Tell Me About Yourself: Tackle Your Interview Question From a Position of Power.

Tell Me About Yourself.

Many job candidates approach this question with fear of what to say. Some approach it by telling their life stories from the day they were born. Others, make up an answer on the spot and talk about work, school, jobs, hobbies, and so on in a disconnected manner. The problem is that each of these answers says everything and nothing about you. Providing answers like these have the potential of doing more harm than good because they leave the recruiter confused.

There is a better way to approach this interview question and it starts by asking yourself the following question.

"How can I describe my education, skills, and experiences in a way that will make it easy for the company to recognize that I would make a great addition to its team? "

Let's find out.

1. Description--- Who you are
2. Values & Beliefs- What you believe
3. Skills- What you have achieved and how that relates to your work or the position you are applying to.

This process will help you craft a powerful answer and give you the confidence to tackle all other interview questions. But before we even dive into the writing why don't we first do some detective work.

Find out as much as you can about the company you are interviewing with, its reason for being, the company history, its mission, employee morale, company culture, etc. Once you know this, you’ll know which parts of your personality and skills match the position.

• What qualities is the company looking for in a job candidate?
• What tools do you need to know to qualify for this position?
• What skills do you need to have to qualify for this position?

Start by looking at the job description.

Let's take what we found out about the job description above to help us describe ourselves in a way that matches what the company seeks in a job candidate. The job description mentions, motivated candidate, experience in data analytics, part of a growing company, challenging projects, ability to think outside the box.

Next, write a description of yourself.

Here is mine:

Don't worry. I'll take you step-by-step on how to do this for yourself

I’m a flexible and resourceful person who digs deeply into a situation before making a decision. I’m not easily swayed by groupthink or what's hot. And as someone who understands the value of hard work, I'm always looking for ways to improve my skills and qualifications, so that I can achieve the goals I set for myself.

In this description of myself as a candidate for "X" position, I chose to exalt the qualities that make me the perfect candidate for the position.

Notice how I used adjectives such as, flexible, resourceful, independent thinker not swayed by groupthink, and always improving skills and qualifications.

Here is how you can write your own description.

How you can best describe yourself to someone who doesn't know anything about you? Simple. Use the words, phrases, and details about you that best explain the person you are. Focus on the overarching values and the motivation that drives your actions in life. In the above example, I chose to say that I'm flexible, trustworthy, reliable, hardworking, determined, inquisitive, and love to learn new things and that I believe that learning is the foundation for success in life.

Your turn

Next. Focus on your values. What values or beliefs about life drive your actions?

Write down your beliefs about life, and work. What makes you thick as a person, and how, do those beliefs and values relate to the work you want to do.

Example: The best way to approach life is with respect for the opinions of others, and not to judge people without knowing them. The best way to acquire knowledge is to approach life with an open mind.

Here's what I came up with.

By trial and error, I've learned that we learn best when we approach life with a humble attitude. That’s why I respect the views and suggestions of others and keep an open mind whenever possible. I believe that success is intrinsically connected with determination and that luck has little to do with it. I’m convinced that only through hard work and perseverance do we succeed in life.

Do you see how my values and opinions translate to teamwork, hard work, and working independently?

Write about your values and beliefs.

Finally, write about your education or professional development. Make sure to write your soft skills, such as communication, listening, and teamwork, etc. Talk about your schooling and what you have learned because of it. Name a few personal qualities that make you unique in the eyes of the interviewer. Don’t be shy about advertising your best qualities and talk about them with honesty. Appearing confident in your answer plays a big part in winning over your interviewer.

Example: I consider myself a good listener. But I didn't start out being one. I had to learn many lessons before I became a good communicator. Whenever I knew that I was messing up, I always went back (in my mind) to one of my favorite classes in college to remind myself that, "I'm not the center of the universe." Communication is powerful and can be used to build bridges. This passion for communication is what drove me to study rhetoric, politics, and journalism in school.

Here's what I came up with.

I have above average communication skills, and prefer to listen more than I talk. To someone who doesn’t understand communication, this might look like the qualities of an insecure person, but having studied journalism and politics in school I understand the foundations of effective communication to build teamwork, and foster respect.

Full answer

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF.

I’m a flexible and resourceful person who digs deeply into a problem or situation before making a decision. I’m not easily swayed by the latest trends, what’s hot, or groupthink. And as someone who understands the value of hard work, I'm always looking for ways to improve my skills and qualifications so that I can achieve the goals I set for myself.

By trial and error, I've learned that we learn best when we approach life with an open mind and a humble attitude. That’s why I respect the views and suggestions of others. I believe that success is intrinsically connected with determination and action and that luck has little to do with it. Lastly, I’m convinced that only through hard work and perseverance do we succeed in life.

I have above-average communication skills and prefer to listen more than I talk. To someone who doesn’t understand communication, this might look like the qualities of an insecure person, but having studied journalism and politics in school I understand the foundations of the type of communication that builds teamwork and fosters respect.

Now it's your turn. Good luck.