{"id":34158,"date":"2017-10-05T10:34:23","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T09:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/?p=34158"},"modified":"2017-10-05T10:34:23","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T09:34:23","slug":"how-to-answer-the-common-interview-question-tell-me-about-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/how-to-answer-the-common-interview-question-tell-me-about-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW TO ANSWER THE COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTION: \u201cTELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When people ask you: \u201cTell me about yourself?\u201d how often do you see their eyes glaze over before you finish your answer? You can bore an interviewer to tears with an autobiography that drags on forever, detailing all the places you\u2019ve worked and jobs you\u2019ve held.<\/p>\n

This very common question really contains within it two other questions of key importance for you to immediately address: \u201cWhy should I care about you?\u201d and \u201cWhat is your value to me (or my company)?\u201d Don\u2019t get bogged down with rambling recitation of your work history. The best answer is your value statement, commonly thought of today as a personal branding statement.<\/p>\n

An effective value statement conveys the kind of person\/professional you are, what drives you and why those things matter. It isn\u2019t just what you have done professionally, but your demonstrated passion for doing those things that will propel your conversation forward.<\/p>\n

The following are seven key parts of a great branding statement:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

INTRODUCE YOURSELF, THEN MOVE ON<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the most straightforward part of your answer, so it shouldn’t take forever to answer. Introduce yourself thus, \u201cI\u2019m John Doe.\u201d Then move on quickly.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

TALK ABOUT YOUR MAIN FOCUS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Relate a major element of what it is that you actually do when you\u2019re at your job in a very simple sentence. This is not the time to talk about your job title, where you work or how long you have been doing whatever it is that you do. For instance, you might say something as simple as: \u201cMy main focus as an accountant is counting widgets.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t had a job doing whatever it is that you are applying for, it’s advised that you quickly do something related to it. Take a course, Volunteer. Do an internship. Even after you\u2019ve been doing something for a short period of time, you can honestly say you are doing it. Leave the details for later. You want to convey that you are the type of person required for the job.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

TRANSITION<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the time where you roll out your passion for what you do. Figure out what it is about your role that really excites you. Show your enthusiasm with a \u201cWhat I love to do is\u2026\u201d sentence. Examples:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAs a widget maker, I love getting all the mini-widgets lined up to make a great big widget.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love working with the people in my team and helping to move our process of widget organizing forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

These kinds of statements demonstrate that you are highly motivated and really care about what you do. Evidence of these traits provides assurance to a hiring manager that you not only can do the job, but also that would you would be a great personality fit.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is where you demonstrate who benefits from what you do. Boil it down to something really simple like: \u201cMy widgets help cure sick people,\u201d \u201cMy widgets help people to be more creative\u201d or \u201cMy work helps my team.\u201d All are ways of helping. By demonstrating who benefits from what you do, you begin to effectively convey your value.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Strive to understand your audience, and tailor your message to them. Your work might benefit a plant manager, a supply chain supervisor or a CEO, among others, in different ways. Figure out what about your work would be most important to the person you are speaking with, and talk about that. By taking the time to identify his or her issues and concerns, you can plant the image in his or her mind, \u201cThis person can help me and my company.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

ACCOMPLISH A GOAL<\/strong><\/p>\n

What do you help people to do? Rather than listing a whole series of things, distill it down to a single important thing. Example: \u201cI help my company save money.\u201d A clear simple sentence invites a question to go into more detail and engage in a conversation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

SHOW EMOTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Figure out something about your job that gives you a good feeling, and convey it, even if just with a smile. When you show an emotional identity with the work you do, you demonstrate how you fit into a company\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n

When you answer the \u201ctell me about you\u201d question with a value statement, you demonstrate your professional qualities, build interest in you as a person and increase the chance of beginning a meaningful dialog. Then, you are well on your way toward ending your interview with success.<\/p>\n

Drama <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When people ask you: \u201cTell…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2628],"tags":[2841],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34158"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34158"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34159,"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34158\/revisions\/34159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elcrema.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}