Tell Me About Yourself

The need to tell people about yourself may present itself during an informal conversation with a colleague, on the Little League field with a neighbor, on the phone with a past acquaintance, or in a face-to-face meeting for a job opportunity. "Tell me about yourself" is a favorite question that has befuddled many an unsuspecting candidate.

Responses can range from strong to weak to irrelevant to fatal. Having a good response, grounded in your own philosophy, is as important as having a good serve in tennis. There are several different types of responses. Two that are very effective are the Specific Approach and the Overview Approach.

The Specific Approach allows you to identify specific, relevant aspects of your background, while the second is more of a summary of your background.

The Overview (or general) response is usually used to keep you out of trouble when you are not certain of what the interviewer wants. Your Overview response should be followed by a question that is intended to evoke a narrower question from the interviewer. That is, it forces him or her to ask a more specific question.

Example: Interviewer: Tell me a little about your business start up experience. Candidate: (Overview response) My experience covers the full breadth of starting up a business from developing a business plan to obtaining seed capital to acquiring plant and equipment to hiring staff. (Here's the follow up question) Is there some aspect of that experience, in particular, that you would like to discuss?

In either case, you should keep your answer between one and two minutes and conclude with "... Mr./Ms. Smith, I have been successful over the last several years, and I can be as successful with your organization because I am a person who is . . ." continue with four or five phrases that can be associated with successfully completed tasks, positive attributes, and personal characteristics - words and phrases that can trigger interest and have immediate impact. Here are a few more: "Ability to identify alternatives"; "Results oriented"; "Decisive"; "Both large and small company experience"; "Cut through non-essential information"; "Put through major changes"; "Good long-range planner".

If we agree that knowing yourself is important, how you address the job market and convey this to others is of paramount importance.

Rob Taub, CCM, is a Senior Consulting Manager for R.L. Stevens & Associates (http://www.interviewing.com), a career marketing firm and organization celebrating over 24 years of providing strategic marketing solutions for its clients' career transitioning needs.

---

Your First Job

"Your first job is an extension of your education"Fresh out... Read More

Job Search: Age-Proofing Your Resume

Older job hunters fear interviews where their age cannot be... Read More

So You Want A Promotion - What Do You Need To Do To Get the Champagne Corks Popping?

The champagne corks have been popping to celebrate your promotion.... Read More

Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview

There are many reasons why you could be in the... Read More

Ten Tips to a Job Winning Interview

These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The... Read More

A Peek at Nursing as a Career

We need more people to choose nursing as a career.... Read More

My Landscaping Business is Better Than Your Lanscaping Business...

Yesterday I was having a discussion with Mary who I... Read More

The Case For Internships

America may be the Land of Opportunity, but this is... Read More

Children At Work: Looking at Child Labor in the Victorian Age

Today, it isn't that uncommon for some children and teenagers... Read More

Waiting for Lightening to Strike

Author and management guru, Peter Drucker says, "People adjust to... Read More

Work Attitude Ethics For Progress

This "fruit for thought" article is for all human beings,... Read More

De-Bunking The ?Follow Your Bliss? Myth

Hello Fellow Seekers!I don't know about you? but I'm pretty... Read More

What Do You Want From Life?

The tragedy for millions of people is that they never... Read More

Unemployment Blues: Mind Over Mood

Our lives are tranquil and smooth so seldom, it seems.... Read More

Match, Meet, and Mesmerize at a Job Fair

Are you considering another trip through the career maze? Attending... Read More

How to Make Your Career Change Easier

Despite what your grandmother told you, life is not supposed... Read More

The #1 Job Search Mistake To Avoid: Not Preparing Your Mind!

Mental preparation is probably your most important task as you... Read More

How To Write The Perfect Cover Letter: Be Brief--And Be Gone!

The best cover letters are 'one-page wonders.' Why? Because they... Read More

Create A Rappin? Resume

(Percussion sounds emanating from who knows where while you listen... Read More

Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves

Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves1.Do I have the... Read More

Interview Questions: How To Stump The Interviewer

In the limited time an interviewer has with you, their... Read More

Finding a Career in Harmony with Your Life Path

Which of the following would you chose? Doing your lifework... Read More

References: Choose Wisely

Sophisticated job seekers know and understand that sometime during the... Read More

Searching for an IT Job

Looking for an IT job is one of the easiest... Read More

Importance Of Your Job Search

So that you can decide just how critical your job... Read More

Using Freelance Websites to Telecommute

How is your job hunting going? Have you had problems... Read More

What is Mystery Shopping, and Can You Really Get Paid to Shop?

Mystery shoppers visit businesses "disguised as normal customers," and do... Read More

I Quit!

More and more people are calling it quits to successful... Read More

How You Can Find Opportunities For Foreign Language Proof Reading Work

For those who are fluent in another language, foreign language... Read More

Sample Resume Objectives: Good, But Summaries Are Smokin!

Since college I've been told that a resume ought to... Read More

Networking Masterclass - Part 1 - Practicing Empathy

Practicing Empathy A vital part of your networking skills is... Read More

The Importance of Background Verification

Today's society has created an environment that requires business owners... Read More

Seven Myths You Must Challenge Now To Begin Your Second Career Today

* Has it been awhile since you explored career options?*... Read More