How to introduce yourself while changing careers
A short editorial guide to describing a career change plainly at networking events, without apologizing for it or asking for a job on the spot.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Name your former field and your new direction in one or two plain sentences, explain briefly what drew you to the change, and let the conversation move toward the other person's work before you mention what you're looking for. Skip apologies for the switch and skip asking for a job in the same breath as your introduction.
Describe the change, not an excuse for it
A useful opening names two things: what you used to do and what you're moving toward, stated as fact rather than apology. According to UC Berkeley Career Engagement, informational conversations exist for learning about a field rather than for securing a job on the spot, which suggests the same restraint applies to a first introduction during a career change.
Ping's editorial checklist suggests treating the introduction like a headline: one sentence on your background, one on the direction you're headed, then a pause. In a fictional example, someone might say they spent years in operations and are now exploring product roles, then ask what the other person is working on, rather than continuing to justify the switch.
Sources: UC Berkeley Career Engagement: Informational Interviews
Prepare a question, not a pitch
Career changers often over-explain because they haven't prepared anything else to say. According to Harvard FAS's Guide to Building Your Network, setting an intention before an event and preparing a few questions in advance helps a conversation move beyond a single topic.
Ping suggests writing down two or three questions about the other person's work before an event, so the conversation has somewhere to go once your own introduction is finished. In a fictional example, a former teacher entering data analysis might ask a stranger how their team decides which metrics matter, rather than pivoting back to their own job search.
Let follow-up carry the ask, if there is one
Requests for help or introductions generally land better after a conversation than during the first hello. According to Harvard FAS's Guide to Building Your Network, sending thanks and keeping in touch periodically are part of maintaining a professional connection over time, which implies the asking can wait.
A Ping profile, opened by a tap or a shared link, can hold the fuller story of a career change so the in-person introduction doesn't have to carry the whole résumé. According to Ping's official product page, the profile opens on the other person's phone for them to save on their own terms, which is a reasonable place to point someone who wants more detail later.
Sources: Harvard FAS: Guide to Building Your Network · Ping Ring: official product information
Sources and editorial notes
Reviewed September 18, 2026. This piece translates informational-interview etiquette from career-center guidance into a specific self-introduction script for career changers, an angle not covered by Ping's existing conference or career-fair playbooks.