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How to Introduce Yourself — and Get Hired | Rebecca Okamoto | TED

First impressions matter, so how do you make yours count? Communication consultant Rebecca Okamoto outlines five simple ways to introduce yourself in 20 words or fewer, setting up any interview or conversation for those three crucial words: “Tell me more.” (Recorded at TEDxNorthwesternU on April 19, 2025) Join us in person at a TED conference:…

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First impressions matter, so how do you make yours count? Communication consultant Rebecca Okamoto outlines five simple ways to introduce yourself in 20 words or fewer, setting up any interview or conversation for those three crucial words: “Tell me more.” (Recorded at TEDxNorthwesternU on April 19, 2025)

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70 Comments

70 Comments

  1. @chadpogs7973

    February 8, 2026 at 11:02 am

    🎉

  2. @JemimahIyamah

    February 8, 2026 at 11:03 am

    5th

  3. @Hello_kids_new

    February 8, 2026 at 11:05 am

    She is looking like invdia CEO

  4. @Priyanka-bj1ks

    February 8, 2026 at 11:10 am

    Vielen Dank

  5. @foukyng

    February 8, 2026 at 11:17 am

    This video really dropped right after I got off the phone with an interviewer.

    • @Claudineibispo2

      February 8, 2026 at 11:58 am

      Me too

    • @jonathanstrand2474

      February 8, 2026 at 12:19 pm

      Algorithm ……even phone conversations aren’t private, the algorithm is used to find a keyword that defines the conversation, that create links that will engage you, tailored advertising that might lead to
      a sale. Aka the Commodification of your conversation, & or you.

    • @ahmedhmedallah8757

      February 8, 2026 at 2:34 pm

      So do I 😂

  6. @OmarEwert

    February 8, 2026 at 11:20 am

    This method only works if your job is very undefined

    • @Will_Schrank

      February 8, 2026 at 12:05 pm

      You have a good point in that some jobs require specific education, training, qualifications, certifications, and/ or experience, and sharing your background and qualifications is a critical part of applying for a position. You can’t just say “I’m a good guy who helps companies be successful” and get hired as a vascular surgeon, architect, accountant, engineer, attorney, plumber, electrician, or science teacher, for example. But, presumably, in a job interview, you have provided the interviewer with a copy of your resumé or CV, and they will likely ask questions about what you’ve done and you’ll have a chance to highlight your most relevant accomplishments. They probably have already identified parts of your background that are of particular interest to them and have some questions in mind to ask you. You don’t have to tell them your whole professional life story immediately after they say, “hi Omar, good to meet you, please tell me about yourself.” That’s an opportunity to make a connection, which isn’t usually done through a lengthy monologue but rather through a back and forth conversation. I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t know, I just found your comment interesting and am expounding on it a bit. Hope you enjoyed my long-winded reply about the importance of not being long-winded. If you have any reaction please share, as you might have some insight I hadn’t thought of or a better, more succinct way to express what I wrote. ✌🏻

    • @Grey_mind

      February 8, 2026 at 2:25 pm

      Introduce yourself. Draw them in. Ask a rhetorical question. Explain in more detail.

  7. @Eugenesviridov

    February 8, 2026 at 11:22 am

    первыйнах

  8. @jarlinvargascenteno2610

    February 8, 2026 at 11:23 am

    Thanks Rebecca Okamoto, is another powerful way to focus, but you did it simple. Thanks for share!

  9. @DaisyG33

    February 8, 2026 at 11:45 am

    👍 I ended up & then retired from working in a government agency as a legal secretary – probably the most defined job environment out there. It’s not about the job description, it was about my commitment to serve the needs of another person/entity. In my case, I served the people of my state by providing clerical support to the attorneys I reported to, to ensure their best performance in service to the people of our state. To me that’s what a job in any sector, including self-employment, should be about: How can I be of service within the scope of my skills, background and commitment to service?

