Why This Matters
Whether you’re at a networking event, a conference, or meeting a new client, being able to clearly and confidently describe what you do and where you work is essential. A good description should be concise, engaging, and tailored to your audience.
Describing Your Job
Start with the Basics
Begin with your job title and a simple explanation of your main responsibility. Avoid jargon unless you’re speaking with industry peers.
Example:
“I’m a Product Manager at TechCorp. I work with engineering and design teams to develop new features for our mobile app.”
The Elevator Pitch Formula
A strong job description typically includes:
- Who: Your role and who you work with
- What: What you create or accomplish
- Why: The impact or value you provide
Example:
“I’m a Marketing Director at GreenLeaf Solutions. I lead a team that develops campaigns to help sustainable brands reach environmentally conscious consumers. We’ve helped our clients increase their customer base by an average of 40% in the past year.”
Tip: Tailor your description to your audience. With industry experts, you can use technical terms. With general audiences, keep it simple and focus on outcomes rather than processes.
Describing Your Company
The Company Snapshot
When describing your company, provide context that helps others understand what the business does and why it matters.
Key elements to include:
- Industry: What sector does your company operate in?
- Product/Service: What does your company offer?
- Target Market: Who are your customers?
- Value Proposition: What problem do you solve?
Example for a well-known company:
“I work at Adobe. We make creative software like Photoshop and Illustrator that designers and photographers use worldwide.”
Example for a lesser-known company:
“I work at DataFlow Analytics, a startup that provides AI-powered business intelligence tools for retail companies. We help stores predict inventory needs and optimize their supply chains.”
Scale and Context
Sometimes it helps to mention your company’s size or notable achievements to give people context.
Example:
“We’re a team of about 50 people, and we’ve been growing rapidly since we launched three years ago. We now serve over 200 clients across North America.”
Putting It All Together
Here’s a complete example combining both job and company descriptions:
Complete Introduction:
“I’m the Head of Customer Success at HealthTrack, a health technology company that builds wearable devices for monitoring chronic conditions. We primarily work with hospitals and clinics to help them provide better remote patient care. In my role, I lead a team that ensures our healthcare partners get maximum value from our platform. We’ve helped reduce hospital readmissions by 25% for our partner institutions.”
Remember: Practice different versions of your introduction. Have a 30-second version, a 1-minute version, and be ready to expand based on the listener’s interest. The best descriptions are conversational, not rehearsed speeches.
