San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Make a memorable, lasting introduction with employers
Making a great impression on a prospective employer is every job candidate’s desire. However, most struggle with creating a short introduction when meeting new people.
The stress of trying to be natural when positioning your unique value and skills can set job candidates up to fluctuate in overselling and underselling their abilities. They end up missing the main ingredient of a great impression — genuineness.
Talking about yourself in an authentic way becomes less threatening when you frame your information as if you are telling a story. You want to strive for a brief introduction that gives a good overview of your background sprinkled with the right words that support your goals.
Developing a “mini commercial” that sounds genuine takes practice, not memorization. You never want to sound like a robot giving a rehearsed introduction that sounds unnatural. On the other hand, you want to think through what you want to say and the image you want to create.
The goal in telling someone about yourself is to pique their interest while giving them a snapshot of what you do best. How to make a memorable introduction (theladders.com)
Prepare by writing your introduction down using these four areas as a guideline: brief personal background, early work experience, recent work experience with key achievements, and your current situation.
Another suggested outline would be to start with a personal statement beginning with one sentence using a title or profession: “I am a trusted project manager concentrating in the energy field such as exploration and production, utilities, and renewable energies.” The next steps follow with what you do, what makes you unique, and what you want to do in moving your career forward.
You can also introduce yourself by sharing your goals: “I am transitioning my career focus towards my interest in landscaping design, and now is the perfect time to launch my dream job.” Proceed to tell them briefly about your transition with enthusiasm.
Practice your introduction until it becomes a part of you. You are simply telling people about yourself in a way that helps them visualize what you do and stay memorable.
If your introduction tries to sell an employer on your skills, you should develop a better understanding of selling versus telling. When you are in a selling mode, you start pointing out features and building a case of why you should buy.
When you tell an employer about your skills, you are more apt to build trust and rapport. Consider connecting with a potential employer by discussing how they can benefit from hiring you rather than selling them on your degrees or qualifications.
The best way to help you overcome the mindset of selling is to distinguish it from telling a story. A good technique is using the “so what” question at the end of your statements. Here is a typical example, “I have 12 years of experience in leading projects with a certification in project management.” Use the so-what test. If your answer is vague, you are selling rather than telling about the benefits of your experience.
Suggestions for making a great impression:
•Have a good elevator pitch when meeting with employers. Talk about who you are passionately and authentically. Why Your Elevator Pitch is Important, and How to Master It (lifehack.org)
•Research companies ahead of time and know what the employer values.
•Be knowledgeable about what your competition is doing and what the marketplace needs.
•When asked why you want a specific job, tell a story of why you are interested, drawing on your experience and a sense of passion.
•Dressing for the part impacts your introduction, even though it is a form of nonverbal communication. Never underestimate the image of clean, pressed clothes to add credibility to your impression.
•Practice telling your story till it becomes natural. If your introduction feels uncomfortable, it could signify that it is not really what you want to convey.
What makes a memorable introduction? How would you describe the difference between trying to pitch someone as though you were selling instead of telling them about yourself?