Read the full article here: resources.biginterview.com/in... Top interview coach Pamela Skillings walks you through how to build a strong answer to the most common interview question: "Tell me about yourself".
Remember: Don’t try to squeeze in too much information or your interviewer WILL start to tune out. A good interview is a dialogue, not a monologue. Keep it concise and give your interviewer the chance to dive in and ask questions. Practicing your answer over and over will be the key to success, so break out the mirror and a stopwatch, or get the full advantage of the interactive practice tool inside our Big Interview training system. biginterview.com/instant-access
We offer a "new grad" curriculum (under Playbooks) that helps you answer this question (especially if you don't have much experience). It's specifically meant to help you build strong answers to this question (and similar ones) where your frame your other types of experience (from school for examples) and make it relevant to the employer. We try to guide step-by-step through this process to make it as easy as possible.
Great advice. It's also important to remember that if you got an interview, you have already been deemed qualified. The interview is essentially an opportunity to show the employer that you're sensible and easy to work with.
As an HR Manager, I can tell you that the interviewer is simply wanting you to show that you are a person of depth, they are wanting to see your personality a little bit. I personally ask that to see what kind of person they are. I want to see how they hold a conversation, I can generally tell a lot about a person within 10 minutes of talking to them regardless of the questions being asked. So I am technically "Judging them" to a lesser extent. Not judging on character, but Honesty, Integrity, and how they will interact with the staff and other stuff I can't divulge, but you get the point. Its an interview, and interrogation of lesser sincerity and consequence. Some HR managers/recruiters have NO CLUE what they are doing. So whatever you do? WHen it comes to an interview, the BEST thing you can do is BE YOU!!! DO NOT BE NERVOUS! That HR manager is just a dumb ass Human Being just LIKE YOU! No better No worse. The only difference is that they already have the job and that job is to judge YOU! So Be YOU and only YOU! That is the best thing to do.
it's a stupid question to ask. It only reveals how poor the communication skills of HR people are. I was once asked this and responded with "what do you want to know?" since it is so vague and irrelevant. The interviewer was nonplussed. She then asked me to tell her about my work background. She should have asked this specifically in the first place, or looked at my resume. I didn't get the job, even though I was a perfect fit. I didn't meet her subjective criteria,
Just say what she said. You won a to. of awards managed groups and loved to run reports and hp people and love to e challenged to emotional break down and possible suicide. Job awarded.
My previous jobs: physical labor with no actual awards or outward recognition even available Me: my supervisors were impressed and immensely grateful for my work ethic and pacing.
interviewer: "What excites you about this position?" Me: "Well I really wasn't ready for that question. The Big Interview Channel on RU-vid did not cover this as a follow up"
I actually used this video to format my answer after recently answering this question in another interview and failing misery because I didn’t prepare lol but after watching this, I had a thorough answer that the interview actually complimented and it answered more than one question they had for me. Also I did get the job 🙂🙂 great tips, thank you!
@@Mohamedxx I guess you will tell them that we all start somewhere, and instead of work experience talk about what you think you would do and maybe give some life examples that my emphasize when you showed a specific qualify they may look for...
Get a job at mcdonalds, put your graduate skills to work. Get the team in ship shape and make it the best mcdonald's in the city. Any boss anywhere will hire you instantly.
Could not agree more. Many times it just comes down to "Can I work with this person ?" Lack of Knowledge and skills can be fixed, lack of personality skills.....hard to fix !!
No doubt. When I moved I had to start all over with finding a new job, exhausting for sure. I went to interviews that I thought I was prepared for but in reality I wasn't. Found out I needed to research the companies mission statement and culture and stick to their lingo, like, we are compassionate and caring, etc. My first job interview I didn't do that and didn't get the job BUT my second interview I researched the company, I looked at reviews, comments from patients, any negative/positive aspects of working there, etc and nailed it even though I basically just used words and phrasing from their mission statement mottos to fit into what they wanted. It felt that I was being phoney but it worked out and of course later on it felt more real and eventually I was "in" their culture and fit in.
This is so good, i am feeling so relaxed now after watching this one, Thanks for sharing very important information. I have my interview on coming Monday, this will really help me a lot.
I was searching all internet in answering interview questions and bought many books to beat my weakness until I stumbled upon your portal. The way you approach the Q&As and the flow really helped me to spend some quality time on phrasing my answers. I am not really bothered with interviews anymore. Thanks a lot and please continue the good work.
This question is always so interesting to me! It’s a simple straight forward question, but it trips people.... ALL the time. I suppose because we don’t think of ourselves as “broad” individuals until we have to think about ourselves. My biggest suggestion to anyone who has ever struggled with this question: Wright a short, mini-bibliography of yourself. Then re-read and practice this short passage over and over, tweak as you see fit and find better understanding of yourself. You are ALWAYS going to be asked this question in all social aspects, knowing how to answer it will be key to success. The single thing I pay most attention to when interviewing people, is their reaction when prompted by a question. The stuttering and inconsistency always brings their confidence down, then it becomes a downward dough spiral!
