How to answer "Tell me about yourself" in a job interview?

This open-ended question is one of the most frequently asked questions during a job interview. Most of the time, the job seekers do not take this question seriously thinking that it is just an icebreaker to start the conversation and end up leaving a negative impression on the interviewers. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the idea behind this question and the correct structure to answer this in a way that imputes a good impression on the interviewer. Before we start structuring the response, we need to understand the motive behind this question.

Why do interviewers ask this question?

The interviewers usually start the interview with this open-ended question as it gives them the ability to break the ice and ease into the conversation while setting the appropriate tone for the rest of the interview. The question can sometimes baffle the job seekers as it suddenly puts them under the spot, which is also a window of opportunity to test the confidence of the candidates and see how well can they perform under pressure. This gives the interviewers insight into how the candidates can present themselves and the company in front of the clients, customers or colleagues if they become a part of the organization. The way the job seekers respond to this question also helps the interviewers understand what character and mood the candidates might bring with them to the office.

Commonly, candidates start talking about their life stories with too many personal details while answering this question which might be okay when introducing oneself to new people apart from the professional life, but it is considered a red flag for the panel during an interview and may ruin the candidate's chances to get selected for the position they are appearing for.

Through this question, the employers want to see if the candidates can pitch themselves while presenting who they are, what they can do, and how can they be an asset to the company if they are selected. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the job seekers to accentuate their skills sets and expertise that make them the ideal candidate for the job.

Now that we understand the motive behind this open-ended question, let us start framing the response. Follow these easy and efficient steps to increase the chances of getting hired.

How to answer in 4 simple steps?

The candidate needs to research the company and get acquainted with the job profile they have applied for before the interview to frame the response accordingly. The candidate gets to learn and analyze the company’s history, clients, values and the industry as a whole during this process. This allows them to better align themselves with the company and boosts the candidate’s confidence during the interview. Moreover, this demonstrates the preparation and enthusiasm of the candidates which might accelerate their chances of getting hired.

The four simple steps to keep in mind while answering this question are:

1. Start with the current or most recent position. The candidate must always start by explaining their current or most recent job detailing their title and responsibilities in the most relevant manner. This is the candidate's opportunity to demonstrate how they are a perfect fit for the applied position. Talking about their career path including their education and other relevant work experience can be fruitful.
2. Explain the job role and what solution are they providing to the company’s problems. The candidate must epitomize how they make a difference in their current position by sharing more about their job roles and responsibilities. Exemplify what innovative and creative solutions were they able to provide for the organization to tackle the issues or problems they have been facing. Share any major or minor achievements in the professional life and try to quantify them in terms of time, money or people.
3. Highlight the skillset and experiences. Make sure to highlight all the relevant skills, abilities, strengths and areas of expertise. The aspirants should also include a few past experiences and strengths pertinent to their profession. Soft skills are as valuable as hard skills and mentioning all the soft skills that they exhibit can also be helpful as it demonstrates the team player spirit.
4. Outline future plans and how they align with this job application. Employers need to understand how the candidate's career goals align with that of the organization. The candidates must include their expectations and where they want to see themselves in the future and how this job title falls into their career path. Follow with the reasons they are applying for the job, focusing on career-related motivations such as the desire to build their experience and ability to take on added responsibilities. This illustrates the candidate’s passion and the ability for proactive future planning.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind while framing an answer to this question:

Below are some do’s and don’ts that the candidates need to keep in mind to stand out from the other applicants:

Do's

Narrate a story:

Use this opportunity to uplift your resume into a memorable and impactful story that encloses all your prior achievements, strengths and experiences that are pertinent to the job title. Talk about how all your life experiences have led you to this job role.

Mention your strengths and expertise:

Find a suitable way to incorporate your areas of strengths and expertise into the response and try and back it up with appropriate examples that justify your response.

Sum up achievements:

Make sure to emphasize the most on the unforgettable achievements in your professional life while you are summing up the achievements to stand out. Creating a brief extract of your professional journey and enclosing it in a small response can be a little tricky sometimes as there might be too much information to condense.

Highlight why you stand out:

Market yourself in front of the employers. Do not forget to exemplify how you are different from other applicants. Present your uniqueness as a professional as well as a team player.

Stay optimistic:

Join the interview with a positive mindset. Do not be nervous or intimidated by the interviewer.

Refrain from controversial topics:

The candidates should refrain from controversial topics like politics, religion or money. Such topics can be off-putting for the interviewers. The remuneration should only be discussed after getting the job offer.

Structure the response:

It is vital to structure your response to avoid the haphazard representation of your work and abilities. It is best to follow the past, present, future order or the present, past, future order. Although, the present, past, and future order would be more appropriate. Begin by talking about the current role as it may be the most relevant piece of experience and likely to be the most high-ranking qualification in your professional journey.

Don’ts

Summarize your resume:

Some job seekers simply summarize their resume, going point-by-point through their work experience and education history. Make sure that you are not one of those job seekers.

Discuss your dissatisfaction with your current job:

It is not encouraged to talk about your dissatisfaction with the current job as it doesn’t demonstrate a positive attitude.

Recite your answers:

Make sure that the response doesn't sound like it is being recited from the resume. Offer new insights to stand out. Expand on all those experiences mentioned in your resume. Indulge in storytelling to make a good impression.

Share too many personal stories:

It is recommended to keep things strictly professional in the early stages of the interview process. Many job candidates make the mistake of talking about their personal lives when this question prompts up. Some even launch into their life story, starting with their hometown and continuing through their college graduation.

Speak for too long:

When people get nervous, they often tend to go completely silent or start rambling on without any direction not knowing when to stop. Therefore, it is important to keep a check on the length of your response and practice before the interview to make sure you stay on topic.

Forget to use keywords:

It is advantageous if you extract the keywords from the job description and disseminate them well into your answer. This demonstrates that not only have you read the advert thoroughly but also that you are well aware of the roles and responsibilities you would be undertaking.

Get carried away from the main points:

Make sure that you do not get carried away once you start speaking. It is crucial to stay on point as the response is required to be brief and it is fairly difficult to accommodate all your experiences and skillsets in that limited time frame.

Practice:

Lastly, it bodes well for the job aspirants if they demonstrate their confident personality throughout the interview. Moreover, the candidates need to utilize this window of opportunity to focus on what they have to offer and a little preparation before the interview might help. Practising well before the interview will help the candidates gain confidence about what they want to emphasize during the interview. The candidate should prepare the answer beforehand in a way that does not seem memorized to stay on track. The response must sound natural. The more efficiently the candidate can talk about themselves, the more likely they are to be hired. 

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