“Tell me about yourself.” :: Career-Resumes® :: Former resume expert for Monster.com

Job Seekers
Internet Posting
About Us
Resources
Salary Wizard

Search Salaries or see company reviews, salary info, and interview questions.
Testimonials

Dear Joanne:

First, a very happy Friday to you! Hope you have a fun weekend planned. Second, thank you so much for the draft copies of my resume and cover letter. Your strategy is apparent and in my opinion, quite well articulated throughout both documents. Though I have marked a few minor changes (see attachments), I can not emphasize enough how impressed I am with your work; well worth the investment!

Please take a look at the attachments. As I said, you should find the changes minor. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I look forward to the "final" drafts and the opportunity to send them out to the marketplace. Thanks again for all your help. Have a great weekend.

Pat
More testimonials...

“Tell me about yourself.”

Yes, that question. Which isn’t really a question. It’s more of an open-ended command.

I’m surprised interviewers can ask it with a straight face anymore. I’d bet there are multiple message boards out there, catering to human resources folks, with the world’s wackiest answers given by interviewees.

But there’s a reason why it’s commonly used, and when it is, why it comes first. It’s an icebreaker for both interviewer and interviewee. Nothing more, nothing less.

When you rehearse your answer to this question – you are going to practice or role play with a friend, business coach, or loved one before your interview, right? – here are a few tips for creating the perfect response:

Keep it brief. You’d be surprised at how slow time moves in an interview. In a conversation tone and style, reading this blog post aloud would take about two minutes, and it’s over 300 words. Two minutes is forever in an interview, especially at the beginning.
Keep it focused. Don’t talk about your early childhood unless it has a direct correlation to why you’re in the interviewee chair. And if it does have a direct correlation, get to the point fast. As the judge sometimes says to lawyers in courtroom dramas, “You’re on a short leash, counselor.”
Keep it high-level. The executive summary of your resume has the salient points of your career direction concisely packaged. Drawing from that language (though not parroting it) reinforces your personal marketing message, and connects the dots between you and the position you’re seeking.
Don’t go for the throat. You got in the door, and you’re going to be in the interviewee’s chair for another 30-60 minutes. Relax. Don’t try to tell the interviewer why you’re the right one for the job in that first answer. No interviewer ever hears the answer to “Tell me about yourself” and says, “Stop the interview! The job is yours!”

Simple, high-level, focused on no more than 2-3 salient points, delivered conversationally. And short…oh, so short.

Be Sociable, Share!