This is really good! Probably the best response I've seen on RU-vid as it relates to this question. Broken down very well. Love it! Thanks for sharing!!!
Got a interview tomorrow, wish me luck everyone 🙈🙌🏾❤️ The job I was talking about I wouldn’t say I got the job but It was a 2 step process. I was able to get a call back for the second interview a lot of others didn’t. But I didn’t get the job due to me going on vacation and they needed someone ASAP to work. HOWEVER, I was blessed with another job and I got it !!! This video helped me allot.
I like her; she is awesome and super knowledgeable. I hated this question for so long “Tell me about yourself”. Her formula is brilliant. Keeping it professional and interesting. So glad I get to watch this multiple times for free! Now, Let me tell you about myself.... I am the essence.
Interviewing next Wednesday. Already had a phone interview that went well since I got an invite to a in-person interview. I love the elevator analogy as it breaks the question down and keeps focus where it's needed and will do the most good.
been practicing these tips and had a 4 person panel interview lasting 2 hours today and they just called me offering me the position with a signing bonus! very useful video!
Love your organized and concise approach. This was extremely informative and helpful, and an excellent use of my time. Thank you for sharing. I’m writing up my three talking points now.
Just used this technique and ACED my interview! I was told that normally she would have to send her notes from the call to the hiring manager to see if I'm qualified to come in for an in-person interview, but the phone call went so well that she offered me an in-person interview herself! Practice what works for you and the company you want to work for and really try to impress them with this technique.
Thanks! I used your strategy when speaking at my first staff meeting this morning. I'm a new employee and struggled to find something to say to the audience as I was introduced by my supervisor. Your strategies helped me construct what I wanted to say to my new co-workers.
1:12 Answer this question well is one of the most effective things you can do in the entire interview 1:32 Take the time to prepare how you want to tell your story 2:01 You want to sound natural 2:37 You need to know your key speaking points 3:00 Proven 3-step approach: Who you are, why you’re qualified and why you’re here 6:09 When asked about what you did somewhere, you’re going to focus on what you did that was above and beyond 6:45 The goal when your answering why you’re here
Excellent, excellent. Explained why the question is asked, how to approach the question, breaks down each approach to the question, then models an example of a quality response. This vid is articulate and incredibly helpful, well done, thank you.
I thought with my 20+ years of experience in HR I knew it all (almost), but this is such a superb way of summarising 'WHO YOU ARE" and is a very helpful guide to get through a nervous process!
Pamela, you should run for President, I will vote for you! I love the most honest guidelines ever seen, true teacher will give honestly everything best she has and you did wonderful. Your speaking speed, voice, clarity, pauses, presentation, examples everything is amazing in this vide. Thank you!
Love this!! My last interviewer said my pitch was unconvincing but she could see relevant experience i didn't highlight in my initial pitch once we started talking
Thanks your video helped me! They definitely asked me this question and I feel preparing helped me. I was selected the next day as the senior HR at Randolph Brooks Credit Union, I thank you for this video.. there is Life after the military!
This i actually solid advice and a good way to inject both personality and also flex qualifications while keeping the answer concise. A lot of interview advice pushes the qualifications section too much, which is basically a rehashing of your resume. The last piece allows you to express passion and enthusiasm for the role, which has a lot less to do with your qualifications but can say a lot about your potential dedication to the work and your fit in the company culture.
One additional recommendation would be to answer with question with "I reviewed the position and it appears to be a great match for my three of my core strengths/skills, problem solving, leadership, and driving results with data (identify your specific strengths for the position you are applying to). I am happy to discuss all three, but is their one strength you would like me to focus on that would aligns with your specific needs right now for this opening?" This is important because you turned your focus specifically to the role and how you are a fit, these are the critical items for the tell me about yourself question. Remember sometimes company priorities change after they post the role, don't assume that they won't have a specific skill or strength that is critical right now/today; you are allowing the interviewer to see that you are focused on their needs and removing any guess work or assumptions about what is most important to them. This strategy may only work 25% of the time, but in those instances you will be telling the interviewer exactly what they want to hear. If not, you are still focused on aligning your core strengths/skills with the position and this is always a good idea! I hope this insight helps!
Thank you so much, I was stumped on trying to figure out how to lead into the middle portion of my answer and your method helped to ease that transition!
Another way I've been asked this question is "Tell me something that's not on your resume", and I think I've perfected my answer since my biggest fun fact is not in my resume. Great vid!
Thank you very much. This is very useful. Got a response,"thank you. This is exactly what we are looking for too." Passed the interview and was given a task.
Wtf, I'm such a failure! I made it a mere 4 minutes into this valuable and extremely helpful video before I tuned her out while reading through some of these funny af comments. And even worse I've lost my patience for this and will be going back to searching for some new junk freakout videos.😩
OMG this video is a big boost Cause now I'm confident on how to answer this question the correct way and now I like my answer p.s still get nervous at first interviews.
