Tell Me About Yourself
By John Putzier
Over the next few weeks, we are going to learn how to answer the 50 toughest questions that can come your way in a job interview. And today, we are starting with
the first and perhaps deadliest question that savvy and experienced interviewers love to ask.
It's the dreaded old, "Tell Me About Yourself." Why? Because it will tell interviewers a lot more about you than you think. It will reveal your judgment, your awareness, your attitude, and a host of other ropes with which to hang yourself.
As a former corporate recruiter, this was one of my favorite opening questions, and was also great fodder for many follow-up questions. So, what are the two biggest mistakes most candidates make when answering this question?
The first mistake is talking too much. I have seen people go on forever because they lack awareness, and are obviously nervous. Not knowing exactly what the interviewer may want, the tendency is to give too much.
The second mistake? Not keeping responses either positive or job-related. Again, I have seen people go off on tangents that had no added value whatsoever to getting the job or that were not expressed in a positive tone. We will discuss more about how to turn negatives into positives in a later issue.
Rule of thumb #1: Practice answering this question in less than two minutes.
Rule of thumb #2: Keep every response to every question job-related and positive.
How? Here is a cheat sheet that works beautifully as a tool for both timing and content. I call it the 4E's. It is a chronological outline that begins with your Early life (born and raised in a blue collar, working class family), then proceeds to your Education (I was the first in my family to go to college, and I went to Acme University and studied underwater basket weaving).
Following is a more comprehensive graphic of the 4E's with some
other content ideas that you can pull into your presentation, as
long as you keep it short, keep it positive, and keep it
job-related.
THE 4 E's
EARLY LIFE- Where from?
- Family backgound (positive)
- Defining experience or accomplishment
- Where? (school)
- What? (studied)
- Defining experience or accomplishment
- Past employers
- Past jobs
- Defining experience or accomplishment
- Goals
- Next steps
- One thing I would love to do before I die is
Okay, so that's a start! So, what are the other 49 gut-wrenchers? Rather than keep you in suspense, here they are. If you would like me to address any particular one, just email editor@JobDig.com and let them know, and I will take them in whatever order you prefer. In the meantime, see if you can answer these on your own, and see how you do.
1) Tell me about yourself!
2) Why do you want to work here?
3) What are your strengths?
4) What are your weaknesses?
5) What do you know about us?
6) Why should I hire you?
7) Why did you (or why do you want to) leave your current employer?
8) If you could turn back time and live your life over, what would you do differently?
9) Describe the ideal work environment for you?
10) Tell me about the worst boss you ever had.
11) If you could change one thing about your last (current) job, what would it be?
12) How do you think your co-workers would describe you, both good and bad?
13) How do you think your bosses would describe you, both good and bad?
14) In prior performance reviews, what were your opportunities for improvement?
15) What are your greatest accomplishments so far?
16) Describe yourself in three words.
17) Are you interested in managing/leading others? Why or why not?
18) How do you define success?
19) Besides money, what do you value/need most to have job satisfaction?
20) Have you ever been fired (laid off, outplaced, etc.)? Explain the circumstances.
21) If you gave your last boss a performance review, what would s/he need to change?
22) Do you prefer to work alone, or with others? Why?
23) Describe a difficult situation or task you had to deal with, and how you did so.
24) How do you feel about travel or relocation?
25) Do you smoke?
26) What other companies are you pursuing, or are pursuing you?
27) Do you consider yourself to be creative? If so, give some examples.
28) How would you describe your personality?
29) How much are you expecting to earn in this job?
30) How do you feel about incentives, which are heavily tied to performance?
31) How do you feel about psychological tests?
32) How do you feel about drug tests?
33) What are your goals for 5 years and 10 years out?
34) Do you prefer a job with clearly defined tasks, or one that is more self-directed?
35) Do you prefer to work for a man or a woman? Why?
36) How do you feel about working in a diverse workplace (minorities, etc.)?
37) If you could change three things about yourself, what would they be?
38) Do you consider yourself to be a traditionalist? Why or why not?
39) What motivates you?
40) Do you think people are basically lazy, and need to be pushed to perform?
41) Have you ever had to fire someone? Explain why and how you did it?
42) If you could be in your own business, what business would it be?
43) Do you consider yourself to be more of a people person, or a task master?
44) What qualities do you think are necessary to be a leader?
45) How long do you anticipate being in this job, or with this organization?
46) Do you believe that success depends more on what you know than who you know?
47) How do you perform under stress?
48) Do you keep current in your field? How?
49) Do you have any role models? If so, who are they, and why are they role models?
50) What more would you like to know about the job, or this company?
