when interviewing for job what to say when they ask tell me about yourself
Just updated for 2022.
"Tell me virtually yourself" is a chore interview question that is guaranteed to come up in most (if not all) of your job interviews — regardless of your industry, experience level, and job blazon
Since it'southward oftentimes the first question to be asked in an interview, it'due south your big chance to make a first impression.
In fact, we think this question is then important that we created an entire video lesson around information technology in our flagship product Big Interview. Lookout information technology here:
This video is merely one of dozens of lessons inside the full Big Interview preparation system. If you've got some big interviews coming up, click here to learn more about the system that volition help you ace every one of them.
Many job searchers hate the "Tell me almost yourself" question," and as a result, don't know how to ready and don't know how to give a potent answer.
The frustration of the job seeker usually comes as a event of trying to decipher exactly what the interviewer is looking for. All the same, if you prepare properly, there'southward no reason to dread this question.
In fact, this question is an opportunity — an opening for you lot to prepare the tone of the job interview and emphasize the points that you well-nigh want this potential employer to know most yous.
Don't waste matter the opportunity past simply diving into a long recitation of your resume. This also isn't the time to mention that you love flamenco dancing and bingo (yes, I take seen candidates ramble on about hobbies and personal preferences many times and it's a surefire way to make a weak first impression).
Instead, try a concise, enthusiastic response that summarizes your big-picture fit for the chore. In this article, we'll show y'all the Big Interview Formula for crafting your perfect response to "Tell me about yourself."
Variations on "Tell Me Near Yourself"
Since you're trying to get straight to the heart of what your interviewer is request yous, information technology's important to mind for all the variations you may hear on the "tell me about yourself" question.
If the interviewer doesn't ask y'all to tell them virtually yourself direct out, they may ask 1 of these questions:
"Walk me through your resume"
This may sound like an invitation to merely repeat all of the information on your resume, simply that is the accented wrong arroyo to take.
Call back of this question as merely a conversation starter. Even though they asked yous to walk them through your resume specifically, yous don't desire to but recite your resume bullet points and requite them no additional useful information.
"Tell me something that's non on your resume"
Another very similar variation is:
"Tell me something unique near you."
These questions are phrased in such a fashion that it may make starting the conversation easier. You lot probably tin can think of something that'southward unique about yous, but recollect you don't want to enhance any red flags or get off on also many rabbit trails.
If you lot have a hobby, interest, or unique history that can be folded into a discussion virtually your job skills, so much the meliorate!
Why Interviewers Use "Tell Me Nearly Yourself"
When the interviewer asks you, "Tell me almost yourself", what is he trying to achieve? Well, for the interviewer, it's an easy and open-ended way to start the conversation.
His ultimate goal for this interview is to find out enough about you to determine if you're a good fit for the job opening that he is being paid to make full. In most cases, he wants to like you. His life will be easier if he can discover a slap-up candidate quickly. However, he is also on guard because a bad hire will reverberate poorly on his judgment and possibly be a mark against him when it comes fourth dimension to enquire for a raise or promotion or bonus.
He is hoping that this question will get you talking. This question is nearly e'er asked first, perhaps right after some chit conversation well-nigh traffic and the weather.
Your respond to this question will dictate the interviewer'south first impression of you and will set the tone for the entire interview, letting you lead with your strongest selling points.
How Not to Answer "Tell Me About Yourself"
Earlier nosotros jump into the Big Interview Formula for crafting the perfect respond, let's embrace some of the most common mistakes you might make when answering "Tell me about yourself". (If anybody is giving you the following answers as communication — run the other way!)
one. The Resume Rehash
Many candidates respond past launching into a recitation of their resume from the very showtime. That can turn into a very long monologue that starts with 1's oldest — and probably least relevant and impressive — experience. By the time yous go to the good stuff, your interviewer has zoned out and is thinking about lunch.
Don't get me wrong. Information technology'southward important to ready a brief summary of the high points of each of your past positions. It is likely that you will be asked about your accomplishments and day-to-day responsibilities in previous roles. Ideally, this should come out in an engaging conversation, though, not a long monologue at the start of the interview. You'll only confuse your interviewer with data overload.
Even if the interviewer specifically asks you to "walk him through your resume," don't have the suggestion too literally. You can yet lead with your elevator pitch and then segue into an overview of your most contempo position, leaving plenty of opportunities for the interviewer to jump in and engage with you.
ii. Mr./Ms. Modesty
Many of my interview coaching clients make the mistake of existence besides modest. They reply with a humble or vague introduction that fails to clearly communicate their strongest qualifications for the gig.
