Question: Tell me about yourself.

TRAPS: Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.

BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.

So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or goal.

To do so, make you take these two steps:
Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this person's wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company)

As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of what the position entails. You might say: “I have a number of accomplishments I'd like to tell you about, but I want to make the best use of our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, that, could you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position? All I know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.)”

Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second or third question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking for.

You might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything else you see as essential to success in this position?:

This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to answer questions, but only if you uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers make the most sense. Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers, the process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you're competing with.

After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job bear striking parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.

8 comments:

  1. The question is lame, outdated and tells me that the interviewer is lazy, and has no clue how to conduct an interview when asking a canned question such as this.
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  2. Yes. This is exactly right. The interviewer often falls into the trap of telling their life's story. Don't, Don't, Don't do that. Turn the interview around and start asking questions and get specifics. Don't guess about what they want to hear. If you did all the talking in your interview your just bombed out. And by the way, this question does still get asked because most interviewers are lazy.
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  3. Hold up. This might not always be the best approach.

    Answering a question with a question is a very risky approach. Most interviewers are looking for a straight-up answer and are smart enough to realize spin.

    I'd suggest preparing for such a question (it will come up in some form) by reviewing, in advance, the sequence of your resume to ensure that it shows a clear progression to making you the right person for the job. You should know the environment, internally and externally, well enough to fill in holes in the job requirements with your unique skills and talents.

    Being presented with this open-ended question is your chance to show them your plan to make things happen. In the end, you must both:

    - Help them solidify why they needed to post the position in the first place
    - Make it clear that you have a plan to make it happen

    By answering the question with a question, you are showing that you are not a self-starter, direct communicator, and, perhaps, give the impression that you need close supervision.
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  4. This is a great hook question and one that if you are prepared for you can really use to identify your value to the company and the position you are interviewing for.

    BY focusing on the following three areas you can create your own value proposition and finish it with the results that the employer will get from you when they hire you:

    Business Drivers – Determine the primary business reasons why the employer would need your talents and skills you are offering. This is all that the interviewer should be concerned about.

    Movement – An employer won’t be interested in you unless you can show them your experience, talent, and skills, will bring results better than other candidates and their current status quo.

    Metrics – Adding accurate and specific metrics to what you say you will do for their company makes your value proposition even stronger and more believable.

    Shawn ClarkWilt
    http://shawnclarkwilt.net/blog
    Expert Advice on Resumes, Interviewing, Networking, and more
    ReplyDelete
  5. I think this is one of the funniest question from the interviewer point opf view
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  6. I have read a lot of books on techniques and questions within interviews.

    What surprises me is that one needs a book to understand questions in a native language.

    Questions such as these play a very different language game from day to day life. If asked this somewhere else, say in a bar or meeting a new friend you would convey the life story [maybe].

    Why isn't this question: "You've a lot of experience / background/ interest in this role. How do you think you're best for this role and why?"

    Would direct questions such as this be more effective for both parties? At least interviewees would understand that the employer is not wasting their time and has a fair crack at the whip.
    ReplyDelete
  7. according to my experience at interviews , this question
    can ease a candidate a bit and at the same time is very critical because some freshers fall into this trap and describe everything related to past.

    so keep it simple,compact and small.

    just answer :
    1.your name
    2.your recent qualification with gpa(grade point average).
    3.work experience , if freshers your areas of strength .
    4.remember the most important , you must try to fit your skills by knowing about the company's requirements,mission statements.

    another deadly qn- what is your greatest weaknees ?
    answer something irrevant to your job requirements.
    ReplyDelete
  8. Suggest you use this open ended question to highlight your personal brand and then follow up with a question to the interviewer to be certain you covered what they wanted. In the mean time they will have heard your keywords and differentiating points.
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