    • @Paul.3026

      February 8, 2026 at 5:55 pm

      Well said

  10. @AkikoNara

    February 8, 2026 at 12:34 pm

    Very wise words!
    Thank you 🙏

  11. @joebagodonuts8119

    February 8, 2026 at 12:38 pm

    I think her advice is spot on. But I think it was also all laden with corporatespeak for I don’t do really do anything. I think people want to know exactly what you can do for them. As soon as I hear corporatespeak, my reaction is try to make myself look good.

  12. @adcashmo

    February 8, 2026 at 12:44 pm

    Interesting
    And too simplistic

  13. @thierryvankerm8474

    February 8, 2026 at 12:45 pm

    Well, it didn’t work for you. I left after 30 seconds 🤣

  14. @Emanuel.Sepulveda

    February 8, 2026 at 12:51 pm

    Tomorrow I’ll have an interview, it’s great this information for me

  15. @TheVirtualArena24

    February 8, 2026 at 12:58 pm

    I think I saw same video before on this channel, is this a re-upload?

  16. @MrouhAga

    February 8, 2026 at 1:27 pm

    Wouldn’t you like to work with people who, when they want to find out something about you, say “tell me about yourself,” and when they want to know what you can do for their company, ask “what can you do for my company?” Maybe, for a change, we should demand transparency and honesty from recruiters, rather than traps and ambushes, waiting for every slip-up and beating around the bush so that they can catch a future employee with a tricky question.

    • @ThomasGilmore-fi6gb

      February 8, 2026 at 11:31 pm

      Don’t you know how recruiters get paid? 🤔

    • @gammelgemse

      February 9, 2026 at 12:41 am

      ​@ThomasGilmore-fi6gb with money like everybody else? 🤔

    • @stickman4087

      February 9, 2026 at 2:33 am

      I agree with you but sadly that’s not the world we live in, people that know how to bullshit are the ones that get ahead, I learned at a young age if you know how to talk to people you can get anything you want in this world

    • @MrouhAga

      February 9, 2026 at 2:47 am

      ​@ThomasGilmore-fi6gbAnd that is why employees do not go to a job interview, but to some strange spectacle during which you cannot ask questions about what you want to know, and the candidate has to guess what the intentions behind the questions were?

    • @ThomasGilmore-fi6gb

      February 9, 2026 at 4:13 am

      ​@MrouhAga
      With projected contracts in the hundreds of millions of $$$, they don’t play sophomoric guessing games.

  17. @rafaelh72

    February 8, 2026 at 1:36 pm

    Fact is that in an interview you are at the mercy of the person or group you have in front of you and their own style, which is unknown to you. And each mind is a world.

    One of them will like straight forward answers, the other one will like to know your story, another one will love data talk, another will analyze your analysis/synthesis capabilities.

    You can summarize who you are in 20 words and the person in front will think of you that you are concise, laser focus or simply that you didn’t put the minimum effort in that answer depending on who he is and what he/she/they expect(s) from you. You will never please everyone.

    Something extremely useful, is before answering, requesting the context of what the group wants to hear to level up the communication channel.

    • @stevenporter863

      February 8, 2026 at 5:24 pm

      Exactly. Like a sport playing well is only part of the equation. Knowing the rules and the preferences of each ref is another skill set all together. The problem lies when little skill for the job but good presenter – that is how you get a mediocre staff that can win a popluarity contest (like adult high school).

    • @misskimtalks

      February 9, 2026 at 4:59 am

      No

    • @user-fk8zw5js2p

      February 9, 2026 at 6:25 am

      The first interviewer asked the wrong question. “Tell me about yourself” is not the best way to get the answer to the question “What can you do for me?” The interviewer sabotaged that interview for some reason.

    • @stevenporter863

      February 9, 2026 at 9:43 am

      ​​​​​@user-fk8zw5js2pYes, that is correct but for most interviewers the interview of job canidates is an unwanted distraction and time suck from their main job. The interview is sandwiched between core responsibilities, other meetings and not the number one priority. Besides, the point is you can’t control what asked, but you can control the answers.

    • @user-fk8zw5js2p

      February 9, 2026 at 10:45 am

      @stevenporter863 Yes you can control the answers but that is all you control. Your best case scenario is optimistic. The interviewer may have just wanted to start lunch early and didn’t like her shoes.

