How long is it since you've had a job interview? Did you know that one of the questions you are most likely to be asked is “Tell me about yourself.”
Preparing clients to answer this question in an interview is one key element of our career coaching program. This is often the starting point of the interview and therefore a great chance to make a good first impression.
It may seem like a simple question, but the key to answering it well, is like every other element of the job interview – preparation.
Your answer needn't include how many children you have or why you left your last job. Your answer should focus on your employment history, your strengths, your career achievements and your aspirations for your next job.
Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. What kind of person do you think they are looking for to fill this role? Thinking about this in advance can make a big difference about how you respond.
Practice your response in front of the mirror, or ask a friend or family member to practice with you. Write your answer down and practice it until you know it well.
Here’s our advice to interviewees as to how to answer this key question:
- Offer a brief work history
- Focus on your strengths and give particular examples to demonstrate these
- Highlight one or two achievements during the introduction and make them relevant to the selection criteria for the job.
- Discuss future hopes and how the role you are applying for fits into your plan
If you can answer confidently and succinctly (try to stick to under 2 minutes) you can be sure you’re getting your job interview off to a great start and projecting a professional image at the same time.
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