Introducing yourself in an interview

If introductions and first impressions matter under normal circumstances, they are essential for job interviews too. How you introduce yourself in a job interview is about more than just a smile and handshake.

A job interview is one of the most drawn-out and intimidating ways of making the vital first impression. And it is also a chance afforded to you to win your employer’s approval and support. This can even offer give you a distinctive advantage over some candidates who are better qualified than you. One of the best ways to prepare for an interview is to anticipate questions the interviewer may ask. This will allow you to give thoughtful and organized answers during your interview.

In an interview, nobody will seek to know minutiae about your personal life. However, the interviewer will definitely want to know if you are fit for the job for which you are being interviewed. Obviously, the assessment that they form will be based largely on the basis of your qualifications, experience and demonstrated performance on your previous jobs. In short, they will like to know if your natural knacks and professional skills match with the job requirements.  

 A job interview comprises several parts and each one of them is instrumental in allowing the interviewer to know more about you. One question that is invariably asked in some form or the other is, “Could you please tell us something about yourself?” You should not overlook preparing to answer this question; your answer will place you at an advantage ab initio. You will get a chance to market yourself excellently in few words, besides letting you establish the manner in which the interview will progress. In other words, you must know how to introduce yourself and do so well.

In an interview, the interviewer really matters most. You should remember that the preview that you render about yourself should incorporate attention-grabbing gen that can help the interviewer get on to an appropriate footing to proceed further on its very basis. It is therefore, important that your response is apt and to the point. What should your response be?

Preparation is very important for any task that you undertake and that is what is required to answer this particular question too. You ought to deal with it seriously and your answer should come up with a thorough study about you. If you do not prepare for it, you will rush to recollect points and the result will be a disjointed conveyance of facts. Such a situation at very beginning of your interview will send the wrong message to the employer and make you tense throughout the interview.

The question will generally be put during the initial stages of the interview and hence, you will be in a position to provide only some fundamental facts about yourself. However, whatever you speak, should draw the interviewer’s attention; and be beneficial and positive to keep the interview going on. Few points that you should not miss out and prepare well to articulate them in about two minutes are:

· Details about your present job.

· Reasons for your keenness to join the job applied for.

· Justification in terms of your qualifications and professional attributes.

· Some of your accomplishments in brief so that the interviewer’s interest is aroused in you

It is essential that you guard against verbosity or blowing your horn. You need to be specific and clear-cut in your response. If you become wordy or pompous, you are bound to unnecessarily disconcert the interviewer in the initial stages itself. This is where your preparation will matter; the best method to introduce yourself is in the form of a short vocalization – something that you can recall and articulate perfectly, self-assuredly, cleverly and yet create an impact. Remember that your aim should be to provide an opportunity to the interviewer to start talking at the earliest and steer the dialogue process. If you keep talking, you are more likely to go off-track right at the very commencement of the interview.

Another aspect that you should guard against is a tendency to reiterate watchwords and assertions already contained in your curriculum vitae. The interviewer will already have a copy of your resume and would have definitely perused it. Therefore, you need not repeat them while introducing yourself. However, as the interview progresses, you will be able to dwell upon it in an appropriate manner. If you have made a good impression by this point, the rest is simply about displaying your knowledge.

An interview is a tough competition with only one winner. But you can emerge as that winner - even if you are not the most qualified candidate. And the manner in which you introduce yourself will mark the beginning of an important association.