I watched many videos and read many articles from Pamela Skillings in preparation for my big interview! I found the information very useful and I could see why I was unsuccessful in the past. I am proud to say that I secured my dream job with a prominent airline thanks to you Pamela Skillings! I would highly recommend all jobseekers to use big interview.com !
I have watched may videos regarding this question, the 3 step approach is the best and has helped me answer the dreaded tell me about yourself question. Thank you very much!
Great video! To the point , informative but not dragging to get to the point and ACTUALLY gives DIRECT A & B= C INSTRUCTIONS with the AWESOME example at the end with answering the question, covering the bullet points in the flow that's being taught! THIS is the BEST video YET that I have seen on how to "DEAL" answer this question. Are your other videos this informative and instructive dealing with other typical interview questions? GREAT JOB!!
I'm up against 30-40 other people in a group interview next week, and I like to think that I'm probably the most enthusiastic person that'll be there. It's not just another job to me.
Thank you, this really helped me a lot on previous interviews. I watched the video again because I have an interview tomorrow for a summer job! Wish me luck!!! :)
Wow! Just wow! I have an interview this afternoon. I've been listening to different video's and this one beats them all - hands down. It's short, sweet and if you can pull it together as the lady is asking, you will not have a problem. Thank you!
that death sentence for introverts ... tell me about yourself! before i tell you about myself i need AT LEAST 10 seconds to organize the phrases and words in my head, and then 5 seconds to choose which voice tone , pitch and volume i need to use, and then what detail i need to apply and what to cut out! I HATE INTERVIEWS! they are made for extroverts not for introverts! besides .. i'd rather work by myself .. and for anyone who wishes to know why the hell i am here then? it's because of curiosity for the answer for the question
It's always been so sad to me that interviews are awesome for ppl who are pompous/arrogant, dont mind talking about themselves, and overall full of sh*t (and of course those who do practice and learn it as a skill).....but those who are full of BS are still much better at it than ppl who are a little more humble.
@@mizztiqueboudoir7657 which is more powerful? being prepared to be interviewed, or being ALWAYS prepared to interview THE REAL interviewers' hidden self in front of you? you think we just go in hopes for getting hired? we already can sense how much pressure is applied over the agent that is responsible to choose the "right" people as is! both sides ARE pressured! ... sheesh!
So, I'm going for a position as a server in a retirement community, and the opening statement I'm trying to streamline is "I graduated last year with a degree in Sociology and Social Service, which became a backbone for my interests in customer and food service, elder care, and team cohesion. I did multiple internships in college helping young children with focus and sociability roadblocks, and spent nearly two years aiding my grandparents through recovery from their individual injuries. Despite not having much in terms of official, paid experience, I'm enthusiastic about carrying this education with me and practicing my professional functioning throughout my hobbies and personal life. In addition to being able to help my loved ones with their emotional needs on their own terms, I spend a lot of time in my own home cooking, and take the opportunity to rehearse my poise and efficiency for plating and moving dishes, as I've been fascinated by food service workers for most of my life. The great sense of spatial awareness and fast-paced quality control from my work in Inventory and Custodial positions propelled me to great personal recognition from my supervisors and is where I find my comfort zone in terms of pacing." I'm not asking for unpaid advice, I'm just putting this here so I can keep reviewing the video and editing it myself until I think it all fits into the template better.
I appreciate your perspective - articulating one's self can be very difficult! I actually define who I am in the last video on my channel - I encourage everyone to do something similar: Define WHO YOU ARE, and then stay committed to stay true to yourself.
I am very responsible and on time and happy person and willing to learn more. well I have 10 years in teaching children from k-3 and I have 23 EC unit and have 2 years of collage in Early Child Care. I work well with other and I know how to work with young children with their learning . I am here for this job because my other job was 3 hr. a day and I need this job is 8 hr. a day because I love working with children. Thank you
I remember during the first time I was asked this question, "tell me about yourself" - I immediately introduced myself and even telling the interviewer my personal life and she gave me a sigh. Weeks later I was re-interviewed (maybe they got no other applicant to interview hahahaha). I remember the face of the interviewer during my first interview and then I told her, sorry I am not familiar with the question and that was the first time I was asked that kind of question but if you will give me a chance, I can show to you more about myself by giving my best performance for the job and will show to you my accomplishment and result. That is how confident I am for the position. One month later, they called and I got the job.
Great video! If you have no prior work experience, I always tell people to talk about: 1. Your relevant past (don't go into your entire childhood). If it's a marketing gig, talk about your college studies and that internship or project you've been working on. 2. How that past has led to your interest in this position. Be specific about why it's such a great fit for you. 3. How you plan to help the company and be successful in this role. Make sure you're knowledgeable on the topic! It always helps to talk with people in the industry first. Always keep your answer to 3 minutes max! No one wants to hear someone drone on and on about themselves, especially at the beginning of an interview. Keep it as conversational as possible.
Good luck on your job interviews! This is a very important video. The way you start and finish your interview are what leaves the biggest impression on the interviewer. Be sure to make eye contact with the interviewer too!
