How to introduce yourself or tell about yourself

Video: Tell me about yourself! Introduce yourself in English with EASE!

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 3: Interviewing
Method 2 of 3: Networking Activity
Method 3 of 3: Dating (in person or online)
Tips
Warnings

Talking about yourself is already quite difficult, and finding the right words to introduce yourself in social and professional situations is even more difficult. However, if you think ahead, do some introspection, and be honest with yourself, you will be able to craft a speech that reveals your personality. If you are going for an interview, prepare a specific answer to the question: "How would you describe yourself?" If you're attending a networking event, practice giving a mini presentation so you can tailor it to the other person on the fly. If you're looking for a romantic partner, be honest, positive, and specific.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Interviewing

1 Practice answering the question:"How would you describe yourself?"... A similar question is asked in almost any job interview, so be proactive and have a great answer! The more you practice clear and concise speech that emphasizes your positive qualities, the more natural and confident your words will sound during the interview.
- Practice answering this question and rehearse a full interview with a friend or, for example, a career counseling staff member.
- As a rule, this question is best answered in 2-3 sentences. There are many lists of suggested suggestions on the internet, but always formulate your answer in your own words so that it sounds natural.
2 Make a list of terms that define your key qualities. As you practice and prepare for your interview, brainstorm and make two lists.In one list, list your main characteristics, and in the second, list adjectives and descriptive terms that you can use in your answer.
- For example: “in love with his business”, “purposeful”, “ambitious”, “organized”, “soul of the company”, “born leader”, “result-oriented”, “excellent information disseminator”.
- You may be asked to “describe yourself in three words” or something similar. In this case, mention the best options from the lists you have compiled.
3 Study the information about the company and adjust the answer in accordance with the received data. Each company has its own unique character and culture. Identifying qualities that reflect the company's values will demonstrate your interest in employment and provide foresight.
- For example, if you are applying for a position in a growing technology company, you might mention the following: “I am very enthusiastic about working together to find innovative solutions. This is how I simplified the billing process by leading a team of IT and Accounts Payable. ”
- In other words, don't use the same answer in every interview. It is better to adapt to the situation every time.
4 Study the job description and frame your answer around that. Review the job description to learn more about what the job is and what the qualifications are. When talking about yourself, emphasize your own interest in the job, and also prove that you have the ability to do so.
- If you are applying for a leadership position, you can describe yourself in terms of leadership strategies that you have applied in a similar company. For example: “At the moment I am a sales manager. I recently introduced new software to track my sales success. "
- If you are applying for a secretary position, emphasize your multitasking ability or your organizational skills: “I am currently helping four colleagues. They are very pleased with my organizational skills and ability to communicate with people, and recently I was transferred all the responsibilities for placing orders for the office. "
- If you do not have work experience, please describe your flexibility and willingness to take on a new role: “I recently graduated from university and did an internship in offset printing, but I am looking for more experience and opportunities to develop my knowledge.”
5 Give specific examples to support your words. If you are a great organizer, it is not enough to just state it. However, if you mention that you once organized a major conference for a hundred top managers, then your abilities will seem more believable.
- Use terms like “passionate about my job” and “result-oriented” as a guide to examples, not as complete answers on their own (unless you need to answer the question in just three words)!
- As a rule, the first sentence of the answer should begin with the pronoun "I", and the second with the word "for example".
6 Be positive, confident (but not arrogant), and concise. Don't mention your negative qualities, criticize yourself, or act like you feel uncomfortable discussing your accomplishments and your best qualities. Describing your accomplishments and strengths (truthful and relevant) in detail will demonstrate self-confidence.
- That being said, keep in mind that talking about your accomplishments and good qualities that are irrelevant to the conversation or are not backed up by evidence is showing arrogance.
- During the short answer, highlight 2-3 points about yourself and give one example to illustrate how your qualities were useful in a particular situation.For example: "My interpersonal skills helped bridge the differences that arose between our sales and service teams."

