Blog

Tell Me About Yourself – Tough Interview Questions Tutorials

Posted On: October 8, 2015

One of the first questions an interviewer is bound to ask is: “Tell me about yourself.” 

Actually this is more of a statement because it doesn’t end in a question mark! That being said, it is also one of the few places in American English (and probably English in general) where the phrase “tell me” is acceptable!

While it is important to know that the answer to this question should not focus on your personal life or attributes, the following videos highlight the good, bad and ugly of answering this question!  

This first video highlights how to professionalize an answer that is too personal. The main lesson here is to tailor your answer to the job description, skills or outcomes the job you are applying for requires. 

In this second video, the five important tips they give to tailor your answer include:

• Keep your answer focused and relevant to the job
• Limit to 1-2 minutes
• Rehearse ahead
• State your profession and job objective
• Outline organization, experience and skills

To see how these concepts fit into an answer, watch this video.

The non-verbal part of one’s answer matters just as much as the verbal response, if not more so, as evidenced in this video. The do’s and don’ts in this video focus on aspects such as appearance, body language, eye contact and tone of voice that can make or break an interview in general.


I hope these videos have helped shed some light on the do’s and don’ts of this popular ice breaking interview question. The main take away here is to always keep your answer focused on the professional attributes of the job in question. You are there to sell yourself for a job, not necessarily a friendship. You are there to convince them of your professional ability to fill the requirement they are looking to fill. If you can convince them of that, you will be as good as gold. 


If you would like some more tailored help to prepare yourself or your team for offshore client placements and international assignments, contact Jennifer for virtual and onsite training options.

 

Image credit: stories at freepik