How To Answer The "Tell Me About Yourself" Interview Question
Develop a “30-Second Commercial” to answer this question, Rather than start with “I was born in 1987 and I spent my first few years at home. I then went on to preschool…” know that this is your time to shine by quickly and effectively pointing out your strengths and the assets that you will bring to the company.
Remember, you are a product that you have spent years perfecting and you need this company to purchase the product.
It’s always a good to have an idea of what you’d like to say before you start talking!
I suggest you learn to answer this question with a three part, pre-planned marketing statement that can more or less be re-used from interview to interview.
1) Start with a brief summary of your career history – “I am a Product Manager with three years of experience working for medium to large organizations in the IT sector in Lesotho...”
Then, talk them through briefly how your career developed but don’t just repeat what they can see on your resume. Talk to the interviewer more in terms of what you’ve learnt or achieved.
2) Mention a recent accomplishment that you are proud of that will also capture the potential employer’s attention. You really want to focus on what makes you exceptional and how your skills and experience matches the requirements of the job.
3) A brief summary of specifically what you want to do next in your career or why you’re interested in this specific role.
Initially, when you answer this question, refrain from talking about personal stuff. It’s not that what you do in your spare time isn’t interesting; it’s just not the right time to bring it up. What you want to communicate is why you’re the right fit for the open position.
Lesotho Career Assistant
