have done. Just include what is relevant to the specific job profile.

Example:

I have done my schooling from Jaipur. For my graduation, I chose Xyz program at Abc University. It was a very enriching experience at the University as not only we were actively involved in practical projects, but also got opportunities to participate in a number of sports and other extra-curricular activities such as plays and skits.

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