How to Introduce Yourself and Your Job in English

1 Example dialogue

Read the conversation. Then read it out loud. Try both parts.

Kenji is at a conference in London. During the coffee break, he meets Sarah.

Sarah Hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Sarah.
Kenji Nice to meet you, Sarah. I'm Kenji. I work for a medical devices company in Osaka.
Sarah Oh, interesting. What do you do there?
Kenji I'm a product manager. Basically, I make sure our new products meet what hospitals actually need.
Sarah That sounds like a busy job. How long have you been doing that?
Kenji About four years now. Before that, I worked in sales for the same company. How about you?
Sarah I'm in procurement for a hospital group here in London, so I'm on the other side!
Kenji Ah, that's great. I'd love to hear what you look for when you choose a supplier.

These are the most useful phrases from the dialogue, with what they mean and when to use them.

“I don't think we've met.”
A polite, friendly way to start talking to someone new at an event.
“I work for... / I work in...”
Use "work for" + a company (I work for Sony). Use "work in" + an area or industry (I work in finance).
“I'm a... / I'm in charge of...”
Say your job title, then add one simple sentence about what you do. Titles alone can be hard to understand.
“Basically, I...”
"Basically" tells the listener you are going to explain simply. It is very common in spoken British English.
“How long have you been doing that?”
A natural follow-up question. Notice the present perfect continuous: "have you been doing".
“About four years now.”
A short, natural answer. You don't need a full sentence like "I have been doing it for about four years".
“I'm on the other side!”
A friendly, informal way to say you do the opposite or connected job (for example, buyer and seller).

UK / US: British people often use light humour like this to build rapport. It is fine at events, but keep it short.

Answer each question out loud, not in your head. Use the key phrases. If you can, record yourself on your phone and listen back.

Introduce yourself in three sentences: your name, your company or field, and what you do in simple words.
Explain your job to someone who is not in your industry. Start with "Basically, I...".
Someone asks, "How long have you been doing that?" Answer about your current job.
Talk about your career so far in 30 seconds: what you do now and what you did before.
After you introduce yourself, ask the other person two questions about their job.

Many learners make these mistakes in this situation. Here is the natural version.

Not: I am working as accountant since 2019.

Say: I've been an accountant since 2019. / I've worked as an accountant since 2019.

With "since" we use the present perfect, not the present continuous. Also, don't forget "an" before the job.
Not: I work in Samsung.

Say: I work for Samsung. / I work at Samsung.

Use "for" or "at" with a company. Use "in" with an area or department: "I work in marketing."
Not: My job is Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations.

Say: I'm a senior manager. Basically, I help the company plan for the next five years.

Long titles mean little in conversation. Give a short title, then explain what you do.
Not: Nice to meet you too. (and then silence)

Say: Nice to meet you too. So, what brings you to the conference?

After your introduction, always ask a question back. This keeps the conversation going.

Lesson created with PlanwiseESL.