"Tell Me About Yourself"

 

      One of the most common questions by a Hiring Manger is the one where you are asked to start of the interview by giving some background about yourself. This is a chance to take control of the conversation. The "tell me about yourself" interview question is not just a warm up, but a way for you to sell yourself as the perfect candidate for the job. Always keep the job position in mind and answer the question accordingly. An interview can quickly go downhill if you don't keep the goal at hand. The good news is that you can prepare and stop dreading the pressure this question typically incites. The secret is to nailing the question is to Focus, Script, and Practice. 

      1.     Focus

What do you want the interviewer to know about you? List five or so strengths that are pertinent to the position you are applying to. These could be experiences, traits, or skills. 

      2.     Scripting

Prepare a script that includes the information that you want to convey. Start by talking about your proven success, next mention your abilities, and conclude with a statement of your current situation and goals.


3.     Practice 

You shouldn't memorize your script, you should simply be confident in what you want to emphasize in your statement. The more you can talk about your personal brand - you - the better chance you have of selling it. 

Here are some tips on how you can set an easy-going tone to your interview.

  ·  “Can I show you instead of tell you?” and continue to pull out your brag book that best represents your strengths. Who could forget that answer?
  ·  “My passion is…” Frankly, people don’t care what you do. They care about who you are. Your passions are who you are and it unearths enthusiasm.
 ·  “My personal philosophy is…” This indicates that you are a thinker and can develop an idea. You are not simply an employee that does what he is told.
 ·  “If Hollywood made a movie about my life, it would be called…” Engaging, interesting, and entertaining.

A wrong answer is to respond with a question, “What exactly do you want to know?”  You’re hirable because of your answers. When people ask you to tell them about yourself, make them glad they asked.