Tell Me About Yourself [ 6 Tricks to give the Best Answer ]

How To Give A STELLAR Response To The Most Common Interview Question!

When meeting someone new, you have only a few SECONDS to make a first impression, and if it’s not favorable, you can spend ETERNITY trying to fix it with no success.

Whether it’s in a job interview, a first date, or even a casual conversation with someone you’ve recently met… One of the most common inquiries is “Tell me more about yourself.” Or any of its variations.

Like “Walk me through your background.” Or “How would you describe yourself?”

This is an AMAZING opportunity to express yourself and show the person who you REALLY are. But if you’re ill-prepared, things might just take a wrong turn.

In this Article through a series of tips- we’ll hand you the insight of TOP recruiters on a silver plate, and tell you exactly what you need to do in order to give a STELLAR response. Although we’ll primarily focus on the business aspect, you can apply these tips in almost ANY situation in which you need to introduce yourself to someone new and leave them with a SUPERB first impression of you.

TIP #1 : What to AVOID while giving your response.

While some things you might naturally say may not be considered very strong and would waste a few seconds of your precious interview time, some others can seal the fate of the interview altogether without you EVEN KNOWING IT.

1.    For example, avoid mentioning irrelevant personal information at all costs! That includes marital status, children, political or religious affiliations, and all the likes.

These are EXTREMELY sensitive topics and can take the entire interview in a direction you wouldn’t like.

And those details aren’t a factor for the employer in determining whether you can do the job anyhow.

2.    DO NOT summarize your resume word for word. They’ve already read it, that’s why you got the interview. Only mention strong points that are in your favor, and provide more detail on topics you’d like further discussed.

3.    Don’t rush conversations about what YOU’RE looking for in the role or how the company can benefit you, and NEVER discuss your salary expectations early on!

These are conversations to be had in THE END of the interview when the employer is already sold on you as a candidate and you have more leverage!

4.    Avoid meaningless clichés to describe yourself, like saying you’re a “really hard-worker” or you’re a “people person”

Remember, most interviews are less than ONE HOUR, so try your best to avoid wasting a precious few minutes on one of these unnecessary or unfavorable discussions!

TIP #2: Understand the REAL reason behind the question.

Most interviewers begin with “Tell me more about yourself” or “Tell me something that’s not on your resume” to begin the interview in a friendly way and not stress you out.

They KNOW you’re nervous. They KNOW you would REALLY like to have the job.

So instead of getting into the technicalities immediately, they begin with a simple question you’re likely to hear OUTSIDE the interview in order to make you feel natural and comfortable.

Moreover, they’re likely to set the tone and direction of the ENTIRE interview based on your response, asking you to dive into further details about things you’ve already said.

And finally, they’d like to see a sample of your soft skills in a real-life situation. Remember, any job in the world doesn’t depend ONLY on your technical skills. You’re most likely going to communicate with MANY people like your colleagues or boss, and the interviewer would simply like to see HOW you communicate, and whether you’re going to fit into the company’s culture.

Now that you know what’s going on inside the interviewer’s mind when they ask you that type of question, it’s no longer ambiguous and you don’t need to fear it.

And you can tailor your answer in order to give them EXACTLY what they want to hear, and take the interview in the direction where you’re most comfortable.

TIP #3: BE WELL-PREPARED!

Your interview begins in the morning when you’re getting dressed up.

Make sure you have a decent breakfast, wear something comfortable and elegant, and have a nice perfume on. That’s not really for the interviewer, but for YOURSELF. If you FEEL confident, you’ll SOUND confident.

It’s not really about WHAT you say as much as it’s about HOW you say it.

If you word the EXACT PERFECT words the interviewer wants to hear, but you say them with a shaky tone, sweaty palms, and poor eye contact, chances are it won’t have a good effect.

Get into the interview with the mindset of “I really want this job, but IT’S OKAY if I don’t get it.”

This will ease the tension and make you feel more in control.

Finally, take a look at the resume you’ve submitted to make sure everything you say is consistent with it.

And REMEMBER, you’re among the FEW who were invited to an interview among the HUNDREDS, maybe THOUSANDS of applicants who submitted their CVs, which means the company KNOWS you have something valuable to offer. ACT LIKE IT!

TIP #4 : PRACTICE!

Do it in the mirror or in front of your friends or siblings.

One of the purposes of the open-end questions is know how ORGANIZED you are in your way of thinking.

If your answer is quite impressive but it’s all over the place, chances are you will lose the interviewer in the middle and they’ll have no idea what you’re talking about!

Don’t give too short answers, saying your name, education and experience in a few seconds.

But also don’t go on a 10-minute MONOLOGUE!

Aim for somewhere around 2 minutes.

If you’re unsure how to construct a response, go for the “past-present-future” formula.

Start with your educational background and how you got into what you’re doing, then talk briefly about your current position, and end with your vision and goals for the near and distant future.

It paints a neat, clear picture of who you are and ends the response with a high note.

If you can weave in how this particular job will help you achieve the vision you have of your future, that would be a HUGE plus!

Practice a few times, but do NOT memorize. If you’re reciting a response word for word, the interviewer will IMMEDIATELY notice and it’ll decrease your chances of getting the job, it needs to be 100% AUTHENTIC!

TIP #5: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!

A generic answer isn’t always the most effective.

Try your best to know who your interviewer is beforehand.

If they’re only a recruiter, decent soft-skills and a basic understanding of the job’s technical requirements will be just enough.

But if they’re the chief engineer of the team you’ll be working with, for example, then you need to impress them with your OUTSTANDING technical abilities.

If they’re on the managing board or one of the owners, talking about the broader picture and the vision of the entire company will do you best.

Overall make sure you do your research on the company and the interviewer, and tailor your response so that it fits the role you’re applying for and is suitable to the interviewer’s position. It’ll ABSOLUTELY give you an edge over the other applicants!

TIP #6: BE PASSIONATE!

Yes, you’re applying to a job and your answer needs to be professional.

But if you’re REALLY passionate about what you’re doing, if you consider it to be your life goal or your ultimate craft, not just a means of making a living, don’t be afraid to show it!

Don’t worry about sounding like you want the job too badly, after all you do want it! But don’t seem desperate by making it out like your life is going to end if you don’t get it.

Remember the proper mindset you want to convey in your response “I really want this job, but IT’S OKAY if I don’t get it.”

Even if it requires you to give out some personal information, telling your story from a passionate perspective will help you stand out from the applicants’ pool and make your response memorable

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