Self-Introduction: Choosing a Name

The internship is a good time to try out a workplace name if you've been waiting to make a change. Does everyone do this? Of course not. But if you've wanted to leave behind a childhood nickname or simplify a hard-to-pronounce first name, you can try out a replacement that you think you'd prefer as your "professional persona." Just use the new name in your self-introduction. Everyone will accept it.

And if you don't like the change, it ends with the internship!

The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com

The Elevator Speech

Got your Elevator Speech?

• Not only for elevators!
• It's your 30-second introduction.
  
• Like an ad for yourself.
• On an elevator ride.
• Or in a hallway.

Talking to Whom?

• Probably your new boss.
  
• Or your internship supervisor.
  
• Or a mentor on the job.
• Or a new colleague.
  

Interns are sometimes reluctant to introduce themselves on the job. But your mentor will not always be around to smooth the way for you, so develop your own self-introduction and practice it in front of the mirror.

Keep it very short... As the name implies, this self-introduction should be appropriate to the length it takes to travel a few floors on an elevator. So, just 50 or 100 words is fine!

Keep it simple... "Hi, Ms. President. I'm Shelly Jones, and I'm the intern in marketing this summer. Thanks for welcoming us at the orientation. I appreciate the opportunity to writes ads for the Eco-Green campaign this summer and if you come by the 7th floor, I can show you the carbon footprint design I'm working on."

Good luck!

The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2008 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields.