You will be able to give a short self-introduction that people remember and respond to.
"So, what do you do?" Someone asks it at a networking event, at the start of a client meeting, on the first day in a new team, or across the table at a friend's wedding dinner. It is the most common speaking situation most people face, and the one they prepare for least. The usual answer is a job title and a company name, maybe followed by a few years of history. "I'm a senior analyst at a healthcare group. I've been there about three years. Before that I was at a consultancy." The other person nods, and the conversation goes nowhere.
A short self-introduction is a talk in miniature. It has an audience, a purpose and a few seconds to land. This lesson gives you a structure for it, and shows how to adjust it for the places you will use it.
A good self-introduction has four parts: who you are in one line, the problem you work on, one concrete example, and a question back to the other person.
Who you are, in one line. Your name, if they do not know it, and a plain description of your role. Keep it short. This part tells them what kind of person they are talking to.
The problem you work on. This is the part most people leave out, and it is what makes an introduction interesting. Rather than describing your job, describe what it is for. Who does it help, and with what?
One concrete example. A specific thing you did recently that shows the problem and your work. Lesson 3.2, Examples your audience can picture, explained why one vivid example beats a general description.
A question back. Finish by turning the conversation to them. "What brings you here?" or "How does your team handle that?" A question keeps the conversation going and shows interest in the other person, which is how a good conversation starts.
Here is Arjun's version for a networking event. "I'm Arjun, I'm a data analyst at a private healthcare group. I work on why patients miss appointments, and what clinics can do about it. Two of our clinics are now trialling a reminder sent a day earlier, because our data showed Mondays losing almost twice as many appointments as other days. What kind of work brings you here?"
Job titles often mean little outside your own company. "Associate director, strategic partnerships" or "senior executive, business excellence" tells a stranger almost nothing. Inside your company, it places you in a hierarchy. Outside, it is just words.
So describe what you do in plain language, as you would to a friend in a different industry. Arjun's title is "senior analyst, clinical operations", but "I work on why patients miss appointments" is easier to picture and easier to ask about.
You can still mention your title, especially in formal settings or when seniority matters to the conversation, such as a first meeting with a client. Just do not let it be the whole introduction.
Plain words also help in Singapore's multicultural, multilingual workplaces and events. Many people you meet will be working in their second or third language, and industry jargon makes them work harder to follow you. Lesson 1.2, Who is listening and what do they need, applies here as much as to a full talk.
The structure stays the same, but the emphasis changes with the setting.
With a new team, the people you are introducing yourself to will work with you every day. Focus on what you will be doing for them and what they can come to you for. "I'm joining as the analyst for the clinic operations team, so if you need numbers on bookings or wait times, I'm the person to ask."
In a client meeting, focus on what you bring to this client. Lead with your role on their account, and keep the example relevant to their business. Skip the question back if the meeting has a formal agenda, or make it a question about their goals for the meeting.
At a networking event, the question back matters most, because the aim is a conversation rather than a briefing. Choose an example that invites curiosity.
Wei Ling, at an industry event on supply chains, introduced herself as "running operations for a logistics company, mostly working out how to get new warehouse staff up to speed faster". Two people asked her how. She had the trial story ready.
Have two lengths ready. The 10-second version is for moments when time is short: a round of introductions in a meeting, a lift ride, a quick hello at the start of a call. It is your one-line who you are and the problem you work on. "I'm Arjun, I'm a data analyst at a healthcare group, working on why patients miss appointments."
The 60-second version is for moments with more space: a networking conversation, a panel introduction or the start of an interview. It adds the concrete example and the question back, and perhaps a line of context about how you came to this work.
Both versions should sound natural, not recited. Know the structure and the key phrases, and let the exact words vary each time. Lesson 6.3, Rehearse out loud, not in your head, applies here too: say them aloud until they flow. Your phone's voice recorder is all you need for the activity that follows.
Write a 10-second and a 60-second self-introduction and record both on your phone.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).