“So tell me about yourself?” The grandaddy of all interview questions. Simple enough question but for some reason it has the power to reduce you to a fumbling, stalling, um-ing and arr-ing fool. At Adzuna HQ we have decided that these four little words have the ability to make or break your interview. Flop at this first hurdle and you’re a gonner. 33% of interviewers say that they know within the first 90 seconds if you are hiring material or not [1]. So we’ve come up with some brilliant tips to help you grab your interviewer by the cojones and really impress; so ready, get set, GO!
Be prepared – You cannot afford to wing this answer. Prepare prepare prepare! We advise scripting your response focusing on your strengths and what the interviewer needs to know about you.
This isn’t Match.com – Your background, passions and personality are important, but there is a fine line between sounding like you’re speed-dating and conveying how these traits led you to this career choice and shaped you into the ideal candidate for this role. Interviewers do not care where you grew up, how many brothers and sisters you have, that you have a dog called Woof and a cat called Meow, that you enjoy French cookery and listening to Take That. They want to hear about the professional you.
What you DONT say – Statistics show that only 7% of what you actually say influences peoples’ opinion of you [2]. That means that 93% of impact is made up from what you don’t say. So when employers ask you to “tell me about yourself” remember you have to demonstrate confidence, enthusiasm and passion. Make eye contact, sit-up, smile and avoid fiddling with your face or hair. Be aware of the speed at which you are talking; don’t stall and fumble through your answer but zipping through faster that Ussain Bolt is no good either. Be sure and steady as this demonstrates assertiveness, self-awareness and self-esteem.
Coming up with that answer isn’t always easy, so we’ve compiled a list of the essential elements your response should include.
Brief introduction – What have you been up to for the past 5-10 years?
Passion – Give the reasons you’re passionate about the job. With one quick example you can give your interviewer a taste of your commitment and background. Maybe you have always loved the inner workings of computers, and that’s why you’re trying to advance your career in computer programming.
Value – Passion alone is sadly not enough. You have to convey your worth, why you are the best possible candidate for the role and why your interviewer would be nuts not to hire you. It is not enough, however, to simply recount your past employment, you need to explain how your skills and achievements match up to the requirements of the job.
Personality – Remember the interviewer already has your CV so there is no point in reading it back to them. They want to get to know you and find out what flavours you will bring to the dish. Don’t be afraid to add some sizzle!
Personal strengths – There is no point in being coy here. Be bold and specific when listing your skills, experience, talents and accomplishments. Then for some extra punch link you strengths to the employer’s needs.
Short and sweet – A rambling answer is the beginning of the end of your interview. Your best bet is to keep your answer under a minute. So compile a shortlist of what you want to cover and time your answer. Practice and revise this until it fits neatly within a minute.
How to finish
Wrapping up your answer can also be tricky. Be careful of disappearing off on a roll and going on and on. The best way to finish on a high is to conclude with a question. This demonstrates knowledge and interest in the industry and your future employer.
So next time you go for an interview and the interviewer asks you to tell him or her a little bit about yourself there is no need to panic. This dreary, vague and open-ended question is the perfect opportunity to grab the interview by the horns and convince them why you would be great in this role before the interview has even started! Don’t forget we have more great interview tips and some more examples of the zaniest interview questions we could find. With our words of wisdom and zillions of live job vacancies on our website you cannot fail to get a job!