How to Introduce Yourself in Person or Over Email

It may seem over-the-top to prepare a basic self-introduction in advance. However, a prepared professional intro can come in handy at networking events, client meetings, job interviews, and more to tell new business contacts who you are and make a good impression. A good intro can:

• Offer a picture of you as a person: A résumé can show someone your experience, but a good introduction can do more than that—it can show someone that you’re a person with a unique personality and interests. Think of it as an elevator pitch for your business persona.
• Make you more memorable: In short, a focused, detailed, and personable introduction can help you stand out. It can mean the difference between getting passed over in the job search or landing a new job.
• Be more focused than a work summary: If someone asked you to introduce yourself (for instance, with the classic “Tell me about yourself” job interview question) and you hadn’t prepared anything in advance, you’d likely have a difficult time coming up with interesting details or a good arc on the fly. But if you prepare a rough sketch of what you want to talk about, you’re likely to tell a better story.

There’s not one template for a professional introduction. However, an effective introduction requires that you’re direct and informative. Here are a few elements you should include:

1. 1. Short length: The key to a good introduction is to keep it short—more than three or so sentences, and you’ll start to lose your audience’s attention. Try to narrow your scope down to two to three things that make you stand out, and trim the rest. Keep in mind the context—in a large business setting, you may need to offer several sentences of an introduction, whereas in a brief passing in the lobby you may only have a few words.
2. 2. Purpose-focused: When outlining your introduction, think about its purpose: Are you introducing yourself to a hiring manager, a prospective or new client, or your new colleagues on your first day? Each of these contexts will require a different spin—for the hiring manager, your purpose is to get the job. However, you likely want to come across as qualified yet personable with your colleagues. If you want to include a fun tidbit or a humorous moment, a good rule of thumb is to keep it relevant to your work, rather than a random or tacked-on anecdote.
3. 3. Unique: Your introduction should give your intended audience a good sense of what makes you unique and especially suited for the work you want to do. Ideally, your introduction will offer a piece of information or a sense of your personality that wouldn’t necessarily come across on your résumé.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to introducing yourself in person:

1. 1. Begin with a greeting. You shouldn’t launch right into an introduction of yourself without first beginning the conversation with a greeting. Make sure that you’ve said hello, shaken hands, or exchanged a similar greeting before you tell them who you are. Keep your body language friendly and open, and make eye contact with the person as you speak. If you remember the other person’s name, say it when introducing yourself.
2. 2. Use your full name. Regardless of the situation, your name is an essential part of introducing yourself. Including your first and last name early on is key—typically as the first detail—so that everyone listening has a name to put with your face.
3. 3. Determine what’s appropriate for the context. While you should aim for a unique, short, and purpose-focused intro, context is key in determining what each of those means in the moment—you don’t want to misjudge the situation and end up giving a full paragraph of details when a sentence would have been more polite. If you’re introducing yourself in an interview, the recruiter likely wants to hear several sentences about you, your trajectory, and your qualifications; if you’re introducing yourself to a coworker right before a meeting, a few words that include your job title will likely work better.
4. 4. Have a go-to closer. You may find it challenging to end an introduction. To avoid the dreaded “So … yeah,” come up with a few closers you can turn to in a pinch. Things like “I can’t wait to work with you” or “Looking forward to learning more about you” can give a closer that’s as strong as your opening.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a personal introduction email:

1. 1. Write an eye-catching subject line. Try to come up with a subject line that’s noticeable but doesn’t sound like spam. “Inquiry about Accounting Position” would work because it’s specific and open; it can also help to include a bit of context, with something like “[Person’s name] referred me to you for position” or “Follow-up from career fair last week.”
2. 2. Use the reader’s name. If you’re sending out a cold email to a hiring manager or human resources (HR) rep, try to avoid generic greetings like “Dear sir or madam” or “To whom it may concern”—these can feel impersonal and may make your email look unprofessional, or worse, like spam. Put in the extra effort and use their name to show that you did your research and care about the details. If the email address is a generic hiring address, try to use a specific detail like “To the HR department of [business name].”
3. 3. Explain your connection. While introducing yourself in person usually comes with a prescribed context—for instance, you’re meeting the person in a work meeting or over an office lunch—email introductions can seem like they’re coming out of a void. Include some context for the reader—for instance, “I spoke with [coworker] and they said you’d be the person to talk to” or “My colleague, [name], pointed me to your job posting and said I would be a great fit”—so they know why you’re reaching out.
4. 4. Use your full name. Your name is an essential part of introducing yourself—it’s how people remember you and reach out to you later. Include your first and last name early on in your email—even though you also sign off with it at the end—to introduce yourself right off the bat.
5. 5. Offer specific details. Unlike various in-person introductions, email introductions can be slightly longer (around the length of a short paragraph), since writing is a little more formal and readers can feel free to skim if they need to. However, in general, try to write an introduction that reader’s won’t skim—make sure that any detail you include is specific and concrete (for instance, “I’ve spent four years in the industry” instead of “I have a lot of industry experience”).
6. 6. The sign-off. Include a polite sign-off in your email, like “Thank you for your time” and your full name. You may choose to attach a résumé or cover letter, depending on the situation.

Here are some sample introductions to give you an idea of what to say when meeting a new business contact for the first time:

• Introducing yourself in person for a job interview: “My name is [insert name], and I’ve spent the last six years working at customer service desks for major hotel chains, including North Hotels and West Hotels. I’m eager to bring my people skills to a customer service management position with your company.”
• Introducing yourself over email for a position: “Hi, my name is [insert name]—[insert contact name] gave me your info and said you were looking to hire a new website developer. I’m a web developer with seven years of experience plus bachelor’s degrees in both fine art and engineering, so I feel uniquely qualified to design websites that are both beautiful and functional. I’ve included my résumé for more information, and I look forward to hearing from you.”
• Introducing yourself in person at a work lunch: “Hi, I’m [insert name] from the marketing department. I work in short-form ad copy—especially billboards and radio ads. My favorite campaign I’ve designed was an initiative last year to encourage more people to bike to work since I’m an avid biker.”

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