Hi everyone, long overdue comment/s on this video, obviously it is one of my first, it is unscripted and unedited. But I like this video because it gets at the core of what is most important with this question - CONNECTIVITY! If you are not connecting with your interviewer, especially in the beginning of the interview when this question is asked, you are really hurting your chances of getting the job. Please respond to this comment and let me know if you would like me to do a follow up video to this one. Thanks for watching!
Hi Jeff! Amazing video. Question: When we start elaborating on the core strengths each backed with an example, how elaborate should be the example. Do you recommend following STAR (I have purposely not written L and F) method here; or just dive wrap the examples in a couple of lines. Ending the conversation with.. I am happy to go into details for any of these that you would like to know more about.
@@itisabeautifullife Yes, in this particular case, if they want you to elaborate, you will provide a more high level example and then see if they would like to learn more, you got it :)
Hi Jeff, Thank you for the great content. I really like the approach and would love to use for my next interview. But, I wanted to understand what key skills here means, do you mean technical skills or behavioral skills. Being a Data Analyst, mostly the job description is around SQL, dashboards and reporting. So, if you could give me an example of what skills we can use. Thank you!
@@nikitarajpal7559 Hi, my recommendation would be to pickup 3 skills quite different from each other. Technical skills could be one, and maybe something about your project management style or collaboration... etc. Then the interviewer has the choice if he wants to go to the technical path or more personnal :)
This was amazing!! I was invited for an onsite interview for a TPM position last year in Sunnyvale ... I did not get the role but they said I did really well and want to keep in touch. They recently contacted me to start the process again for a Cloud TPM role! Watching your videos will certainly help me get closer to an offer extended! Thanks, Jeff!!
Stephen, great news! Because TPM roles vary greatly at Google (even within Cloud), make sure to ask your Recruiter very specific question about what will be covered in each interview. Also, really practice open-ended questions, without a doubt these are the questions that trip most people up when interviewing at Google. Feel free to reach out directly to me at jeff@jeffhsipe.com, if you have additional questions. Good luck!
Jeff, thank you soooo much for all this invaluable insights. I watched your videos religiously and followed all your advice to prep for my interviews at Google in a policy/legal position and guess what… I got it ! :-). I believe it was due to the dynamic and intriguing approach to my answers that was a huge factor in my win and that’s thanks to you. God bless you.
Great video. This is why you have to memorize the job requisition to fully know the hard and soft skills they require. You need to answer all questions in complete alignments with the requirements of their role.
David, yes! You absolutely should get warm and cozy with the job description. Typically, at least half the questions asked in any interview pertain directly to an item(s) in the JD.
@secretsaltshake, thank you so much! All the advice out there is simply giving a career recap or adding details that your interviewer doesn't care about! One additional trick I have realized, is after you have introduced the three areas that align the best with the role and your background, you tell your interviewer you would be happy to expand on any of those items AND you can also say "I would also be happy to walk you through my resume."
I re-watched this video multiple times. Each time I watch this video, I learn some new knowledge that I was not paying attention to previously. Amazing work! Thank you Jeff. Focus on why your skills aligns well with the role. give the interviewers an option to choose what they want to know more about your skills set. Focus on what you can contribute to the company if you are in that role specifically and why you are a great fit. these will help the interviewers to make better decisions.
George, yes, and remember, this should be a theme throughout the interview when answering this question or other questions, focus on the needs of the role and how your skills align!
I don’t know a better answer to this question. I realized that good salespeople also use this while pitching their expensive software. Thanks for sharing!
I think your suggested answer also shows the interviewee’s “googlyness” in addition to giving a unique and out of the box answer to this common question. That is showing intellectual curiosity to understand what the most relevant and optimal answer is to help the interviewer reach a decision efficiently about his/her candidacy. I like it. Subscribed the channel. I have a 2nd ProgMgr phone interview coming up.
Chubu, thank you so much for your insight. The reality is that this approach is not for everyone, but being bold and doing something different is also an opportunity to create connectivity. This question typically comes first, so laying the foundation for success with this question can set a positive tone for the rest of the interview 😀
Jeff H Sipe so on my first phone interview I wasn’t asked ‘tell me about yourself’ but rather the interviewer dived into one of the items on my resume that he thought was interesting. They want to do another phone screening so I’m preparing for all possible questions. I’m curious what they might be interested to know more (that they didn’t get from my first interview). 😊
@@chubulu9842 so the most important item if possible is to ask the Recruiter / Hiring Manager what the focus of the interview will be, this is a very fair question. Secondly, reflect back to the types of questions they asked in the first interview, what was not covered that is critical for success in the role? Whatever you think is super important from a relevancy standpoint is definitely an area/s you should practice. Good luck!
