One of the first questions interviewers often ask isn't even really a question. The phrase "tell me about yourself" is perhaps one of the most open-ended talking points a candidate can hear during the entire interview process, and how you respond may set the tone for the rest of the discussion. In fact, it could very well make or break your chances of landing the job altogether.
What to Avoid
Avoid answering "tell me about yourself" with a personal or sociable answer. The question is not a way to become comfortable with the other person; it's a way to gauge what you bring to the company. The person on the other side of the table does not want to hear about your children, hobbies, sports fandoms or latest vacation. HR needs to hear about your work ethic, soft skills and accomplishments.
Reasons to Hire You
Give an employer a reason to hire you with every word you say in relation to "tell me about yourself." Practice beforehand by thinking about what would catch the other person's attention in this situation. Interviewers have already seen your resume and cover letter, so you do not need to rehash what's on there. Fill in the blanks and expound on what you've stated in your vital documents so the employer knows how and why you accomplished what you did. Go beyond your resume to show the interviewer more reasons to hire you aside from your sales experience, typing speed and team leadership.
Start With Your Launching Point
Your degree is a logical place to start since that's when your professional career started. Briefly state how your degree prepared you for the workplace and how a degree gives you credentials for the position. Launch into your accomplishments from there as you tell the person about yourself.
Hit on Accomplishments
You already said you won the top sales award in 2007, but what does that mean? How did you win that award? Telling someone about yourself includes details of what you accomplished that you could not fit onto your resume. Remain brief, just one or two extra sentences, explaining how you accomplished something.
Research the Company
Do your homework and research the company beforehand. Use this information to relate a professional anecdote from your past experience that serves as an example of how you can solve a problem when you work for the employer. If you solved a computer programming glitch that got around a vulnerability in your company's website two years ago, explain how that might solve a problem of the potential employer's cybersecurity issues that occurred three months ago.
One Minute
Keep your response around one minute long. If your interviewer wants more information, that person should ask for further details. Your response to this open-ended question serves as your main sales pitch for the rest of the job interview.
The phrase "tell me about yourself" should not send a jolt of fear down your spine. All you need is some good research, a little practice and details not in your resume to impress the interviewer and stand out from other candidates.
Photo courtesy of Virtual EyeSee at Flickr.com
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