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"So,
why don't you tell me about yourself?" is
the most frequently asked interview question.
It's a question that most interviewees expect
and the one they have the most difficulty
answering. Though one could answer this open-
ended question in a myriad of ways, the key to
answering this question or any other interview
question is to offer a response that supports
your career objective. This means
that you shouldn't respond with comments about
your hobbies, spouse, or extra curricular
activities. Trust me, interviewers aren't
interested.
Interviewers use the interview process as a
vehicle to eliminate your candidacy. Every
question they ask is used to differentiate
your skills, experience, and personality with
that of other candidates. They want to
determine if what you have to offer will mesh
with the organization's mission and goals.
If answered with care, your response to the
question, "So, why don't you tell me
about yourself?" could compliment the
interviewers needs as well as support your
agenda. This is a question you should be
prepared to answer as opposed to attempting to
"wing it".
Follow the four easy steps outlined below to
ensure your response will grab the
interviewers attention.
1. Provide a brief introduction. Introduce
attributes that are key to the open position.
Sample introduction: During my 10 years' of
experience as a sales manager, I have mastered
the ability to coach, train, and motivate
sales teams into reaching corporate goals.
2. Provide a career summary of your most
recent work history. Your career summary is
the "meat" of your response, so it
must support your job objective and it must be
compelling. Keep your response limited to your
current experience. Don't go back more than 10
years.
Sample career summary: Most recently, at The
Widget Corporation, I was challenged with
turning around a stagnant territory that
ranked last in sales in the Northeastern
region. Using strategies that have worked in
the past, I developed an aggressive sales
campaign that focused on cultivating new
accounts and nurturing the existing client
base. The results were tremendous. Within six
months my sales team and I were able to
revitalize the territory and boost sales by
65%.
3. Tie your response to the needs of the
hiring organization. Don't assume that the
interviewer will be able
to connect all the dots. It is your job as the
interviewee to make sure the interviewer
understands how your experiences are
transferable to the position they are seeking
to fill.
Sample tie-in: Because of my proven experience
in leading sales teams, Craig Brown suggested
I contact you regarding your need for a sales
manager. Craig filled me in on the challenges
your sales department is facing.
4. Ask an insightful question. By asking a
question you gain control of the interview.
Don't ask a question for the sake of asking.
Be sure that the question will engage the
interviewer in a conversation. Doing so will
alleviate the stress you may feel to perform.
Sample question: What strategies are currently
underway to increase sales and morale within
the sales department?
There you have it - a response that meets the
needs of the interviewer AND supports your
agenda.
When broken down into manageable pieces, the
question, "So, tell me about
yourself?" isn't overwhelming. In fact,
answering the question effectively gives you
the opportunity to talk about your strengths,
achievements, and qualifications for the
position. So take this golden opportunity and
run with it!
Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias
brings a wealth of experience to the career
services field. She has been sought out for
her knowledge of the employment market,
outplacement, job search strategies, interview
preparation, and resume writing, quoted a
number of times in The Wall Street Journal,
New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com.
She is President of CareerStrides and The
National Resume Writers' Association. Visit
her website at www.careerstrides.com or email
her at
careerstrides@bigfoot.com.
© CareerStrides 2003
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