Have you ever heard this question?
It can come up in a number of different scenerios, and your response can be great or it can be the end of the relationship.
I don’t want a novel, I don’t want something irrelevant, I want something that draws me in. I want something that is thoughtful and makes me think “I’m talking to the right person!” as I’m listening.
Recently Brad Attig, the retail career specialist, wrote a post linking to Scott Ginsberg’s The Ladders article. Scott suggests 10 good ways to “tell me about yourself,” including:
#4 “People who know me best say that I’m…” This response offers insight into your own level of self-awareness.
#6 “My passion is…” People don’t care what you do – people care who you are. And what you’re passionate about is who you are. Plus, passion unearths enthusiasm..
Scott goes on to say:
The secret is thinking how you will follow up each answer with relevant, interesting and concise explanations that make the already bored interviewer look up from his stale coffee and think, “Wow! That’s the best answer I’ve heard all day!”
I agree… I also think the other secret is to get them to think “tell me more! This sounds really interesting!”
They might not want you to tell them more right then, but the impression you want to leave is “I’m the person you are looking for,” instead of “I’m boring,” or “I’m conceited,” or something like that.
How do YOU answer “tell me about yourself?” If your answer is “I don’t know” then you have a lot of work to do!