Some of these clients are merely humble people who aren't comfortable with "selling" themselves. Others accept never really had to worry about a stiff pitch — they were always courted for new opportunities when the job marketplace was stronger.
Today, the competition for whatsoever good job is fierce. Don't rely on the interviewer to run into past your apprehensive exterior and figure out how groovy you lot are.
If y'all accept time to prepare, you tin can find a manner to nowadays yourself to total advantage while staying true to your personality. For modest types, I recommend focusing on factual statements.
Yous don't take to brag, "I'g the best salesperson in the world." Instead, yous can land, "I led my partition in sales for the last iii years and had the opportunity to bring in more than $18 million worth of new business organisation during that time."
3. The Start Date Approach
This is non the first date. Your interviewer does not want to hear that you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. Many recent grads distort the question and talk as well much near their personal lives and hobbies (peculiarly if the question is asked as " tell me something that's non on your resume" or " tell me something unique near you".)
This is probably because many only have admissions and other school-related interview experience (clubs, programs, etc.). For these types of interviews, there is much more interest in who y'all are as a person. In task interviews, focus on who yous are as a professional person unless asked nearly hobbies or outside pursuits.
4. The Clueless Ramble
I have watched a surprising number of smart candidates totally flub this question because of overthinking. Their answers sound something like this: "You mean about my task experience or about my schooling or what kind of information are y'all looking for?"
I know that these candidates are aiming to delight and that "Tell me about yourself" can be interpreted in many different ways. However, request for too much clarification only makes you expect hesitant and dislocated. Dive right in with the approach that we outlined for you higher up. If they are looking for something else, they volition ask you for information technology.
Good Rule of Thumb – Don't pull a Michael Scott on your interview.
How to Nail "Tell Me Almost Yourself"
Think of it as your lift pitch. An elevator pitch is a short summary used to rapidly and simply define a product, service, or business and its value proposition. It answers the question: "Why should I buy/invest?" Information technology should be curtailed enough to be delivered during a short elevator ride (to the fifth floor, not to the 105th flooring).
You lot need an elevator pitch for yourself as a job candidate — and information technology should be customized for different opportunities. Keep it focused and short, ideally less than a infinitesimal, and no more than 2 minutes.
You won't exist able to fit all of your great qualities and resume high points into ii minutes, so you'll have to spend some fourth dimension thinking about how to present yourself in a way that starts the interview on the correct annotation.
A great answer volition address the following:
- What are your chief selling points for this job? This could be a number of years of experience in a particular manufacture or area of specialization. You might as well highlight special training and technical skills here. Focus on the qualifications in the job description and how you run into and exceed the requirements.
- Why are you interested in this position right now? You can wrap upward your answer by indicating why you are looking for a new challenge and why y'all feel this part is the all-time next step.
How to Answer
"Tell Me About Yourself"
(The Big Interview Formula)
I'll share the "Tell Me About Yourself" formula that I teach to my interview coaching clients (and Big Interview members). At that place are 3 components:
1. Who Yous Are
Your start sentence should be an introduction to who you lot are professionally, an overview statement that shows off your strengths and gives a niggling sense of your personality too. This is not easy to do gracefully on the wing. It pays to prepare a fleck in accelerate.
Tell Me Nearly Yourself Example: Good
"I'k an innovative HR director with 8 years of experience managing all aspects of the HR part — from recruiting to grooming to benefits — for Fortune 500 companies."
Concisely summarizes diverse background.
Tell Me About Yourself Example: Bad
Bad: "Well, I grew up in Cincinnati. Equally a child, I originally wanted to be a fireman, then later became interested in dinosaurs. I excelled in the sciences from early, placing first in my fourth-grade science fair. Funny story about that…"
Mode too much information.
2. Expertise Highlights
Don't assume that the interviewer has closely read your resume and knows your qualifications. Use your elevator pitch to briefly highlight 2-4 points that you think make you stand out.
Tell Me About Yourself Case: Good
"I have spent the terminal six years developing my skills equally a customer service manager for Megacompany Inc., where I have won several performance awards and been promoted twice. I love managing teams and solving customer problems."
The emphasis here is on experience, enthusiasm, and proof of operation.
