TIP #1. Make sure you practice your introduction at least 3 times before your interview. Sit down in front of a friend or relative, or even in front of a mirror and practice giving your answer to the question, introduce yourself.
If you give a great introduction, it helps build confidence for the rest of the interview. Don’t forget, very soon, I will give you the perfect introduction for you to write down and practice!
TIP #2. Make sure you dress professionally for your interview. If you dress professionally, it gives you even more confidence for giving that perfect introduction. Don’t forget, the hiring manager will form an opinion of you in the first 7 seconds of the interview starting. By dressing professionally, it tells them you are confident and you have high standards!
TIP #3. Do not talk about your hobbies and interests, personal problems or your family in your job interview introduction. The hiring manager isn’t interested in this information. Instead, focus your introduction solely on the following 4 things. Write these down…
#1. SKILLS.
The best 4 skills to include in a job interview introduction are: teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving, communication and commercial awareness.
#2. EDUCATION BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE.
In your introduction, briefly tell the hiring manager about your qualifications, any training certifications you have attained and the relevant experience you can bring to their company. The most sought-after experience hiring managers look for are:
- Working on teams.
- Completing projects.
- Delivering good customer service.
#3. ACHIEVEMENTS.
The third thing to talk about in your self-introduction is any achievements you have gained in your life so far – your achievements can come from previous job roles or your personal life. Examples of achievements include:
- Helping a company increase sales;
- Winning Employee of the Month;
- Helping train new team members;
- Winning team sporting events;
- Charity work and volunteering.
#4. TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE.
The fourth thing to talk about in your job interview introduction is the TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE and what you will do in your work to help the company succeed. Don’t forget, the purpose of a job interview is for you to convince the hiring manager you are going to do good things in your work to help the company thrive. Saying what you will do for their company in your introduction helps persuade the hiring manager to offer you the job!
OK, so let me recap the 4 things you should talk about in your job interview introduction before I give you the 2 example answers.
- SKILLS.
- EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- ACHIEVEMENTS
- TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE
You will notice that those 4 things stand for SEAT. S.E.A.T. And you can easily remember those 4 things to include in your introduction because you will be sitting down on a seat at your interview!
OK, in the next section of this training video, I will give you 2 powerful but very different job interview introductions. Please tell me in the comments below the video which introduction, 1 or 2, you think is the strongest. Here we go…
INTRODUCTION #1
SKILLS: Thank you for this opportunity to work for (INSERT COMPANY NAME). I carefully studied the job description before applying and my SKILLS are a great match. I am a reliable team worker and professional communicator, I take ownership of problems when they occur and can be relied upon to deliver outstanding customer service to help increase sales.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE: I achieved excellent grades in my chosen subjects of (INSERT SUBJECTS). Since my academic studies, I have further developed my skills by completing customer service training courses and familiarising myself with artificial intelligence. I have experience working on teams, completing challenging projects and managing my workload to help meet my employer’s objectives.
ACHIEVEMENTS: I am a high achiever. In my last position, I was praised by my manager for my willingness to go above and beyond what was expected and how I helped train new team members when they joined the company.
TYPE OF PERSON: I am the type of person who embraces change, supports my team in trying out new initiatives and takes ownership of problems when they occur to achieve a successful outcome. I am genuinely excited about the prospect of working for your company and I look forward to sharing additional details in the interview regarding my suitability for this role.
INTRODUCTION #2
SKILLS: Thank you for this opportunity. I am a diligent, fast-working and supportive collaborator who has developed extensive workplace and interpersonal skills that empower me to impact my employer’s goals. My top 4 skills are problem-solving, completing projects, research and customer service.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE: After graduating from college with excellent grades in (INSERT YOUR SUBJECTS) I worked for several companies where I collaborated with diverse teams to complete challenging projects. For example, in my last position, I helped to create a marketing campaign for a new product launch that had a fantastic return on investment, and I also recommended the company implement a feedback form on its website to collate ideas for new customer products.
ACHIEVEMENTS: I am a high achiever. In my last position, I won Employee of the Month and I volunteered to create a standardised training program for new company hires.
TYPE OF PERSON: I am the type of employee who supports their co-workers in the team goals, and will willingly carry out duties outside of my job description to give my employer a strong return on my salary. Thank you for listening to my introduction and I look forward to sharing extra details in the interview as to how I can help your company achieve success in this role.”