The time I made a MISTAKE.

The time I made a MISTAKE.

Hey friend,

How was your weekend? I’m still on cloud nine after attending a huge conference for job search coaches last week.

I hope your week is going well, but if not… I have a story for you.

One time, when I was just starting to post interview tips to social media, I made a video about how to answer “tell me about yourself.”

In this video, I shared a 4-step approach for how to summarize your professional journey in a way that is compelling, without full-on reading your resume.

The video went MEGA viral - it has 2.5 million views to this day.

Most people commenting found it really helpful. BUT there were also a decent amount of comments from people (hiring managers included) that disagreed with my approach, saying that it’s important to go beyond work and get a glimpse into the candidates’ personality, as well.

I’ll be honest, that really made me think. For a moment, I started to doubt myself.

But the truth is, there isn’t one right way to answer this question. At the end of the day, interviews are about communication, and communication is more art than science. It’s not about teaching rules, but rather sharing best practices.

That being said, I pride myself in having a growth mindset. So when I realized there’s an opportunity to improve my approach, I took it.

After that, I started including a fifth step any time I teach this answer: share a fun insight into your personal life! (You can check out my in-depth approach to "tell me about yourself" in this article ).


Why am I telling you this today?

Well, because nobody’s perfect. Sometimes we tell a story, but forget an important detail. Sometimes we simply realize there’s a better way to do things.

So I thought I’d send over a little encouragement today, in case you need it.

Mistakes don’t always have to be setbacks. They can be learning opportunities, too.


-Tali (Certified Interview Coach, Mindset Nerd)


PS: I’ll be out of office this Friday 5/10 - Tuesday 5/14. If you’ve been thinking about working with me to improve your interview performance and want to get on my coaching calendar in the next few weeks, be sure to book your free consultation ASAP.

Veronica Boreland CPCC, CRC, CPRW, CDCS, MBTI Certified

Owner | Certified Professional Career Coach, Certified Professional Résumé Writer

10 个月

Agreed Tali Shlafer, CIC. #thrive2024 was so energizing. As the saying goes "it is not a mistake if we learn from it" and there is so much to learn. So being open to listening and learning is always a plus.

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