Sophie Sessions: How to Introduce Yourself in English Without Sounding Like Your CV
Claire is a French marketing director at a fintech startup in Zurich. She has a networking event on Tuesday evening. She speaks fluent English, understands everything in meetings, and can navigate complex presentations. But when it comes to the one-minute introduction — the kind of thing you do when someone asks "So, tell me about yourself?" — she freezes.
Not because she doesn't know the words. Because she doesn't know what to say.
She sat down with Sophie to practise. Here's what happened.
The Practice Session
Sophie: "Hi Claire. We've got a few minutes before your networking event. Let's practise your introduction. Tell me about yourself. The kind of thing you'd say at a mixer or when you meet someone new at a conference. Go."
Claire: "Eh, OK. So, I am a marketing director. I work in fintech, in a startup in Zurich. I am responsible for the brand positioning and the go-to-market strategy. I have eight years of experience in marketing, five of those years in the financial services. I have managed teams of up to fifteen people, and I have..." [pause] "...no, that's not good, is it?"
Sophie: "It's not bad. You're clear. Your grammar is solid. But notice what you did: you listed your job title, your responsibilities, your experience in years, your team size. You sound like you're reading your LinkedIn profile."
Claire: "Yes! Exactly. That's how I practise it."
Sophie: "Right. That's why it doesn't work. At a networking event, people don't want your CV. They want to know who you are and what you care about. Try again, but this time answer three things: what do you actually do day-to-day, why does that work matter, and what's on your plate right now. Don't recite credentials. Have a conversation."
Claire: "Ah. So not the years of experience?"
Sophie: "Not the years of experience. Trust me, the way you speak is enough. Let's go again."
Claire: "OK. So, I work in fintech, helping startups... no, that's wrong, I work for a startup, not with startups... I work for a fintech startup in Zurich as a marketing director. We do payments processing for small businesses. My job is to... to make sure that our product, that our positioning is, um, is clear in the market. Right now we are launching in three new countries, and it's quite complex because each market has different... different..." [pause, hesitation] "...different regulations."
Sophie: "Better. Much better. You've got a sense of what you do and what matters about it. You mentioned the new launch, which gives context. That's a conversation starter. But I noticed you got tangled on 'helping startups' versus 'working for a startup.' And then there's a moment where you're hunting for the word 'regulations.' In real conversation, that's fine. But you rushed back to fill the silence. Here's what I noticed: you hesitated, then you over-explained. You said 'different regulations' but you could have just said 'the rules are different in each country.' Simpler. More natural. Try that part again."
Claire: "Right now we are launching in three new countries, and the rules are different in each one. That's simpler?"
Sophie: "Much simpler. That's how someone actually talks. Now, one more thing. You said 'our product, that our positioning is...' You're using very formal, abstract language. 'Positioning' is a marketing word, not something you say at a mixer. You could say: 'We're trying to get businesses to understand that we're simpler than the other options.' See the difference?"
Claire: "Yes. I use marketing language because I think it sounds more professional."
Sophie: "That's the opposite of professional in conversation. Professional is clarity. It's speaking like you know what you're talking about, not like you're afraid to use simple words. Let's do a full run-through."
Claire: "OK. So I work for a fintech startup in Zurich. We help small businesses process payments easily. My job is to help people understand who we are and why we're different from the other options out there. Right now, we're launching in three new countries, so I'm dealing with a lot of regulatory work and figuring out how to message that in each market. It's quite complex."
Sophie: "That is a really solid introduction. You've told me what you do, why it matters, and what's keeping you busy. It sounds like a real person talking. And it took what, fifty seconds? You didn't list your team size once."
Claire: "Fifty seconds is enough?"
Sophie: "More than enough. At a networking event, that's your opening. Then the other person asks questions. They ask about the countries, or the payments business, or what 'different messaging' means. You've given them hooks to pull on. That's how a conversation starts. You don't need to fill every silence with credentials."
Claire: "That's the thing I didn't understand. I thought I needed to say everything about myself in case they didn't ask."
Sophie: "There's your aha moment. You don't need to say everything at once. Your job is to be interesting, not complete. Interesting people get follow-up questions. People who recite credentials get polite nods and then someone checks their phone. You're definitely interesting."
