Employers begin almost every interview with a question like “Tell me about yourself.” But why are they asking this, and what does it mean?
Employers often ask this question to assess your communication and interpersonal skills. They also want to assess your organisational skills and why you are interested in the role and organisation. The question will often set the foundation for the rest of the interview and give the employer an indication of whether you are a suitable candidate.
Therefore, it is crucial to get your answer right. So, how do you make the best impression possible?
Indeed, Seek and Hays provide tips on how to answer and prepare for this question.
How to structure your answer
As this is quite a broad question, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
Start by mentioning your past successes. Where possible, try to align these with the position’s requirements. To prepare, think about the relevant skills you have and examples of them that you can provide.
Consider how your current job relates to the position you are applying for. List how your current position has prepared you for the role you’re applying for.
Focus on your strengths and abilities that you can support with examples. For example, if the position requires strong computer knowledge, you could outline the computer software you have experience in.
You should explain how this role aligns with your career goals. This will illustrate your motivations for applying and demonstrate enthusiasm.
It’s a good idea to showcase your personality, but avoid giving away too many personal details. Where possible, try to illustrate personality traits that are positive or could benefit you in the role. For example, you could mention how you persevered at learning a new skill. Or you could highlight community-based hobbies such as volunteering.
How to prepare for this question
Tell me about yourself can be a difficult question to prepare for since it is quite vague. To prepare, you can ask yourself, What qualities make me a good fit for the role? Why am I interested in this position? And what positive characteristics do I have that will benefit me in this role? Reflecting on these points can help you determine your skills that are most relevant to the position.
Other tips
You should avoid discussing your personal life in great detail. For example, it is best not to mention your marital status, children, religion, or political leanings. These are highly sensitive topics that could work against you. In addition, they are factors that should not influence the employer’s decision.
List only the parts of your career that are most relevant to the position. Typically, these will be roles you have had over the last five to ten years or roles that are especially relevant to the position you are applying for. Employers will not be interested in hearing every job you have ever had.
When listing strengths, make sure to support each one with examples.
Your tone must remain positive. You should avoid complaining about your job search or your current role, as this could raise red flags with the employer.
Before the interview, practice going over the critical points of your answer. You want to appear confident but don’t want your answer to sound rehearsed.
Nailing interviews isn’t easy.
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