“Tell me about yourself,” the interviewer asks as he makes notes, pauses, and looks up. “I uhhh…” (and your mind goes blank)
While seemingly easy, this question is ambiguous at best. And
with reason. You see, the interviewer wants to get into the very reason
you’re sitting in that chair in the first place.
But before they get to know your “why,” it’s important that you know their “why” first.
Why interviewers ask “tell me about yourself”
While interviewers ask this question because they have an opportunity
to steer the direction of the interview, they also want to know what’s
your secret sauce.
Ramit puts it this way, “Tell me why I should hire you over 30 other candidates.”
This is your opportunity to tell your story, and no, this is not
where you pull out the, “I was born and raised in Kentucky.” Stop.
How to answer ‘tell me about yourself’ in 5 steps
Now that you understand why interviewers ask you to tell them
about yourself despite having a copy of that $20-a-page resume, it’s
easier to dig in.
Step 1: Do your research
Your job in answering this question starts long before the
actual interview meeting takes place. It starts with a bit of research
into both the role and the culture of the business that you’re hoping to
join. If you really want to be prepared, do some research on the interviewer too. There is a lot to be learned from a LinkedIn profile or social media.
Step 2: Formulate an answer that will tick a few boxes
If an interviewer leads with “tell me about yourself,” you can
tick a few boxes by choosing a few functions that you perform in your
professional and private life that will support their brand. For
instance, if you’re counting beans at a corporate bigwig and you also
happen to be the treasurer of your kid’s soccer team, this might appeal
to a firm looking for a financial manager.
Step 3: Show them that you’re relevant
Ever bump into an old high-school friend and he’s still wearing
that same hairstyle, jeans, and long-shirt-under-short-shirt combo, but
he’s complaining that he’s stuck in his career? You’re itching to tell
him that’s because he’s still stuck in 1984.
Your interviewer feels the same when the most relevant
contribution you have to this role happened a gazillion years ago.
Instead, line up your story to include information that punches the heck
out of the interview and showcases your experience, skills, abilities,
and aptitude best for that particular role.
Step 4: Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes
As Ramit shows us, pitting the college kid against the salted
MBA candidate doesn’t necessarily guarantee an ending in favor of the
MBA candidate. We know this because Ramit has landed job offers from top companies such as Google and Intuit by using an interview strategy.
But it goes deeper than that. You still want this interviewer writing
down a magic number at the end that will make it worth your while,
don’t you?
So you do the only thing that will guarantee the interviewer to choke on that lukewarm cup of coffee. You hit him with The Briefcase Technique,
where you reveal your secret weapon: problem-solving. Ramit explains
the technique as identifying a problem the company might have, and how
you can help them solve it.
Step 5: Be professional
While it might seem endearing to tell the interviewer about
your viral video of some neighborhood brawl that took place last Sunday,
it might not actually do you any good. In fact, unless you’re
interviewing for a position that entails viral videos, this is almost
certainly a no-go.
Instead, keep it professional and stay on topic, unless the
interviewer expands questioning into more personal or fun topics. Even
then, keep it clean.
“Tell me about yourself” might not be as straightforward as that
While this is a standard question that pops up in any interview, there are variants of the question.
- Tell me about your work experience?
- How do you see your current experience adding value to this role?
- Walk me through your time at your company
What’s important to know, is that all interviewers want the
same thing. They want to know how your history and experience can add
value to their team. Plus, they’re sussing out whether they actually
like you.
Formulate your answers to suit the job position and interview style
Don’t punt Burger King when you’re applying at McDonald’s.
In the same vein, you’d want to highlight aspects of your work
and life experience that will complement the role you’re applying for.
Similarly, it’s essential to read the interview. While you
might just land the dream interviewer that encourages flow and openness,
it’s also very possible to catch Chris on a Wednesday morning after
Taco Tuesday. Keep it succinct and on topic.
A few winning “tell me about yourself” answers
- No problem! I’m the head burger flipper and have held that
position for three years. My main job functions include quality control
and timing to ensure the patties are perfect every time. Before this
role, I was an animal rights activist for the rights of pet snails until
the bill was passed. I’m looking to further my career by finishing my
management diploma, which is why I applied for this position. I really
like the opportunity for growth within your organization.
- Happy to! I’ve been an executive PA for the last two years,
but find my strongest skill set is in event organizing. I’ve completed a
few courses to perfect this aspect of my job. Your company has been a
great help in arranging many of our corporate events, and I love working
with your brand.
While it’s important that you showcase the best attributes to
land that dream job, it helps to remember that this is your chance to
interview your future employer.
Take notes and ask questions to ensure that you’re just as
charmed by your potential future team as you’d want them to be with
you.
To land even the toughest interview, it’s worth learning from
one of the frontrunners. Enter your information below to unlock an
exclusive video where Ramit shows you how to master the art of
interviewing.
How to nail the dreaded “tell me about yourself” interview question is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.
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