What Happened
Claire walked into that networking event on Tuesday with a simple, natural introduction. No years of experience. No team sizes. No marketing jargon. Just a genuine explanation of what she does, why it matters, and what she's working on right now.
She was approached three times by people interested in payments processing. One was a potential customer. One was a recruit who worked in fintech in Germany and wanted to know how she'd handle the regulatory differences there.
The third conversation started with her introduction and ended with the person saying: "You make it sound like you're actually solving problems, not just doing a job." That's the difference between listing credentials and having a conversation.
Bring It to the Clinic
The introduction is just the first thirty seconds. What about when the questions come? What if someone asks "What's been your biggest challenge at the startup?" and you blank? Or you start explaining but lose the plot halfway through?
Want Nigel to diagnose your real self-introduction in a live setting? Bring the actual situation to Thursday's Fluency Clinic. You'll practise your introduction with real feedback, and if you get stuck, Nigel will show you how to get unstuck without reverting to jargon.
Thursday Fluency Clinic: €27, 60 minutes, live with Nigel. Every Thursday at 18:00 CET. 12 places, capped. → Book your spot at the clinic
Not ready for a live session yet? Try a free Sophie demo. She'll coach you through any introduction scenario you're facing. → Free Sophie session
Language Analysis
Select a category above to highlight those words in the text.
Learning Materials
📖 Key Vocabulary
qualifications, achievements, or past experience that show someone is qualified or trustworthy
the way something or someone is presented or viewed; strategic placement in the market
specialised language used by people in a particular profession or group; technical terminology
to repeat something from memory, often in a formal or mechanical way; to declaim
something that catches or holds attention; a curved device for catching; something that draws someone in
twisted together in a confused mass; complicated and difficult to sort out
existing in thought or theory but not having a physical form; not concrete
relating to rules or regulations; connected to official oversight
a subtle difference in meaning, colour, tone, or expression; a fine distinction
the quality of being clear and easy to understand
to delay or postpone; to yield to someone's opinion or authority
powerfully interesting or persuasive; demanding attention
the act of asking or requesting; an invitation or appeal
⚙️ Grammar Notes
By presenting the actual dialogue between Claire and Sophie, the post shows—rather than tells—what happens. Sophie's response 'You sound like you're reading your LinkedIn profile' is more impactful than the narrative statement 'Claire was reciting her CV.' This direct speech creates immediacy and allows the reader to hear the feedback in real time.
The word 'but' signals a shift. 'You're clear... but...' acknowledges what's working before pointing out the problem. The structure 'not X, not Y' (as in 'Your job is to be interesting, not complete') is a powerful rhetorical device that sets up a stark contrast. It clarifies what matters and what doesn't in one economical move.
An imperative (Tell me, Try again) is often followed by clarification of what that looks like. 'Tell me about yourself. The kind you'd say at a mixer' is clearer and more memorable than 'Tell me the kind of introduction you'd give at a mixer.' Breaking the instruction into two parts (command + context) makes the direction clearer.
Using present participles ('hunting,' 'rushing') describes actions in real time. It creates the sense that Sophie is observing Claire's thinking process as it happens. This is a narrative technique that makes coaching feel immediate and responsive rather than retrospective.
💬 Comprehension Questions
1.What three things does Sophie ask Claire to focus on in her introduction instead of listing credentials?
2.What specific language change did Sophie suggest for the phrase 'our positioning is clear in the market'?
3.Why does Sophie say 'At a networking event, people don't want your CV. They want to know who you are and what you care about'? What's the underlying difference she's pointing out?
4.Sophie says 'Interesting people get follow-up questions. People who recite credentials get polite nods and then someone checks their phone.' Why does being 'interesting' work better than being 'complete'?
5.Claire's final introduction took about 50 seconds and didn't mention her team size, her years of experience, or formal language like 'positioning.' If you were preparing your own networking introduction, what should you include instead, based on Sophie's feedback?
Join the Thursday Fluency Clinic
**Thursday Fluency Clinic: €27, 60 minutes, live with Nigel. Every Thursday at 18:00 CET. 20 places, capped.** → [Book your spot at the clinic](/clinic)
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