  18. @minhv5513

    February 8, 2026 at 1:51 pm

    I hate that this makes sense and works. It’s ALL just so corporate, LinkedIn coded it hurts.

    Framing your identity around being useful to another person or entity, even if it’s for the purpose of getting the bag – BECAUSE it is the reason of getting the bag – makes me sick.

    • @SuppressWarning

      February 8, 2026 at 3:09 pm

      So true, classic USA thoughts. Come to Europe, we have healthier behaviors

  19. @ThomasGilmore-fi6gb

    February 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    I was a headhunter for aerospace and defense engineers in the late 1980’s. We had to prepare candidates for interviews and this would have been excellent advice.
    And then there’s the guy who seems such a perfect fit…and he shows up late, wearing purple socks, and chewing gum 🎱

    • @dean-zt1fv

      February 8, 2026 at 9:07 pm

      And that’s exactly the one you probably should have hired. Seriously, though, for those looking for a job, whether you’re hired or not can depend on such trivialities as whether you’re wearing the interviewers favorite color of shirt, whether you have a foreign accent, whether you say sir or ma’am, whether you’re hair is “long” or short, and a million other things. The advice given in the video is sound, but it’s only a beginning.

  20. @tristanboyle4450

    February 8, 2026 at 4:09 pm

    Just a note: on most camera angles the audio is synced such that it is slightly early and it’s making it difficult for me to believe she’s actually talking. thanks a lot..TED is one of my favourite things to watch.

  21. @Life_42

    February 8, 2026 at 5:33 pm

    I had an interview last month, and didn’t get hired. The same person that interviewed me got arrested about two weeks after and charged with stealing and hitting someone older than 65. These are the type of people we have to “impress” for a career. That’s life, not fair.

    • @PlayZone-Targeted-Youu

      February 9, 2026 at 4:40 am

      Ok What’s your degree ?

  22. @IrinAcademy

    February 8, 2026 at 6:18 pm

    Thank You Mam…It is really very nice to explain it so wonderfully…❤

  23. @NoahAlwakeel

    February 8, 2026 at 6:47 pm

    good ❤

  24. @1bsubscribers830

    February 8, 2026 at 7:02 pm

    This is what I need, I keep denying on the company i applied for😂

  25. @Bacon8r360

    February 8, 2026 at 8:40 pm

    thank you

  26. @seinda192

    February 8, 2026 at 9:09 pm

    So good speech

  27. @Aidc7070

    February 8, 2026 at 9:18 pm

    Prompt para copiar e usar:

    “Você é Rebecca Okamoto, especialista em introduções perfeitas de 20 palavras ou menos. Baseado na minha atividade/profissão: [INSIRA AQUI O QUE VOCÊ FAZ, ex: ‘sou coach de vendas online’ ou ‘desenvolvo apps para pequenas empresas’].

    Gere 5 introduções curtas no meu estilo exato:

    Foco em benefício: ‘Eu ajudo [público-alvo] a alcançar [benefício desejado].’
    Com ‘sem’: ‘Eu ajudo [público-alvo] a alcançar [benefício] sem [consequência negativa].’
    Paixão: ‘Sou apaixonado por [algo que valorizo] para alcançar [algo que o público valoriza].’
    Força: ‘Sou conhecido por [minha força] para alcançar [algo que o público valoriza].’
    Missão: ‘Estou em uma missão para alcançar [algo que o público valoriza].’

    Mantenha cada uma em até 20 palavras. Foque no ‘about-you’ (o que eu faço pelo outro), não no ‘about-me’. Escolha público-alvo, benefícios e detalhes reais baseados na minha atividade. Explique brevemente por que cada uma funciona.”

    Espero ajudar a ampliar o potencial da aula dê REBECCA

  28. @SiphamandlaNgcobo-mu8uk

    February 8, 2026 at 9:59 pm

    Eye-opening talk for me. What do you say after they ask you to tell them more?