Method 2 of 3: Networking Activity

1 Determine your goal for networking before going to an event. Events like these allow you to connect with people from either your current industry or from the industry you hope to enter. If you just want to build relationships with some sort of coworker, then your self-presentation and interaction with them will be different from how you present yourself if you look for a job and communicate with a recruiter.
- If you are building relationships with colleagues, focus more on describing your experience in the field.
- If you are forging connections to secure an interview invitation, combine your experience with a desire to work for the organization.
- In any case, try to fit the story about yourself in about 75 words or 30 seconds.
2 Come up with key points about yourself for your mini-presentation. It should look like a short resume that describes who you are and what you do. It is important here to focus on the most important and outstanding things in your personality. To develop key points, ask yourself the following questions:
- Who am i? ("I am a writer", "I am a recruiter", "I am an office administrator")
- Where do I work? (“I work for an online art magazine”, “I work for a software startup,” “I work for a non-profit organization for small businesses”)
- How do I help my organization? (“I review local art exhibition openings for an international online art magazine,” “I seek and provide new talent for specialized roles in software development,” “I help companies hone startup strategies”).
3 Refine your self-presentation by filling it with your hobbies and goals. By answering basic questions like "Who am I?", You can determine what you value and what you are passionate about. Use this knowledge to formulate concise but specific points, such as:
- “I write articles for an online art magazine with an international audience. This is a great opportunity because I can attend and review local art exhibitions openings. "
- “I am a recruiter for a small start-up software company. I'm looking for new talent and I'm interviewing them. "
- “I work as an office administrator for a small business non-profit organization. I offer support to new companies that are honing their startup strategies. "
4 Rehearse your mini-presentation to make it sound natural and relaxed. Even if everyone around you knows you have been practicing (as much as they do!), Your speech should not sound rooted or mechanical. Plus, with practice, you don't have to frantically find your words.
- Instead of just memorizing the speech, practice modifying it a bit so that you can improvise and add a touch of personality if necessary.
- For example: “Hello! My name is Arina, nice to meet you. I work in the field of business intelligence and have 7 years of experience in solving business problems using data management. I am passionate about strategically evaluating data analysis and I have successfully implemented this for our management staff. I also strive for new opportunities to develop my experience. One short call next week and we can talk about promising opportunities for your team - how do you see it? "
5 Decide on the right time for your mini-presentation. If you are not forced to introduce yourself in the elevator and are not limited in time, try asking the question to the other person instead of directly talking about yourself.This will help the other person to relax, and will also give you the opportunity to learn more information about him, his interests and needs.
- You might ask, "So Ivan, what do you think of the new data analysis software?"
- Active listening gives you the chance to communicate effectively. Both of you will be able to listen to each other's key messages and assess whether you can help in a particular case or meet the needs of the interlocutor.
- Make small adjustments to your mini-presentation based on what the other person has to say.
- Listening carefully and giving thoughtful feedback can go a long way towards building good business relationships.

Method 3 of 3: Dating (in person or online)

1 Be honest without getting into tedious details. To avoid complications in the future, do not start a relationship with lies or loud exaggerations. For example, try not to overestimate your appearance in your online profile by claiming that you look like a celebrity or model.
- If you are 45, just mark that you are "over 40" and then add other fun facts about yourself. For example: "I'm in my 40s and love dancing salsa, climbing and tasting new whiskeys."
- If you have children and you think now is the right time to mention this, try saying, "I am a 35-year-old mother of an amazing 5-year-old."
2 Include your unique qualities and specific examples instead of general phrases. Vague descriptions such as "cheerful" or "cheerful" will not make you stand out from the crowd. Try using specific characteristics or provide examples.
- If you enjoy traveling, please describe where you were last and why you would like to return. Or instead of writing, "I love traveling," try, "My goal is to visit every continent at least twice."
- If you consider yourself a foodie, tell us about a couple of your favorite restaurants or a great meal you cooked last weekend.
- If you are an art lover, tell us what kind of art attracts you or the retrospective exhibition you attended.
3 Focus on what you like and use positive language. Now is not the time for negativity, self-criticism, or embarrassment. When describing yourself, focus on what you like, both in yourself and in the world.
- When giving examples and going into details, use terms like passionate, judicious, cheerful, and spontaneous instead of quiet, humble, not outstanding, or ordinary.
- Give clear, positive descriptions of your appearance, for example, "A brown-eyed brunette with curvaceous curves and beautiful shoulders and an even more beautiful smile."
- A little humor will help you stand out from the crowd. Humor will say a lot about your personality and make you easier and more accessible to communicate. For example: "I am 34 years old, I am fair-haired and short-sighted, and I also like to use a dash in writing (I am happy!)."
4 Share your core values, but don't be too conservative. Of course, you should not tire new acquaintances with your strong opinion about politics or religion, however, by highlighting the issue of values, you will show where you are coming from in life. If education or family is very important to you, then writing about it will give people a much more complete picture of who you are.
- For example, rather than jump straight into discussing your views on gun control and vaccinations, mention that you are “passionate about making the world a safer and happier place for all children.”

Tips

To practice telling your story, try taking the online quiz. Even if the results don't reveal anything new to you, they will help you build the right vocabulary.
Do not overdo it.A story about yourself - whether in a social or professional setting, online or in person - doesn't have to be long. This is an opportunity to strike up a conversation and allow the other person to gradually get to know you better.