“Tell me about yourself.” It’s a simple request in theory, but it’s almost too open-ended for comfort. Do you start at the beginning? How much do you leave in? When can you stop talking?
While no two job interviews are the same, this is a question job seekers can come to expect in pretty any interview, so it’s best to brush up. As you research the company and getting a sense of how much you should be aiming for in terms of compensation, make sure you practice your answer to this question.
Here are the rules for what to say when an employer says “Tell me about yourself.”
1. Do not start from the beginning.
The person sitting in front of you doesn’t care right now about where or when you were born. They also don’t care where you live now (unless they ask that, specifically). What they want to know is that you can clearly articulate where you are now, professionally, where you’ve been and where you want to go. Aim to speak for about 3 minutes.
2. Start with your current position.
Ideally, you want to offer some description of where you’re currently at in your life. You could say something like “Right now I’m a project manager at Google where I handle x, y and z. I’ve been there for the last four years; I started out there as a junior project manager in x division and then saw an opportunity to get more into the people side of things, which is where I am now.” You want to find a way to highlight the experiences and skills that are going to be most significant for the hiring manager when they’re thinking about this particular position and this company. Remember, this is also your chance to talk about why you jumped from job to job, which can often be a positive thing — i.e. “When I was at Facebook, Google poached me…”
3. Be positive.
You don’t want to give your potential employer a reason to think you’re negative or downbeat. Smile when you’re speaking. Bring some enthusiasm. Don’t be afraid to smile. This is your shot to bring your resume to life, so be lively!
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4. Make eye contact.
The person interviewing you wants to see what kind of conversationalist you are. If you’re staring down at your resume or glancing behind the person’s head, you’re going to give off a bad impression. Make sure to speak to the interviewer naturally, making eye contact and showing some emotion.
5. Speak slowly.
If you rush through all of your achievements and experiences, it’s going to be hard for the hiring manager to follow. Slow down. Take a breath. Not only will this help the hiring manager follow you, but it’ll give you more time to mentally prepare as you speak.
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6. End with something forward-looking.
The way you end your response should something like, “I’m really passionate about [topic/problem] and that’s why I’ve decided to apply for this position.”
7. Ask if there was anything you could have better clarified.
When you finish speaking, be sure to ask if there was anything you said that wasn’t clear. This could sound something like: “So that’s pretty much where I’m at. Hopefully I haven’t missed anything!” or “Is there anything I mentioned that didn’t make sense?” This signals to an interviewer that you’re a good communicator and turns the chat into more of a conversation. In more practical terms, it gives the interviewer a chance to ask questions that they might have kept in their head.
As you practice, think of this as your “elevator pitch” — something that can be delivered succinctly and that touches on some of the valuable skills and experiences you’ve had.
