1. know yourself
To achieve a nice shot in the game, knowing yourself becomes a necessity. You need to clarify the questions of what you did, do, and will do.
You don’t answer these questions in time sequence; instead, bring up the present first, then the future, then the past. The very secret lies in the fact that if the employer decides to hire you, who he picks is the one you are at the moment, while who he expects is the one you’re going to be , which is rooted in what you were and what you are.
Therefore, as to the first question of what you do NOW, the pivotal point is: You are who you are, not somebody else. Unless you distinguish yourself from others and lay stress not merely on the common qualities but the differences, it is unlikely for you to stand out among tons of applicants. So in answer to the question: the deeper your introspection goes, the more successful your introduction will be.
Here comes the second question: what you’re GOING TO do? If the post you’re applying for is of great significance, your plan for the future will be one of your employers’ concerns. Answer with details, reasons, consistence, and especially, your own touch.
Now the third: What DID you do? Of course you have written those on your CV. But when being asked the question again in an interview, remember not to reveal the parts in the past which are irrelevant to your future. Provided that you have swerved your career 180° in the midway, do take the efforts to describe your perseverance and the coherence of your career objectives. To reach this point while being faithful to yourself and the facts, here’s the easiest approach: find the connection between your history and your future, work on your files in the past and list them by importance in accordance with your goals.
Take the present as the threshold, the future as the targets, and the past as the supports. The crucial point of this approach is to deepen your analysis and understanding of yourself. Well, you may not get the chance or the need to recite what you have written on your CV, yet the interrelation of these questions will show itself in the aura of your entire presentation, and enable the one in you to luster.
2. Cater to their tastes
Now that you’ve know your strengths, it is time to prepare the materials for your self-introduction: working style, strong points, skills, accomplishments, expertise, educational backgrounds, etc.
Though the long list, your time is limited down to 1 min. So everything should be related to the company. If it is a PC corporation, relate computers; if this case is about a financial company, refer to money. Anyway, do cater to their likes.
Mind you: no matter what you touch upon, emphasize the contributions you can make to your future company, such as boosting the trading volume, cutting the cost, developing new markets and what not.
3. List them in sequence
The order of your presentation matters a lot, too. Whether you can hold your audience is determined by the sequence of your items. So you might cap the list with the item which you want to etch to his memory most——usually the ones you are satisfied with. Meanwhile, polish up your performance by presenting some of your works or records.