Self-introductions are a major part of the interview for admission to a school or company. Squeezing your unique abilities and dreams into one or two minutes, however, may seem as 41 as stuffing an elephant into a Volkswagen Beetle. With such a short amount of time to give someone a clear idea of who you are, what you’re interested in, and why you want to attend that school or work for that company, a 42 self-introduction is crucial. There are easy steps for designing a short and effective self-introduction. These are based on 43 business people call the “elevator pitch.” This describes a situation, such as running into the CEO of a large corporation in the elevator, where you need to 44 yourself and your strengths to him or her in a very short time. Following these steps will help you prepare a powerful self-introduction and 45 some common mistakes. Let’s begin with the first step.