Please Introduce Yourself

“Hi, what is it you do?”

It’s the dreaded question.

One of the biggest challenges faced by people in the middle of a career transition is knowing how to introduce themselves whilst socialising or networking.

It’s even more challenging for people who are in the process of starting a business or becoming independent consultants. They don’t quite know what it is they plan to do and so they frequently withdraw from conversations, go shy and often avoid going to social events until they’ve figured out exactly what it is they are doing. Completely irrational, but it’s amazing how many people do it.

I speak from experience as I played this avoidance and perfection game a lot in the past. It’s all one big mistake because avoiding these interactions until things are ‘just right’, means you:

- Miss out on potential work and business opportunities
- Miss out on a helping hand in clarifying what it is you do
- Miss out on the opportunity to screw up and become better at introducing yourself

Yes, getting your ‘message’ right is a key part of any change process – finding work, changing careers or becoming self employed. People cannot connect you with future employers and prospects if they don’t know what you do and what it is you’re looking for. And there are many resources and help for people on how to get their message right (articles, books, videos, coaches etc)

But fundamentally the work should be done in the field, not in your lounge or your home office.

The best way to learn how to cook, is to just cook. Classes and recipe books are good, but ultimately, you learn to cook by burning a few things and getting it wrong before you get it right

The best way to learn to interview, is to go out and be interviewed. Screw up the occasional interview, make a few mistakes – and then you become proficient at interviews

The best way to articulate what you do to others, is to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to people. Get a few things wrong, adjust your style and get out there again and again.

So don’t wait around too long trying to figure out what you’d say before getting out there. Don’t play the ‘when-then’ game and wait until you feel good about yourself. Please just get out and start introducing yourself.

The clarity, proficiency, opportunities and ‘feeling good’ come once you step out there and introduce yourself.

.....so what is it you do again..?

By Sital Ruparelia from 6 Figure Career Management

Comments

[Julie O'Malley]

This is a really important reminder, Sital. Only by getting the inevitable newbie mistakes out of the way can we get good at ANY new (or rusty) skill. No one can start as an expert.

[Dan Erwin]

Superb approach to coaching people. I use different language, but focus the same way. "Act your way into a new way of thinking, rather than think your way into a new way of thinking." Or, as one of my colleagues put it, "just get on with it."

[Dan Erwin]

I misquoted myself...ha..."Act your way into a new way of thinking, rather than think your way into a new way of acting."

[Sharon Wilson]

Great post. As a personal coach I tell my clients to learn by doing, and do make mistakes but learn from them.

[Eric Sohn]

I have one word for people attempting to introduce themselves and what they do: pithy.

You have limited time to make an impression. While we may call it a 30-second commercial, or an elevator speech, in reality, you have much less time. I've heard people say you have about 6 seconds, and I think that's probably about right.

So, be specific, get to the point, use small words, and be memorable in some way - humor or intrigue work well. The pitch doesn't have to be all-encompassing or 100% accurate - it just has to get attention.

Mine?

I catch terrorists for a living.

How accurate is that? Semi - I help regulated firms with their watch list compliance programs (e.g. preventing money going to or from drug traffickers, terrorists, Cuba, Iran, etc.).

But, my tag line always gets a smile - and opens the door for me to explain in more detail. And, yes, you get style points - in the land of overly-dense PowerPoint, the engaging visual (e.g. a Steve Jobs presentation) is a welcome, refreshing break.

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