Tell me about yourself – what do you say?
If you have been preparing for interviews, you surely know the high probability of the interview being initiated with this question. However, statistics reveal that most number of interviewees fumble and end up creating an undesirable impression of themselves, over this highly expected question!
Most interviewees begin with details outlining their schooling, university education and job experiences, if any. They move on to their hobbies, interests, family background and goals in life. Once these have been covered, very often the interviewer is still left dissatisfied! On the other hand, some candidates delve into the depth of every achievement, incident or experience, that are mostly appropriate for coffee-table small talk.
How, then, must one proceed with answering this question, without being overtly pompous or coming across as an extremely introverted? Here is your guide on how to tackle this simple, yet tricky question that can make or break your chances of success in the interview.
In many cases, the recruiter does not have the time to go through every copy of those resumes piled up on his table. He may not remember all the qualifications and achievements of numerous candidates. Therefore, in order to cover up for this, the interviewer tries the easy getaway, which is by asking the candidate to give an introduction about himself.
However, you do not have to give out the same information contained in your curriculum vitae, since the recruiter has a copy, which he can refer to at later stages. What exactly do you put forth in this interview trickster, then? First and foremost, the interviewer would love to know if you fit the bill! He would like to gain information regarding your skill-sets, qualifications, goals-and all this in relation to the required skill-sets, policies and goals of the organisation.
Do rewind back to those movie trailers that create the excitement in you to immediately go and watch the movie.... this is the effect your answer should achieve, as the end result! You do not need to mouth the in-depth chronological order of your achievements and experiences. Do your background research on the organisation; identify its area of specialisation, goals and past achievements. Then, correlate how your qualifications and experience could help the company, en route to achieving their aims. In addition to this, also look at the aspect of gaining work and learning experiences from the organisation and furthering your personal goals.
On analysing these inter-related facets of the job, put down these facts in a chronological order.
Highlight why the interviewer must choose you, amongst the numerous other candidates and how the organisation could benefit by making you a part of it. This means, you need to place your core skills on focus, to attract the attention of the interviewer.
Do not get too far-fetched and sound pompous. To nullify this effect, you can identify how you could stand to benefit by working for the esteemed organisation! Choice of words, the right facial expressions and body language can help you gain those brownie points.
Humility coupled with confidence and focus, without reaching towards both the extremities is the way to go.
In between, you could of course, add in titbits about your interests and goals, giving the person at the other end, a good amount of insight into your personality. Showcasing your ability to work in teams and your effective leadership skills could help you form a concrete and rounded answer.
You could choose to remain slightly serious throughout, striking a light note or sharing a fact when it gets too straight-faced!
All along, remain polite and bear a pleasant countenance to air that very attractive trailer, forcing your employer to employ you and enjoy the entire movie as well! However, ensure that you do not indulge in presenting misleading facts that could spoil the show entirely.
PREETI RAGHUNATH
faqs@cnkonline.com
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