HOW TO ANSWER "TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF"?

HOW TO ANSWER "TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF"?

      

                     What is the interviewer trying to achieve by asking you to “tell me about yourself”? Well, for the interviewer, it’s an easy and open-ended way to start the conversation.

                     His ultimate goal for this interview is to find out enough about you to decide if you’re a good fit for the job opening that he is being paid to fill. In most cases, he wants to like you. His life will be easier if he can find a great candidate quickly. However, he is also on guard because a bad hire will reflect poorly on his judgment and possibly be a mark against him when it comes time to ask for a raise or promotion or bonus.

                    He is hoping that this question will get you talking. This question is almost always asked first, perhaps right after some chit chat about traffic and the weather. As a result, his first impression of you will be all about your answer to this question. Your answer here will also set the tone for the interview and let you lead with your strongest selling points.

THE QUESTION IS

·         Tell me about yourself

·         Tell us a little about yourself

·         Tell something about yourself

·         Say something about yourself

·         What would you like me to know about you

BUT WHAT THEY ARE REALLY ASKING

·         Tell me about yourself as a professional

·         What do you think is important for the job

·         How are you going to fit in with the company and provide value

·         Can you answer an unstructured question on the fly

It’s a good idea to prepare an answer, that’s because the entire interview is about answering this question.

Preparation will also stop you from listing hobbies.

The HR will leave some interview questions vague on purpose. That’s because the HR wants to see how you answer the question. She’s less interested in what you say.

When he or she says tell me about yourself, what do you decide to share? What do you find important to tell your future employer about yourself?

What’s important – the company’s needs or yours?

·         Do you answer with personal information or professional

·         Are you aware of  what position on offer requires

·         Do you know what the company does and values

What type of thinker and worker are you?

·         Do you repeat information off your resume word for word

·         Do you recite something practiced like a robot

·         Do you think on your feet or do you ask for clarification

What initial impression do you make on other people?

·         Are you articulate and confident

·         Are you flabbergasted and confused

·         What kind of first impression do you make

What are your greatest achievements?

·         Have you ever accomplished anything at work that you can illustrate with numbers?

·         Can you think of accomplishments that demonstrate how well you use a skill?

·         Was there a time when your boss praised you?

·         Did you ever win an award or received a promotion?

If you have little or on work experience, you can take examples and success stories from anywhere.

Are you a student or fresh graduate? Your achievements can include success stories from your extracurricular activities. You can also talk about awards and honors you received at school.

You can also talk about your achievements at the jobs you held in different industries.

Once you have a master list of your achievements, go back and take a long look at your job description. Underline all the skills and requirements listed. Where do you exceed the requirements?

All the best……………

Posted in: interview questions,top 5 frequently asked interview question