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.

---

Career Development - When Its Time for a Change

There's a certain courage required to hear your gut. To... Read More

Sample Cover Letters ... The Hidden Pitfalls

You can benefit from sample cover letters as they can... Read More

Corporate World: Jungle Or Paradise?

The road to the top is not easy, it is... Read More

Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active

Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for... Read More

The Top 10 Ways to Achieve Balance in Your Life

1. Define Success for YourselfClarify and write down what success... Read More

A Career in Image Consulting

You might have seen them while watching TV shows such... Read More

Career Change - Emotional Intelligence for Knowledge Workers?

Nowadays we can expect to survive the second half of... Read More

Day Trading ? The Ultimate Work-From-Home Job?

Ever dreamt of giving up the daily grind? Want to... Read More

Job Search: Time Management

There is an old adage that "Looking for a job... Read More

Layoff Survival Guide - Do You Have The Career Management Horsepower It Will Take To Survive?

In a recent survey of over 662 career seekers, some... Read More

Writing CVs and Resumes for Professionals with Examples

Tips on writing your Skills and Achievement Based CV (ABCV)... Read More

Phone Interviews: Prepare to Ace Them!

More companies are saving time and effort by doing initial... Read More

Dealing With How Would You...? Questions

I'm always preaching about proper preparation prior to interviews. If... Read More

Do You Have the courage to ignore the experts?

Do you have the courage to ignore the experts? Do... Read More

How To Get Promoted - Take Control Of Your Destiny!

It Is Up To YouSo, you want to get promoted.... Read More

Using The Internet For Job-hunting

The Internet is a very useful tool for job seekers... Read More

Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An Upgrade

In today's competitive job market, a first class resume is... Read More

Why It Is Impossible To Raise Your Standard Of Living Working A Job

Everything in nature has been endowed with what it needs... Read More

Career Tips: How To Start A New Career

These days most people accept that jobs are not for... Read More

Career Killers to Avoid

Many professionals and managers are so involved in day-to-day crises... Read More

The Interview - A Few Tips for Making a Great First Impression

Searching for employment is one of the most nerve-racking activities... Read More

Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker

There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are... Read More

Passing The Police Test Just Became Easier

You've taken the police officer selection test or law enforcement... Read More

20 Powerful Tips For Advancing Your Career

You don't want to stay in your current position forever...... Read More

The Springtime of Your Career

Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love, introduced... Read More

What Do You Want From Life?

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

How To REALLY Look For A Job

Are you looking for a job -- really looking? Or... Read More

Stripper--Turned--Waitress Cant Leave Former Job Behind

She stretches in the break room for 30 minutes before... Read More

Vocational Experts 7 Proposals to Solve the Unemployment Problem

The subject is constantly in the news and may decide... Read More

How to Feel Satisfied in Your Career

Many people turn a beloved hobby into a vocation. They... Read More

Have You Been Fired? Laid Off? No? You Will Be!

It's true. Things have changed. You need to know the... Read More

Think About a Nursing Degree

If you decide to get a degree in nursing, there... Read More

Wanted: A Diva for the Job of a Lifetime!

"When I was a child, I always thought the world... Read More