Have you
ever been to a networking event? They
can be a little fome sometimes, but they’re important events to connect with
others and widen your professional network.
It can be scary to have to introduce yourself over and over again,
especially in your second language, but there is an effective way to introduce
yourself that shows your professional value and is more likely to get you remembered
by the people you meet. Let’s look at
four quick steps to help you perfect your own introduction!
1)Say what you do, not what you
are. If I tell people, ‘’Hi, my name is
Rachel and I’m an English teacher’’, they know one small thing about me—I teach
English. It seems pretty clear what I
do, but it’s not, actually. Does this
other person know what is involved in teaching English? Does he or she have a good, bad, or neutral
opinion of English teachers? Do they
really understand the services I provide?
It’s hard to tell. Best case scenario, they think I teach grammar and
vocabulary, but they don’t know that I help students apply to universities in
other countries, prepare them for tests and interviews, translate documents
between English and Spanish, or give assistance with student visa applications.
They have no idea!
But if I say, ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I help Chilean professionals
and students get the language qualifications they need to study or work abroad’’,
then they have a pretty good idea of what services I might offer. That introduction will lead to
questions: ‘’How do you do that?’’, for
example. This is an easy way to get a conversation started. If you can make the person ask a question
about you instead of talking on and on about yourself, you’ve already overcome
the biggest challenge of these networking events!
So think about what you do, not what your job title is. This can be challenging sometimes, but put
some thought into the valuable skills you provide. This is what you want to highlight.
2) Put it into English. You need to choose how to structure your
introduction. This isn’t as hard as it
sounds, and once you’ve decided on how to introduce yourself, you’ll just
memorize it and use it over and over. Your introduction should be something
like ‘’Hi, I’m (your name).’’ Super
simple, right? Now you need to say what
you do. Lots of verbs, maybe some
adjectives, and use the present simple tense to indicate that this is something
you do daily/regularly. Look at these
examples for some inspiration!
- -
Hi,
I’m Maria Martinez and I develop online media content for health insurance
companies.
- -
Hi,
I’m Martin Sanchez and I counsel new startups on their business plans and
budgets.
- -
Hi,
I’m Maria Martinez and I coach career-transitioning professionals in developing
their personal brand.
- -
Hi,
I’m Martin Sanchez and I help connect companies to the legal and accounting
services they need.
Talk to me in our next class about what you've come up with so far, and I'll help you perfect it!
3) Practice makes perfect. Really, practice makes perfect. Practice this in front of the mirror until
you feel confident saying it. Practice
it in class with me. Practice it with
another person. Networking events make
most people nervous, but if you feel comfortable with your introduction and you
know it like the back of your hand, you’ll be just fine!
4) Prepare a few go-to questions for
others and statements about yourself. My
introduction is ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I help Chilean professionals and
students get the language qualifications they need to study or work abroad.’’ I should have two or three quick explanations
about what I do prepared as well, in case the other person asks me. I might prepare statements that detail my
work further, such as:
- I
prepare about half of my students to take tests like the IELTS or the TOEFL so
they can apply for scholarships and study abroad.
- I
work with professionals to improve their English skills so they can move up in
their career.
- I
sit down with students that are applying to universities and help them write
their personal statements or other essays.
I also walk them through the visa application process when they want to
travel to the U.S. as a student.
Having these details memorized makes
answering questions a lot easier, especially when you’re nervous. You should also prepare a few general
questions to help facilitate a conversation between you and another person. If
the person says, ‘’I’m Maria Martinez and I design graphics for new Startups in
the Santiago area’’, you might have some very specific questions about her
work. That’s great! But maybe you don’t even know where to start.
MAYBE they gave you a terrible introduction (Hi, I’m Maria and I’m a graphic
designer). Here are a few go-to
questions to fall back on:
-
Wow!
What kinds of startups/clients/professionals do you usually work with?
-
That’s
interesting! Do you know (a person, company, or about an interesting news story
related to their profession).
-
How
did you get into that field of work? (this invites the person to tell a story,
which is a great way to engage someone.)
If you can
speak comfortably about yourself and what you do, the challenge is half
over. Listen intently to what the other
person says, ask them questions that show you are paying attention, and then
thank them for their time. Asking to exchange business cards is a great way to show your interest in connecting with them in the future, and a great way to begin your exit.
What do you
think is the most challenging part of introducing yourself? Tell me in the comments section!
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