Tell Me About Yourself

I’ve been doing a lot of mock interviews with my clients recently and one of the interview questions they struggle with the most is “tell me about yourself”.  This seems like a simple question on the surface, but people sometimes have a hard time with this one because it’s often the first question they’re asked at a job interview and they just aren’t prepared for it.

Ruh roh!

The purpose of a job interview is to see if you’re a good fit for the position and one way of doing this is for the interviewer to get to know you a little better by asking you “tell me about yourself”.  They’re not asking you this to trip you up.  It’s not meant to be a trick question. 

So, how do you properly answer this question?

• Experience including self-employment, internships, volunteer work, etc.

• Education, training, and certifications

• Skills, strengths, and other positive attributes

• What you bring to the table

• ENTHUSIASM!!!

I mentioned enthusiasm because you want the interviewer to know that you really want to work there.  Also, it helps if you come off as likeable.  You could be the best and most qualified candidate for the position, but if they don’t like you, you’re not getting hired. 

A few other tips:

• Focus on skills and experience related to the position you’re interviewing for

• Do let your personality shine through

• Talk about what you can do for them

• Make sure your answer has some logical order: discuss present work situation first, then past experiences, and move on to your enthusiasm for the future

Also, you should keep your answer succinct.  It should take you about a minute or two to answer this question.  A big mistake people make is oversharing and talking themselves out of a job.  Don’t do that!

A few other DON’TS:

• Don’t bring up anything personal, such as family, religion, politics, criminal record, etc.

• Don’t mention anything negative, such as a bad work experience or problem with a past boss

• Don’t discuss every minute detail of your work history; a summary is more than enough

• Don’t be stiff or robotic

True story: I once had a client tell me that he just got out of prison when I asked him to tell me about himself at a mock interview.  Another mentioned his substance use treatment history at an actual job interview.  Don’t do that!

Here’s a simple sample answer put together by a past client who was a cook:

I am a cook with over 5 years of restaurant experience.  I last worked as a cook at El Taco Loco.  I have a high school diploma and completed culinary arts training at Project Renewal.  I also have a New York City food handler’s certificate.  I’m currently looking for work as a cook at an Italian restaurant.  My specialties are Mexican and Italian cuisines.  I really love to cook!

Next Steps

Okay, so now that you know what you should and shouldn’t say and do at an interview, the next step is to practice, practice, practice!  I usually suggest to my clients that they put their response in writing first and edit it until it is clear and concise.  They should then memorize their answer and practice in front of a mirror until it seems natural.

Need to work on your interviewing skills?  I can help you!  Let’s get in touch!