Give a great introduction in English in a relaxed and professional setting!

Introducing yourself sounds simple, right?

But it’s something a lot of people dread! Sometimes, it ends up making for a rather scripted or awkward introduction.

If you are one of those people, don’t worry, that’s normal!

Think about it. Introducing yourself in your own language can feel intimidating. Personally, I’m an introvert, so meeting new people is just not an easy thing for me! Do you feel the same?

Introducing yourself in a foreign language just multiplies the stress by tenfold!

But don’t worry! Today, we’ll talk about ways you can introduce yourself! It’s not as hard as you might think!

Consider the situation

Your introduction is largely dependent on the context. Are you introducing yourself in a class? In the workplace? To a friend of a friend?

These situations call for different ways of self-introduction!

So, let’s break it down one by one, shall we?

Introducing yourself in a class

Usually, you don’t have to be super formal when introducing yourself in the classroom. Suppose you just started studying at a university in a different country. You can mention the following:

Your name / nickname
Where you are from
A bit about your background or interests
You can also mention why you decided to take that particular course or class

Here’s an example:

“Hello everyone! Nice to meet you all. My name is Alexandra but my friends just call me Sandra. I am from Indonesia and I am very excited to study here! I finished my bachelor’s degree in architecture, and I worked for an agency for about 2 years after that. I am really passionate about urban design, which is why I decided to take this course! Can’t wait to study alongside you all!”

Here’s another example:

“Hello! I am Ratna from Indonesia! I’ve always been interested in social issues, namely accessible education. I finished my bachelor’s degree in education 3 years ago and since then I have worked for an NGO providing education for rural Indonesia. I am very excited to start this course and learn more about education policy! Nice to meet you all!”

Introducing yourself in a professional setting

Obviously, you need to be more formal when you introduce yourself in a professional setting, especially during work interviews and when you’ve just joined a company or are meeting a particular person, team, or client for the first time.

Let’s start with a work interview introduction!

PS: Click this link for a detailed guide to ace your job interview! :)

Job Interview Introduction

First things first, what you want to do is greet the interviewer and thank them for their time. You can also remark about your enthusiasm for the interview.

Here’s an example:

“Good afternoon. My name is Emma Smith. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I am excited to discuss how my experience and skills can contribute to this company”.

Usually, what happens after that is the interviewer is going to ask you “tell me about yourself” or a variation of that question. This is where you should introduce yourself in a more in-depth manner.

For many, this is a dreaded question. It sounds vague so it can be difficult to form an answer.

Worry not! We have a formula that you can use!

First, talk about who you are. This can include your education and a brief introduction to your experiences. You can model your answer after the following example. Of course, feel free to modify it based on your context and situations!

I am a business management graduate from Brawijaya University with 3 years experience as an account executive at x company. During this time, I was in charge of various aspects of the sales cycle.

See? Clear and concise!

Next, you can go ahead and talk about your experience in more detail and highlight your expertise. Honestly, this is where you should brag! Don’t be shy, talk about your accomplishments! Based on the example above, you can say:

During my time at x company, I was primarily responsible for preparing proposals, developing budgets and timelines for clients, coordinating teams to reach project milestones, and holding virtual demonstrations to generate new leads. In my second year, I exceeded sales goals by 18% and I also secured partnerships with x and y companies.

This places you as an excellent candidate and may place you above the other applicants for consideration as you give proof of performance. As you can see in the example above, you should highlight your achievements in numbers whenever possible.

Finally, talk about why you are here! You can mention your reason for applying for this role or your goals for the future. Here’s an example:

Although I really enjoyed my three years at x company, I feel ready to take on more responsibilities. One of the things I learned during my time there is that I like to be involved in training. I enjoy conducting training sessions and mentoring new employees. So, when I saw the job description, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Remember, whatever your reason is for a career change, never badmouth your last workplace or boss. It’ll hurt your professionalism! Focus on what you learned instead!

And that’s it for self-introduction during a job interview! Not so hard, right? We know it can be nerve-wracking. Practice is key!

Introducing yourself when you meet a person or a team for the first time

Now that you’ve started a new job, you might have to meet different people and teams and introduce yourself to them. It doesn’t have to be as lengthy as your job interview introduction. To put it rather bluntly, during a job interview you have to “sell” yourself, whereas now you’re already part of the company.

We have another formula to help you ace your introduction!

First, start with the present. You can simply state your name and job title.

Hello! Nice to meet you all. My name’s Emma and I just joined as an account manager. I work in the West Surabaya office.

Next, mention a bit about your past. Share some relevant information about yourself. This is your chance to prove your credibility.

I worked in a similar position as an account manager before. Previously, I worked with x company focusing on selling medical equipment. We’ve partnered with x and y hospitals.

Then, talk about the future! Share your enthusiasm to work with them!

I am really excited to work alongside you all! Working in this company has always been a dream of mine.

Easy, right? Just remember the present-past-future formula and you’re golden!

Introducing yourself in a casual setting

It is much easier to introduce yourself in a casual setting. You can simply say your name and a casual greeting. Here are some examples:

Hey, what’s up! My name is Joe. Nice to meet you!

How’s it going? I am Kevin.

It’s a pleasure to meet you! My name is Katherine. How are you doing?

Remember, ask them questions! This will make you seem friendly and approachable.

Here are some questions you can ask as you talk with them:

Where are you from?
What do you do for a living?
What do you like to do in your free time?
Have you watched [popular movies]?
What do you think of this event/restaurant/cafe etc?

It’s also not a bad idea to prepare some exit strategies. Let’s be honest, sometimes we just run out of social battery and want to be alone!

In that case, you can use these sentences:

Well, it was nice meeting you! Unfortunately I’ve got to run, See you!
It was lovely meeting you! Let’s grab coffee sometimes!
It was nice talking to you! Let’s keep in touch!
I hate to cut this short, but unfortunately I’ve got to [attend a meeting, run errands, etc]

And that’s it! Now you’ve mastered ways to introduce yourself! Congratulations!

Of course, don’t forget to smile and be confident! Your body language matters as much as your choice of words!

Now, the only thing left to do is practice! Best of luck in your English learning journey and see you in another article!

Next steps

Do you want to speak English with confidence?

Most people lack confidence when they speak English. They are afraid to make mistakes and are embarrassed to speak in front of others.

This is because they have been taught English the wrong way!

Most English courses waste your time and money on useless exercises that don’t bring results. Even worse, they teach you bad habits that are very difficult to unlearn.

As a result, you become confused and lack confidence. This is wrong!

At IELC, we teach English the right way

Our goal is to get you speaking in English with fluency and confidence as fast as possible. We want to give you the skills you need to fulfill your potential!

Our experienced teachers will guide you along every step of the learning process to ensure that you are not wasting your time, money, and energy on useless language exercises & wrong methods.

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