Why a Personal Pitch Deck? Weiping Wang Shares How to Enhance Your Networking Skills

Let’s say you get the opportunity to network with others and find a potential mentor. How do you introduce yourself? Do you start off with a humorous anecdote? Or do you dive right in and demonstrate your core values with other means of self-expression? 

There’s no one way to share your story. However, a more structured format ensures that you deliver your message effectively, whether you seek career guidance or a peer-to-peer connection. 

Weiping Wang is the Senior Manager of Technical Support at Illumina and an active CCWomen+ member. With an extensive PhD background in molecular biology, she helps oversee workforce management for a biotech research company. She’s also passionate about continuous professional development, seeking impactful relationships with other women leaders where mutual empowerment can happen organically. 

During our September webinar, Wang demonstrated how she takes the lead on her narrative. Here are her tips for introducing yourself effectively in professional settings and making a lasting impact. 

1. Establish a human connection via personal storytelling.

Before trailing off about your professional achievements, ensure that the opposite party sees you for you. By doing so, you allow a level of vulnerability to be your foundation for the conversation ahead. You’re not just engaging another person to get what you need—you actively encourage a space for them to share their lives with you in return. 

After identifying the purpose of her networking meeting, Wang shares more about her journey—first, from a University in Guangzhou, China, to a medical device company in San Diego, to her current role in Illumina. Then, she dives into her strengths and passions: 

“I’m a learner. I’m a curiosity-driven person. I’m positive, and input is important to me. I see that opportunity for me to be a growth achiever. I’m action- and timeline-driven, which usually helps me to plan. I enjoy close relationships with others. 

What do I do outside of work? I have two kids, who are eight and six. I like traveling, hiking, and outdoor activities. I went to Africa and Brazil recently to explore nature with friends, and when I travel with family, I try to explore and learn about national parks. I also play a Chinese musical instrument which I learned as a kid. I play the Chinese dulcimer in a local band and sometimes do solo performances.”

2. Give a rundown of your role and organization. 

After your brief self-introduction, it’s important to clarify your responsibilities and how you contribute to your organization’s goals. Wang jumps straight to the chase and gives a detailed glimpse of her day-to-day: 

“My team’s responsibility [at Illumina] is more like an overlay. Instead of focusing on one workflow or one specialty of Illumina products, we focus on workforce management. What’s the right number of people [for a project]? How do we organize onboarding and on-the-job (OTJ) training? How do we ensure quality control and assurance? 

There’s a quote by Brad Cleveland that says, ‘Together, we ensure that tech support has the right number of right people with the right supporting materials at the right places at the right time to handle customers in the right way.’ 

We perform more overlay jobs with other teams to ensure customers get the best-in-class service.” 

3. Make space for authentic conversations. 

So, what comes next? 

You wrap up your presentation and hand the mic to the other person. Now that they know your experiences and understand your current role, it’s time to explore opportunities to empower one another. Whether this leads to a deeper relationship or a few more conversations is entirely up to you and your career needs. 

Wang concludes: 

“I may ask, how can we collaborate? Or, if I have a specific question for the other person or team, I say, ‘I’m interested in learning more about this particular topic from you. Or, I open up for any questions they might have about me or my team.” 

Looking to join our next webinar and access top career insights? Get connected now! 

Download Weiping's Personal Pitch Deck template.

Check out the webinar here: