Mentorships

A Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Good First Impression in a Job Interview

Aug 16, 2025

12 mins to read

Introducing yourself well at a job interview is a key skill to stand out. Follow these six steps to deliver a short, powerful introduction that shows your worth, meets the employer's needs, and leaves a lasting impression. This flexible structure helps you confidently present yourself as the best candidate, whether you're a marketing executive or a legal expert.

Why Your Introduction Is Important

The way you introduce yourself sets the tone for the interview, It should give a clear short picture of who you are what you do and why you're the best person for the job A good beginning grabs the interviewer's interest and makes them want to know more

The Six-Step Plan

This method will help you write a short powerful introduction in approximately a minute Each stage tells a story that connects your experience to what the organization requires

Step	Description	Example
A combination of a verb and a noun	Begin by giving a clear picture of your job	"I work in marketing."
2. What You Do	Tell me who benefits from your efforts and how	"who helps businesses get more customers and spread the word about their brand."
3.The setting and the time	Tell us how long or where you've worked	"I've worked for leading companies for over a decade."
4. Effect on the Big Picture	Point out a specific measurable success	"I've helped numerous clients significantly raise brand awareness."
5. Main Focus	Stress skills that are relevant to the job	"My main job is to plan digital strategies for campaigns."
6. Resume and Interesting Fact	Point to your résumé and add anything that makes it stand out	"I have worked in a lot of different marketing roles and I speak multiple languages."

Introductions as Examples

Marketing Executive

"I'm a marketing expert who helps companies get more customers and brand awareness through digital marketing I've worked for leading marketing firms for many years and I've helped numerous customers significantly raise brand recognition.

I work on making digital plans for both paid and unpaid initiatives, I have a degree in communications speak multiple languages fluently and have worked in many different areas of PR and social media

Legal and Compliance Attorney

"I'm a senior legal and compliance attorney who helps big businesses obey the rules and stay out of trouble I've worked for large companies in various industries throughout my career I've saved significant amounts in legal costs and reduced compliance risks.

I know a lot about contracts mergers ethics and keeping data private My resume lists all of my compliance experience and I continue to pursue professional development "

How to Succeed

Keep it short Try to get it done in 60 to 90 seconds
Make it fit Make sure you meet the job description and the needs of the company
Ask them to talk Stop and allow the person interviewing you lead the conversation
Practice in a way that feels natural Practice until you feel sure but not like you're reading from a script
Make sure your resume matches Make sure that your resume highlights are all the same

Problems and Solutions That Happen a Lot

Problem	Answer
Too many details	Focus on what will affect the employer
Feeling proud	Set your accomplishments up as things that other people will value
Unclear expectations from the interviewer	Use the formula then ask for further details about certain areas

Take Action

Use this template to write your introduction

I'm a [verb-noun combination]... who helps [who you help] [what you alter]... I've spent [timeframe/context]... I've [high-level influence] during that period...
My main area of knowledge is [important expertise matching the role]... My resume lists [related experiences] and [a unique fact]

Try it out at a networking event or a fake interview Check out job search coaching programs for extra career help or coaching

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