Tell Me About Yourself Example: Bad
"My first job was every bit an administrative assistant for Macy's in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I learned a keen deal in that role that served me well over the next 12 years. At the time, I wasn't sure about my career path, so I side by side took a position selling real estate. It only lasted for six months, but I sure enjoyed it."
Zzzzzzz. Nobody cares about your first chore 12 years ago. You lot are starting with the least impressive part of your career and the interviewer is likely to melody out before you become to the adept stuff.
3. Why You lot're Here
End by telling them you want the position and why.
Tell Me Near Yourself Case: Adept
"Although I love my current role, I experience I'm at present ready for a more challenging assignment and this position really excites me."
Curtailed and positive.
Tell Me About Yourself Example: Bad
"Because of the company'southward fiscal problems and my boss's issues, I'm worried virtually my task's stability and decided to commencement looking for new opportunities."
Don't be too aboveboard or you risk coming across every bit negative. This answer also makes it seem like you're interested in a task, whatever job — not this chore in item.
Remember: You will have time later on to walk through your resume in more detail and fill in any gaps. Don't effort to squeeze in also much information or your interviewer Will showtime to tune out.
A good interview is a dialogue, non a monologue. Continue information technology concise and requite your interviewer the chance to dive in and enquire questions.
Practicing your reply over and over will be the key to success, so break out the mirror and a stopwatch, or go the total reward of the interactive practice tool inside our Big Interview training system.
Example Answers for "Tell Me Nearly Yourself"
"I've been working in marketing for the last ii years since graduating from Cornell and I love information technology.
I'thousand currently working as a marketing coordinator at a fashion due east-commerce startup.
I'g responsible for our social media marketing presence and too work closely with our marketing manager on running our marketing events, which is a lot of fun.
Previously, I spent a twelvemonth as an banana in the Global Marketing squad at American Express.
That was a great feel.
I supported two VPs in the group, managed their calendars, handled expense reports, and made sure everything in the function ran smoothly.
I loved how every 24-hour interval was a fleck different and I got to work with keen people who had a lot to teach me virtually marketing.
I also volunteered to work on some creative projects outside of my role because I realized how much I loved the creative side of marketing and wanted to get some experience.
I helped coordinate a few large client marketing events and worked on copy for a few e-mail newsletter campaigns.
Unfortunately, due to a reorganization of the squad, my position was eliminated and that'south when I was recruited for my current position.
Although I like my job, at this stage of my career, I realized I need to find a company where I encounter a long-term career path and I think this position would be a great fit with my skills and goals."
Notice that the offset line sums up her experience and name drops "top Wall Street companies." It's always good to mention loftier-contour employers by name. Most hiring managers will perk up because they assume that if you lot made it through the hiring process at other well-respected companies, you must exist pretty good.
She then describes an impressive contempo projection that nosotros can assume is very relevant to the piece of work required in the open position. Next, she spends time talking about why she's interested in this visitor/part, using the terms fast-paced, creative, problem-solving, and innovative. This is neat if those words are used in the task description and/or visitor values.
With this answer, the candidate is leading with some of her meridian-selling points — feel at peak firms, recognized stellar operation (award), technical expertise, trouble-solving skills, etc. This will help him grab the interviewer'south attention and make a strong first impression.
Information technology bears repeating that a strong first impression is critical in a job interview state of affairs. Start the interview strong and end information technology strong and you might even get away with flubbing a few questions in the center.
Here's a sample for a candidate going through a career alter:
Here's a sample for a candidate interviewing for a food service or hospitality position:
Here's some other sample specifically for new grads (aka "freshers" in other parts of the earth).
Craft Your Pitch
Now that y'all know how to arroyo it, I have a feeling that yous'll learn to love hearing the "Tell me well-nigh yourself" question.
Within Big Interview
Our complete training system for job interviews gives you lot video lessons, sample answers, and an interactive do tool for all of these different versions of "Tell me nigh yourself"
Get Started
Take a few moments at present to sit downward and plan how yous will reply in your next interview. This practise and approach will even assistance you write better cover letters.
Then, read more about my flagship training system Big Interview. If you take an interview coming upwardly (or if your fingers are crossed!), there's a lot more to fix for later on introducing yourself and your groundwork. Big Interview combines a complete video course on interviewing taught by myself with a powerful Mock Interview Do tool that will get you ready and confident for the real matter. It covers thousands of different task roles and industries, from entry-level to C suite. Click here to give it a try.
Source: https://resources.biginterview.com/interview-questions-answers/tell-me-about-yourself/
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