After graduating from a technical school or university, you will meet many people throughout your career, whether it is in a job interview or a meeting related to a business project while encountering new clients and people who may become your partners or close friends. Along the way, you have to introduce yourself professionally when you meet people for business reasons or provide a service or product to others. This being said, knowing how to introduce yourself professionally is key, because it shows others if you are self-confident, and encourages them to have a conversation with you, which opens up many opportunities for you in your profession. How do you make this happen? What behaviors, that make you seem unprofessional, should you avoid?

• Be punctual: If you have a job interview or a meeting you have to attend, make sure you arrive 10 or 15 minutes before the agreed time.
• Adopt formal language: Use formal greetings with the person you are meeting, and avoid using your usual slang language..
• Introduce yourself: Start by introducing yourself: state your name and professional title, i.e., where you study if you are a student, and where you work if you are an employee.
• Break the ice: After introducing yourself, start talking about a general topic, such as weather, economy, life in general, etc.; it helps you and the person you are meeting with feel comfortable.
• Talk about your qualifications briefly: It is important to state during a business meeting or even a job interview your positive qualities and the added value you can bring to your field of work. But be careful! Don’t talk too much about yourself, for you not to seem arrogant.
• State the purpose of the meeting: Discuss the purpose of the meeting after you break the ice, whether it is related to a job, a purchase, a business meeting, or something else…
• Respect privacy: Don’t ask the manager, the customer, or the potential business partner anything about their personal life, i.e. marital status, address information, wage rate.
• Show respect towards the other person: Whether you’re in a meeting looking for a partner, a job interview, or meeting new clients, make sure you show respect, listen carefully to what they say, and don’t interrupt their speech. If you feel there is something not clear, you can ask them about it in a respectful way.
• Pay attention to your body movement: Make sure that your body movement is appropriate. Don’t stare at the person, sit properly, don’t raise your voice or shout, and don’t look at the person strangely.
• Leave a good impression: Making a good first impression is essential to convince those you are meeting with to hire you or work with you. Don’t fail in this matter!

You should also know that sometimes, your co-workers may be potential close friends, or may even fall in love with one of them, but you have to be careful when and with whom you build these relationships.

Finally, remember that actions speak louder than words, so if you want to work with others, you must act professionally, this will make them trust and respect you, which will positively affect your professional reputation.