Speaking practice
Self-introduction: what to say and how to say it
Say your name, where you are now, one or two things you've done that you'd be happy to talk about, and why you're here. In an interview that often takes about a minute; in a class or a new team, 20 to 30 seconds is usually plenty. The harder part is saying it: starting cleanly, not rushing, and stopping when you've finished. Below is one fictional candidate's introduction at two lengths, a short exercise you can do with your phone's voice recorder, and what to do if you go blank.
Updated · Loista team
What to include
A checklist that works for most introductions:
- Your name. "Good morning, I'm Rahul." "Myself Rahul" is common in everyday Indian English; in a formal interview, "I'm Rahul" or "My name is Rahul" usually sounds more natural.
- Where you are now. Your course and year, or your current role, in a sentence.
- One or two things worth asking about. Choose what you'd be happy to explain next. What you mention may become the next question, so pick a project, an internship or a responsibility you know well.
- Why you're here. One line that links what you've said to the role, the course or the team.
- Stop. End once you've said why you're here. You don't need a rehearsed sign-off; a short pause is enough.
If it fits, add one line about where you're from or a hobby you actually do. Family background gets one line at most, and only if it connects to your story; otherwise leave it out. If the interviewer has your CV, use the introduction to connect the important parts rather than repeat every line.
When the question is "tell me about yourself", it often means the same thing with more weight on your work. Choosing and connecting those experiences has its own guide: how to answer "tell me about yourself".
Why it's harder out loud
On paper, an introduction looks easy. Spoken, three things tend to go wrong. The first sentence comes out rushed. The middle turns into a list of qualifications, because a list is easy to remember. And the ending trails off, because you aren't sure when you're allowed to stop. These are rarely vocabulary problems. They usually ease once you know the order of your points and let yourself pause between them.
Before and after
Fictional example: Rahul, a final-year computer science student, in a campus interview
Weaker
Hello, my name is Rahul Verma. I did my schooling from my hometown and my 12th from a junior college, and now I am pursuing B.Tech in computer science. My hobbies are cricket, music and reading. I am hard-working, punctual and a team player, and my strength is that I am a quick learner. That's all about me.
Improved
Good morning, I'm Rahul Verma, a final-year B.Tech student in computer science. For my final-year project, three of us built an app that shows hostel students when the mess queue is short. I wrote the backend. I'd like to start my career building products people use every day, which is why I applied for this role.
What changed
- It starts where he is now. School can come up later if it matters for the role.
- One project replaces four adjectives. "Hard-working" is a claim. Writing the backend of an app other students used shows it, and it gives the interviewer something to ask about.
- The hobbies list is gone. If hobbies come up, he can answer then, about one he actually spends time on.
- It ends on why he's here. "That's all about me" leaves a silence. Ending on the role gives the interviewer an obvious next question.
The improved version takes about 30 seconds. Here it is at about a minute.
Fictional · about 60 seconds
Good morning, I'm Rahul Verma. I'm in my final year of B.Tech in computer science.
The work I'm proudest of is my final-year project. Three of us built an app that tells hostel students when the mess queue is short, using the entry counter at the door. I wrote the backend, and about two hundred students used it last semester.
I also did a two-month internship at a small software company, fixing bugs in their billing module. That's where I learned how a real codebase is tested and reviewed.
I'd like to start my career building products people use every day, in a team where I can learn from experienced engineers. That's why this role interests me.
- What changed: one more experience (the internship) and one detail that shows the project was used (the number of students). The order stays the same, so the longer version is the short one with more evidence, not more words.
- Asked for more? Add one more thing in the same middle slot, such as the coding club he runs, rather than a new section.
- The numbers are illustrations. In your own answer, use details you can back up.
How to say it
- Know your first sentence by heart. Nerves are often strongest in the first few seconds. A sentence you don't have to think about gets you started.
- Pause between parts. A short pause after your name and after each point gives the listener time to follow, and gives you time to find the next point.
- Go a little slower than feels natural. Many people speak faster under pressure than they realise. If you rush, listeners can lose the thread.
- Don't chase zero "um"s. An occasional "um" is normal. Aim to finish one thought before beginning the next; that tends to remove the fillers that get in the way.
- Memorise the order, not the sentences. If you know your four points, a forgotten word won't stop you. A word-for-word script often falls apart at the first slip.
If you go blank, rush or get interrupted
- You go blank. Stop, take one breath, and say your next point in plain words: "One project I'd like to mention is…" A short pause feels much longer to you than it does to the listener.
- You notice you're rushing. Slow the next sentence on purpose. There's no need to apologise or start again.
- You lose your place. Go back to the last thing you said clearly and carry on from there: "So, the project…"
- You're interrupted. Answer the question they asked. You don't have to finish the introduction afterwards; they've moved the conversation on, and that's fine.
- You say something wrong. Correct it in a few words, "sorry, two months, not three", and continue.
Try it now: record, listen, shorten, retry
About five minutes, with your phone's voice recorder
- Scenario
- An interviewer says, "Please introduce yourself."
- Prepare (1 minute)
- Write four words, not sentences: your name, now, one thing, why here.
- Speak (up to 60 seconds)
- Record yourself answering. Don't read from your notes.
- Listen (1 minute)
- Play it back once. Did you start cleanly? Is there one detail the listener didn't need? Did you stop, or trail off?
- Retry (up to 60 seconds)
- Cut that one detail, pause after your name, and record again. Then listen to both and notice what changed.
A practice routine we suggest, not a tested programme.
Introducing yourself outside an interview
The checklist shrinks: who you are, why you're here, and one thing people can talk to you about.
Fictional · about 20 seconds
Hi, I'm Neha. I've just finished a B.Com in Pune, and I'm here for the economics course. I got interested in it while volunteering with a small savings group in my neighbourhood, trying to work out why some months were so much harder for families than others. Outside class I play badminton, so if anyone needs a partner, let me know.
- Shorter and more personal than an interview answer: one reason for being there, and an easy way for people to start a conversation.
Fictional · about 25 seconds
Hello everyone, I'm Kavya. I've joined as the support team lead. Before this I spent two years on an international voice process, where I also trained new joiners. Over the next few weeks I'd like to sit with each of you for a shift to see how things run. If something is getting in your way, please tell me directly.
- With a team, the useful part is what you'll do together and how they can work with you.
Questions people ask
How long should a self-introduction be?
In many interviews, about a minute is a helpful target, not a rule. If you've covered your strongest experience in 45 seconds and stopped cleanly, that's fine. In a class or a new team, 20 to 30 seconds is usually enough.
Should I mention my family or hobbies?
Family background: one line at most, and only if it connects to your story, such as a family business that got you interested in the field. Otherwise leave it out. Hobbies: one line is fine if they're real and you could talk about them for a minute when asked.
Should I mention my CGPA or marks?
If they're strong, one short mention is fine. If not, leave them out of the introduction; they're on your CV.
What if I'm very nervous?
That's common. What tends to help is saying the introduction out loud several times beforehand, so the order of points feels familiar even when you're nervous. Knowing your first sentence by heart helps too.
Say your introduction out loud
The exercise above works with any voice recorder. If you'd like feedback on each attempt, Loista listens to your answer, scores clarity, structure and delivery, shows your pace and how often fillers came up, and suggests one thing to change before you try again. Your first 10 practices with feedback are free.
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