“TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?”

So, you’ve finally secured an interview for a role… first up – congratulations!

You’ve researched the company, you’ve read up on their competitors, you feel like you know the role and you really want this job. You sit down, ready to impress by sharing all your knowledge and the first question they drop is: “Tell us about yourself…”

Your head goes blank, to the point where you couldn’t even tell the employer your birthday.

The point of this question is for the employer to get to know more about you than what’s on your CV, and also, to see if you have the ability to “sell” yourself. They want you to convince them that you’re the right person for the role.

This is probably the most common interview question. It’s one you can expect and one you should prepare for. You don’t need to overshare or try to force an answer - take a pause, take a breath and consider a few key points show you’re the right fit… you’ve got this.

PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW:

• Go through the job spec and take a note of the skills most vital to the job
• Note down your top 3 personable skills
• Note down your top 3 professional skills
• Think about your career progression and where you’d like to go

Once you have an idea of what you can bring to the table, prepare your elevator pitch and tailor it to the specific position you are interviewing for. Use it to your advantage and show the employer that you're prepared, and that your personality and goals align with their company. See here?for how to answer the question, “What Are Your Long Term Career Goals?”.

HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR ANSWER

First things first - timing. Consider and mentally note what you would say in approximately 3 minutes. You don’t need to ramble on and explain your entire life story, but you also don’t need to keep it super short where you feel like you’d be missing the important stuff.

1. Start with where you are now as a professional
2. Briefly explain your professional journey and educational basis that helped you get to this point
3. Focus on all your relevant experience and skills that make you a great fit for this position
4. Move on to the future, mention where you are heading and what your ambitions are
5. Then top it all off with who you are as a person and why you’d be a good addition to the team

- Written by Shannon Matthews