The second part of your introduction is past tense. If there’s an opportunity to elaborate, you can also share other details such as a current project, your expertise, or your geographical location. If you are not sure what to share, your name and job title is a great place to start.

Of course, what you share will depend on the situation and on the audience. My name is Michael and I’m the creative director. My current focus is optimizing customer experience. Hi, I’m Ashley and I’m a software engineer. Start with a present-tense statement to introduce yourself: The secret is using a simple framework: Present, past, and future. On the other hand, self-introductions are the most direct way to reinforce your desired personal brand. The stress associated with introducing yourself is common and not without warrant. If there was a quiz on everyone’s name, you would fail. Then, you realize you’re not listening to what the others are sharing. You start ruminating about previous self-introductions when you got tongue-tied, when you forgot to mention something important, or worse, when you rambled on for too long. Suddenly, your brain goes into hyperdrive. The meeting leader asks everyone to briefly introduce themselves. It could be in an online meeting, or perhaps you are seated around a boardroom table.

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