Hey Jeff, that is fantastic content that is beyond your imagination. As a person who listens to videos 1.25x on youtube, I re-play your videos to take notes. Keep it up, you rock!
kerem bilgin, I love that you brought up the 1.25x comment. I am really low and slow, I often recommend that people watch me on 2x. And just as an overall comment, 2x feels fast at first, but once you start listening to all learning platforms on 2x, you get really used to it. I do all learning at 2x. Thanks!
Super helpful video! I've never thought to answer in this way... I always answered about my careers and experience... I should prepare as your advise..! Gosh.. I'm so lucky that could watch this video before having interview... :D
guruphiji, haha thanks! This video was shot on my lanai in Maui, the lighting was pretty great there, I have since moved multiple times! I sincerely appreciate your positive comment!
Beautiful content man I literally was just force to subscribe! I’ll be using that tactic in the near future. This is a very good way to position the interview from a conventional question answer into a true connection with honest dialogue! Thanks a million
l_solid, thanks, it is so important to remember that tell me about yourself is a first question and creating a good first impression is critical, so let's break the old pattern and give them a slightly different answer.
This was exactly what I was looking for. Video is full of content. Thank you sir!!!! I guess it will surely help me to clear my interview ❤️❤️❤️❤️ plz keep posting videos . I want tips for group discussion as well!!
Pooja, thank you for the kind comments! For the group discussion video, do you mean how to interview when it is not one to one, but when you have multiple people interviewing you at one time? Thanks!
@@jeffhsipepi no sir, I mean how to perform well in a group discussion by gaining everyone's attention. Group discussion is an arrangement of seating of around 10 to 12 members who are supposed to talk on a topic given.
Hi Jeff.Hope you are doing well. I am preparing for an interview at Google, and I a must say that your videos are really really really insightful! They are very crisp and concise with loads of takeaways and actionable advice. I have a question though - regarding the 3 core strenghts/skills - should these be technical skills or soft skills or both? Can these be overlapping skills or should these be disjoint? Could you please give some examples of what could be relevant skills and how would you word them (e.g. for an Account Manager or a Project Manager role)?
Vijay, great question, they can be both and they can overlap in some way, shape, or form. Some of the most important concepts in these roles revolve around communication, problem solving, navigating ambiguity, leadership, stakeholder management, etc., to name a bunch. Remember, focus on what you think your key skills/strengths are and how they are relevant to the role. Good luck!
This advice is such a gem! Thanks for sharing and also for trusting to publish the unscripted and unedited video. One follow up question - do you this approach is effective/relevant when this question is asked in an interview at the late-stage of the recruitment process (of a company)?
Nikhil Kim, yes this is one of my first videos, definitely unscripted!! Anyone who asks you this question at any point in the process, likely wants to see how you tackle it for one reason or another. So the same approach will work at any stage. Thanks!
Great advice! The final point seems to be the most general rule about hos to present yourself - always keeping focus on how your skills can help the company. Thanks for the video :)
Thanks Lea! Exactly, and making it a dialogue, if you focus on what your interviewer and the company need, you will ultimately be the person they hire :)
I have viewed few of your videos related to Program Management and I find them wonderful. Its basic, common sense stuff somewhere in our mind but what you have said brings them forward in a more structured way to present. Thanks and great work Jeff!!
Sunil, thanks! Yes, I totally agree, how we structure our answers is such a critical facet of success because we have a very limited amount of time to impress our interviewers!
Sula, yes! Tell me about yourself? What are your strengths? Why should we hire you? This methodology works for all three. This is all about connectivity, if we go through our entire background for our interviewer we are not connecting with them. Get into the weeds right away of why you are a fit and how it directly correlates with the role. Otherwise, we are using up valuable interview time talking about stuff that may or may not pertain to the position we are interviewing for. Is the interviewer going to remember the second company you worked for in your career after the interview or remember the person that aligned the needs of the role when answering questions. This is the critical item I want everyone to be thinking about. I hope this helps!
Brilliant advice, as I've come to expect. I've got an interview in 2 days and hope to incorporate much of what you've hit on--particularly the advice on taking control and engaging the interviewer/s.
Jeff -- been really enjoying your video and thanks for great videos! Would you say this approach is still applicable? I like your approach but just want to make sure that this is something I can still use given that this video was posted in 2018. :)
Thanks Jeff! This was really helpful. Would you be able to share how long the answer to this question should be overall? How long should the explanation of each of the 3 strengths be? Should we tell a "story" about each strength? Use the STARLF method? Thank you!