  29. @everynyan3210

    February 8, 2026 at 10:14 pm

    🤡

  30. @ilyin.konstantin

    February 8, 2026 at 10:34 pm

    Thanks!
    These tips are precious

  31. @DelonPalm

    February 8, 2026 at 10:50 pm

    Terrible example. 99,9% of award winning authors DO NOT help other authors get published – these are NOT the same statement. For an example to be GOOD – it must be true and make sense.

    • @ThompsonClint

      February 9, 2026 at 9:21 am

      Yeah that threw me for a wtf loop too

  32. @EllaPhenty

    February 9, 2026 at 2:42 am

    “Hi there, my name is [first + last name]. {insert confident hand shake here}
    I’m going to be your next manager. Here’s my resume. I’ll just need to fill out an application.” That’s how I turned an interview at Pizza Hut into an on-the-spot hire when I was 22 yrs old. Got instant management experience on my resume and that got me onto the next rung of the ladder and out of hourly wage jobs.

  33. @owenloh9300

    February 9, 2026 at 4:38 am

    I compile video titles to show what YouTubers A/B test with. I have too much time and this is fun.

    Latest video titles (09 Feb 2026):

    Video titles as of 09 Feb 2026:
    1. How to Introduce Yourself — and Get Hired | Rebecca Okamoto | TED

  34. @azmodeus8425

    February 9, 2026 at 6:18 am

    so, you want to inform us on how to sell ourselves into slavery? Don’t be an employee: that is a slave. Be an employer: well, that is a slave driver slave. Be the owner: now you are no longer a slave, now keep your slaves in line… I mean “employees”.

  35. @BusinessBankingAndBeyond

    February 9, 2026 at 6:24 am

    Her talk is a valuable resource for anyone looking to refine their personal brand and improve their chances of getting hired in today’s competitive job market.

  36. @lancerr7608

    February 9, 2026 at 10:40 am

    Content was great but the speech sounded so scripted. The cadence, emphasis, word choice, scripted pauses make this feel like a performance rather than a sharing of expertise. I hate to say this but at first pass, I would not trust this person knows how to think on their feet or can respond to rapidly changing environments.

    • @aagifford

      February 9, 2026 at 11:13 am

      All TED talks are scripted and well practiced…

  37. @Mishkat-d4v

    February 9, 2026 at 11:07 am

    Comprehensivel❤❤❤

  38. @elishaminor2900

    February 9, 2026 at 1:04 pm

    hi

  39. @beriukay

    February 9, 2026 at 2:38 pm

    That’s such a bullshit opening anecdote!! If they want “what can you do for me” like some kind of mob boss, then say that, not, “crack my hidden code question about you”. The interviewer may as well said, “how’s the weather in Tibet next year? Uhhh you didn’t actually answer my real bullshit question, you’re hired so I can fire you!”

  40. @sutanmudo88

    February 9, 2026 at 11:27 pm

    1:23 😮 as i though

  41. @divyagracie

    February 10, 2026 at 2:45 am

    video starts at 3:50

  42. @rose8968

    February 10, 2026 at 7:51 am

    Wow her voice is like ai

  43. @TAsSos101000

    February 10, 2026 at 2:04 pm

    Great presentation and topic!

  44. @TheVirtualArena24

    February 10, 2026 at 6:03 pm

    But but tech twt says coding is solved and done. Should I learn or not I don’t really understand

  45. @pierrydelcy6889

    February 10, 2026 at 10:15 pm

    👏🏿🩵

  46. @wholebitmedia

    February 11, 2026 at 4:05 am

    Hi!

  47. @ChanceTEK

    February 11, 2026 at 9:04 am

    Brilliant! Thank you.

  48. @MrPolgouder

    February 11, 2026 at 11:15 am

    She looks and speaks like it was AI generated 😂

  49. @tylerfoss3346

    February 11, 2026 at 5:38 pm

    So…..instead of preparing for the “tell me about yourself” interview question (which you DID and I am sure) we should prepare for the question the interviewer SHOULD have asked (but clearly did NOT ask) “what can you do for me”?

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