How to Respond to "Tell Me About Yourself"
Q: "I have an important interview next week. So I won't be
caught unprepared, I've been thinking about the questions my
potential manager might ask me. One that has caused me great
anxiety in the past is, 'Tell me about yourself.' I never know how
to respond to this. It's so vague. What is an interviewer looking
for when she says this?"
A: You can assume this question is part of the interviewer's
strategy for getting to know you. When she asks this very
open-ended question, she wants to see how you choose to answer it.
Your approach speaks volumes about how you will react to the
day-to-day demands and stresses of the job you hope to fill.
Some people start their answer with, "I was born in Buffalo,"
and proceed to offer a long autobiography of childhood and work
experiences augmented by their marital status, hobbies and
children's activities ad infinitum. Caught off guard, others blurt
out everything they promised themselves they would never tell the
interviewer including the latest on their messy divorce. Some
freeze like a deer in the headlights and fall into a panic-stricken
silence. A few recite a carefully written, often stilted commercial
they have committed to memory. As you might imagine, none of these
applicants are likely to impress their interviewer.
The smart candidate plans how she will respond in advance. She
finds out about the job description and requirements through
networking or by reading the employment ad and highlighting its key
points. Then she pulls the experience, skills, personality traits,
values and education from her background that specifically match
what the employee wants. She folds these elements into a two-three
minute answer that captures the essence of what the employee needs
to know without extraneous detail. Candidates who are prepared and
concise make lots of points with potential managers because they
exhibit a number of characteristics inherent in successful
professionals.
You may also answer any vague question with a question of your
own. If someone says, "tell me about yourself," you might reply, "
What would you like to know?" This forces the other party to
clarify her intention and gives you more time to prepare an
appropriate answer. While you'll want to use this technique
sparingly, it can be very effective in establishing mutual respect
between you and your interviewer. It's a polite way of saying, "
Let's cut the game playing and get down to the real issues."
