The Secret Behind: “Tell Me About Yourself”

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The Secret Behind: “Tell Me About Yourself”

It's one of the most frequently asked interview questions. Your response will set the tone for the rest of the interview—no pressure! This question can be paralyzing, leaving you wondering what the interviewer really wants to know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6dNQtmV8XY

Here's a little secret: When an interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself," he or she really wants to know how your experience is pertinent to the job you're interviewing for.

And that’s not all: Interviewers also ask this question to evaluate how confident interviewees are, which in turn gives them a view of how new hires might present themselves to customers, clients and colleagues if they get the job.

KEEP IT SHORT

You're not the only person in the world who would be interviewed. So keep it short and make sure you cover all the necessary points.
Explain how the abilities and knowledge you gained can be leveraged to successfully satisfy the position’s requirements
Refer to extracurricular activities in which you gained leadership skills. Expand on major projects that you worked on. Mention achievements that relate to the position you are applying for.
If you’re a recent graduate: Start with the fact that you just graduated, and explain why you chose this career path or field of area of study.

HIGHLIGHT IMPRESSIVE EXPERIENCE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

As you tell your career story, explain key accomplishments you’ve achieved, work you’ve done, skills you’ve learned, and key career moves you’ve made.
Were you promoted? That’s always a great sign and worth mentioning.
Did you accomplish something significant like solving a big problem for your last employer? That’s great to mention, too.

KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL

In keeping with the notion that this question carries an invisible addendum—“as it’s relevant to this role and company”—you’re best off keeping your answer professional.
You don’t have to go into a huge amount of detail, but if your goal in an interview is to stand out among the applicant pool and be memorable, then infusing this answer with some passion can help you do that.

PRACTICE, BUT DON’T MEMORIZE

You’re bound to hear “tell me about yourself” on just about every interview. So, all you have to do is practice your answer a bit! You don’t want to wait until you get this question in a live interview to try out your answer for the first time.
Think through what you want to convey about yourself ahead of each interview and practice saying it out loud.
Practice will surely make your answer stronger and help you become more confident giving it.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR ANSWER BE?

Your answer to "tell me about yourself" should go on for no more than a couple minutes — written out, the statement will be several sentences.
Don't go past 2 or 2.5 minutes. It's hard to listen to someone for that long, so your interviewer may get bored.
Reciting your story from rote memory isn’t necessary, but you should know the starting and ending statement for each experience you want to discuss in order to stay on track.

About Author:

Ruchika Tiwari

Writer-Industries Helping Hands