A narrative about a common opening interview question
You get the long-awaited call from the recruiter. Finally, you think. You set up the interview. The day of the appointment arrives. Hopped up on coffee, you locate the building. Inside the office, you shake hands with your interviewer, hoping you don’t get points deducted for sweaty palms. You’re seated now, back straight, presenting a facsimile of your personality.
Then, The Interviewer recites, “So, tell me about yourself.”
You’ve done some research, so you know that the last thing The Interviewer wants to know is your life story. The Interviewer doesn’t truly care about you now because The Interviewer has another interview set up with candidate #10. You know that. Of course, The Interviewer will care about you once you prove yourself to be a viable candidate, but now you’re a face with a name and a few credentials listed in black on a well-groomed resume.
Still, you know that giving The Interviewer the rundown of your entire resume is just a waste of both of your time. Unless The Interviewer has a severe form of amnesia, The Interviewer would have read your resume by now and has it in hand, anyway.
You want to leave an indelible mark. So, you think, what should you say?
Well, you know that:
- Your response should highlight the most important aspects of your resume. What achievements have you accomplished in schooling and work that you can mention, and how can you relate that to one of your strengths?
- You should mention a passion that shows that you’re a self-starter. What have you done in your off hours to grow as a person? You want to show off that you’re a quick learner, so perhaps you should tell The Interviewer about the new language you learned in order to communicate with the locals in the foreign country you love to visit. This is a great chance to display your quirks and interests in order to connect with the interviewer.
- You should definitely end with why you’re sitting here in the first place. Your achievements, strengths, and interests should be the reason why you think you’re a good fit at this role. You want The Interviewer to think, “wow, I really think this might be the one. I might not have to go through all my questions. Actually, I might be the one getting interviewed today.”
You’ve done the prep work. You’ve done the mock interviews. Now’s the time to answer the question.
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