Make Your Pitch: Communicating Your Accomplishments in a Professional Introduction

In this week's Touchstone, you will translate your accomplishments into a compelling introduction.

In the Touchstone, you will develop a 3-5 sentence introduction using the following guidelines:

--Your name and current job title, industry of interest, or field of study
--Something interesting about yourself that helps you to stand out from others in your industry (such as your reason for interest in the field, specific relevant skills, mention of a common interest, or a unique personal attribute)
--A question to prompt further discussion

Remember that your professional introduction is just the start of a conversation. You will adjust what you say depending on the situation. For example, you may keep your introduction very brief when at a networking event, but have more time to talk when sitting next to someone before a presentation begins.

If you feel stuck, try using the following script as a starting place:

“Hello [your name]. I'm ___ and I'm pursuing my degree in ___ because [provide a reason that demonstrates why you are drawn to the field]. I have specific experience in [mention the specific experience that relates to your career goal] and strong interest in ___. I'd like to learn more about [something in the field that presumably the person you are talking to is interested in or knows something about]. How have you done ___ effectively [or, might you have any experience with that]?”

Review the following example of a professional introduction: