“Introduce yourself!’ is one of those commands that sounds like it should be easy, second nature, no problem-- somewhere along the lines of “tie your shoes” or “turn off the lights.” It’s deceiving, though, because introducing yourself in high-pressure situations like networking events, job interviews, or career-development opportunities is harder than it sounds, and you can quickly forget seemingly basic information.
How, then, can you best prepare for the inevitable moment when someone extends their hand and you have to respond? By prepping an answer in advance that includes three key pieces of knowledge: Your name, your major, and your fields of interest. Unlike an elevator pitch (link to elevator pitch article), an introduction is one strong, concise sentence.
It could sound something like this: “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Joe Slattery; I am a History major with an emphasis in Public Policy, and I’m hoping to enter politics as a speech writer after graduation.”
Or perhaps: “Happy to meet you! I’m Krishna Lee and I’m currently studying Kinesiology with a focus on becoming an occupational therapist after graduate school.”
From there you could ask them about their career, college experience, or interests, but by establishing your basic information you’re giving the other person a clear line to open discussion with you.
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