"Tell Me About Yourself ?"

This is probably the single most popular question that interviewers use for opening an interview. But don’t take the question as an invitation to recount your entire life’s history. And if you’re unprepared for such an open ended prelude to the series of standard questions about your skills, background, and aspirations you’ve been expecting, it can stop you dead and earn you an immediate one-way ticket out of the interview.

Why is this question a favorite of so many interviewers? 

Many consider it a nice ice-breaker, giving them a chance to gauge initial chemistry, get a little insight into the cipher sitting before them (that would be you), and force you to do all the talking, for at least a couple of minutes.

- If you are prepared, you know this can be your golden opportunity to provide an answer that demonstrates four of the traits every interviewer is desperately searching for: intelligence, enthusiasm, confidence, and dependability.


Remember: NEVER memorize  the answer word for word. It’s important to remember that the interviewer  is not asking you to present a perfect essay, just to talk, person  to person.



What Do They Want to Hear?

It should take you no more than 2 minutes to recite an answer that features the following information:

1- Brief introduction.

2- Focus on What Interests the Interviewer

3- Key accomplishments.

4- Key strengths demonstrated by these accomplishments.

5- Importance of these strengths and accomplishments to the prospective employer.

6- Where and how you see yourself developing in the position for which you’re applying (tempered with the right amount of self-deprecating humor and modesty).

The recommended, correct way to answer the “tell me about yourself” question is by utilizing a three-part:

Part one will consist of a one-sentence statement of your career history,Here is an example:

"I am a management consultant with 12 years’ experience gained across industries and sectors ranging from financial services and retail to petrochemicals and media."

Part two consists of a one or two sentence summary of a single career accomplishment that you are especially proud of and one that can reasonably be expected to capture the potential employer’s attention. Here is an example:

"I am responsible for business development activities and last year sold projects totalling £400,000 to clients. On a day-to- day basis, I also manage a team of up to 8 consultants and junior consultants. But more than being a good consultant, I like to think of myself as a fair and democratic person as I try hard to listen to my clients as well as my team."

Part three
It needs to be a one or two sentence summary of specifically what you want to do in your next career move AND it must be relevant to the position being sought. Here is an example:

"For the next step in my career, I would like to find myself as a direct employee of a small to medium sized firm (or large sized firm) that is looking to hire a Business Development Manager so I can continue growing my career by getting exposure to different areas of business. As the firm’s business needs grow, I would love to apply my past team project management skills to managing the members of a small, growing team.”

Put all parts together:

"I am a management consultant with 12 years’ experience gained across industries and sectors ranging from financial services and retail to petrochemicals and media. I am responsible for business development activities and last year sold projects totalling £400,000 to clients. On a day-to- day basis, I also manage a team of up to eight consultants and junior consultants. But more than being a good consultant, I like to think of myself as a fair and democratic person as I try hard to listen to my clients as well as my team, For the next step in my career, I would like to find myself as a direct employee of a small to medium sized firm that is looking to hire a Business Development Manager so I can continue growing my career by getting exposure to different areas of business. As the firm’s business needs grow, I would love to apply my past team project management skills to managing the members of a small, growing team."

Other type of questions that more aggressive and have the same target:

1- What makes you special (unique, different)?
2- What 5 adjectives describe you best?
3- Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10.
4- How would you describe your character (Personality)?
5- Why should I hire you?
6- Why should I consider you a strong candidate for this position?
7- What’s better about you than the other candidates I’m interviewing?
8- What can you do for us that someone else can’t?