How To Answer The Question “Tell Me About Yourself”

I know… I know… this question sucks. And you’re probably tired of hearing it in your interviews but it’s not going anywhere anytime soon!

Most people mistake this question for: Tell Me Your Life Story.

But that’s not what recruiters are really looking for. They don’t care about your family upbringing, all the different schools you attended and various jobs you had. They also don’t want to hear that you are “hard working” and “good under pressure.”

What the real question they are asking is: WHY ARE YOU A GOOD FIT FOR THIS SPECIFIC JOB I AM RECRUITING FOR?

And instead of being told all of your qualities, they want to see it in your stories!

This is how I encourage my clients to answer this question and all the rest that follow:

? Hook

? Go into the details?

? And wrap up!

The most important part is the HOOK and you can use these suggestions to start:

“I’ve always been known as the …”

“I’m at my best when …”

“If I had to sum up my career, I’d say…”

Now that you’ve gotten them interested in what you have to say, then it’s time to shift your focus into the RELEVANT DETAILS of why you’d be a great fit!

This is where you want to highlight your most recent experience and a big win you’ve had there that showcases your capabilities. It’s less about just listing all skills you learned and utilized but more about the story in how you tell it.

Who did you work with? What was the challenge? What was your specific role? How did you solve the problem? What did you learn moving forward?

All of these are amazing details that you do not want to exclude.

And then finally is the WRAP UP.

The best closing remarks are ones that reiterate your interest in this opportunity and further explains why you are a great FIT for this role. Bonus points if you can include a few elements from the job description in here as well!

So keep this in mind in your next interview for the classic “Tell Me About Yourself” q:

?? Don't ramble about your entire life story. Focus on your relevant experiences & skills, and keep it conversational and energy high!?

?? Craft your answer like a good story — start with a compelling hook, dive into relevant details, and then wrap it up with a genuine interest in the role

?? Remember to think from the recruiter’s shoes: what kind of candidate are they looking for? And embody those elements in your answer.

For a real life example, check out our YouTube video below! Hit subscribe for more career tips and good luck with your interview!

How We Build Culture

Before Workhap, I used to be the Talent Development Lead for a unicorn tech startup in Asia and my job was to build culture for our organization.?

There was so much that I learned from my time working with Simon Sinek and from reading many different management books but nothing can really teach you about culture besides experience and lots & lots of trial and error.

One of the most important lessons that I learned came from my own failures as a manager and that is:

If you don’t know what your culture and what your organization stands for… your team won’t know either.

We can talk all day about putting people first, giving autonomy and freedom, and rewarding people for their hard work but none of it matters if you don’t actually put it into practice.

I am still learning how to be a better manager everyday but one thing is for sure… I have the most amazing team that a Career Coach can ask for.

They are fun. They are smart. They are proactive. And above all, they REALLY CARE about me, our clients, and the work we do.

If you have ever worked with our Workhap team, just know that these are the faces that do so much behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly.

P.S. If you are looking to work with us, we will be relaunching our signature job search program GET HIRED ACADEMY in a few weeks. Get on the waitlist here to secure your spot: workhap.com/gha

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?? Up Next: Resume Mistakes You Shouldn't Make in 2023

Your resume is the #1 most important document when it comes to your job search. It’s often the make-or-break reason of you getting an interview for that target role you got your eyes set on!

So if you have been submitting your resume to a few places and only hearing crickets… there’s probably something that can be changed for the better.

In our upcoming article in our blog, we'll reveal the top resume mistakes you should avoid in 2023. Think of it as your go-to resume guide, here to help you get that much closer to your ideal career.

P.S. Our LinkedIn Learning Course was selected to be featured in LinkedIn’s 2023 Guide to Kickstarting Your Career and is now free to watch for the month! You can watch it here for free for a limited time only!

P.P.S. If you want to work with me to build a winning resume, you can enroll in Blueprint: Winning Resume and have me by your side! ??

Ready to have a WINNING RESUME? Let's get started!

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