Ilan, 1 minutes or less, you will only expand on a strength if the interviewer asks you to and still in that case you would provide a high level example, not use the entire STARLF method.
@@ilanbrownstein4379, no, it would be really hard to expand on all three in under 1 minute, if they ask you to expand on any strength, you will definitely go over a minute!
Jeff, fantastic video, thank you for putting this up. Out of curiosity, do you think is it ever worthwhile to bring up your "scored" personality traits, ie DISC score, Meyers Briggs - or is it better to stick with the core strengths?
Sivakumar, yes! Let's tackle this question in a different way, the cookie cutter way where I learn about your education and career does not work, it is not memorable! Switch it up and you will create a different more connected response from your interviewer! Thanks!
John, great question and no video required :). Your thank you EMAIL should be four to five sentences that thanks them for their time, highlights a couple of specific items from the interview, and reiterates your interest. Double and triple check for grammar/spelling/etc. Lastly, get it out same day (evening is fine), never delay on this item, quick follow up shows you are organized and thoughtful. Lastly, if you do not have their email, ask the HR person or Recruiter to forward it to your interviewer for you. For example: Jane, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to speak with me about your open Business Analyst position. The company approach to life cycle management is unique/intriguing and I am confident that my experience at Dow would be a strong match in this area. In addition, your organizations reliance on SAP is a good fit for my background having utilized their software at my last three companies. Lastly, I enjoyed the opportunity to share my career transition story and my passion for analytical work. I remain excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity and I am looking forward to next steps. Thanks! John I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions and thank you for your engagement!
Hi Jeff, I love the way you simply , yet detail your answers , great video. I have a question about upcoming interview with Google yet the only thing I was told that I'm interviewing for a general program manager position and the recruiter have not found a open position or a team yet , although I intaially passed the first interview and now going for the five interviews after . What is the best way to prepare this. Thank you
Samer, the most important item is figuring out the cadence with your Recruiter, how often they are comfortable with you checking in, this gives you back control. Ask them, can I check in weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
Hi Jeff, thanks for your videos they are really inspiring but actually i couldnt get this video somehow. I got the idea of not giving prepared answer to interviewer but why i am telling my 3 strenght when they ask me ''tell me about yourself'' they are not asking directly my strenght. I am thinking maybe this answer can be little awkward.
Özlem Akgönül, yup! Some people do not love this approach and I get it, I think you shouldn't use it if you do not feel comfortable. It is just really important to remember they are not asking you to walk them through your background, but to tell them why you are there and a fit for the role. And by aligning your strengths to what the role needs, you can sometimes make stronger connections with your interviewer!
Hi Jeff - thanks for the helpful video! I have an initial phone screen interview with Google on Monday. One of the challenges I've had with any 30 minute intro call with recruiters is trying to condense 12 years of experience in a 5-10 minute pitch. I use the JD to try and focus on my touch points as to not waste precious time, but often feel that disconnection. Do you think this approach works specifically when asked "walk me through your background/resume"? If so, and if they do ask to touch on one or all of the core skills I highlight, do you immediately jump into specific examples? Appreciate any insight!
Denise, good questions. If a Recruiter asks you to walk them through your resume, it will be a longer answer, but you will still focus on the skills and positions that align with the role. This will be a different approach because they are specifically asking you to go into your resume. If they do want you to expand on a core skill, ask them if they would like an example. You should be able to condense 12 years of experience down pretty quickly as long as you are staying really close to the role your are interviewing for, I hope this helps!
Martin, I strongly encourage you not to share personal information in the interview. Not every interviewer will dislike this approach, but we just don't know our interviewer, so it is best not to risk it.
excellent approach. QQ - how does this differ to the "how others describe you"? do we need to deviate from skills, and describe how what we do in our current job relates to the role?
Invictus, great questions, first, you are definitely right, there are a bunch of these questions that have crossover, from tell me about yourself, to what are your strengths, to how would others describe you. You want to think in 3's and mention 3 items that are specific to the needs of the role. So that correlates with your second question, and that is also a yes, you want to think about the high level skills you are performing and how they directly apply to the position you are interviewing for. I hope this helps, thanks for a great comment!
@@jeffhsipepi Thank you for clarifying Jeff. I understand (restating) 'describing skills' could index on just skills and 'tell me about yourself' could be more of an elaboration. Is that correct or close?
@@InviCtusChamp The goal is two parts, first is to identify what skills are a close match for the role and secondly to make it interactive with your interviewer. Lastly, in any interview you got the tell me about yourself questions and the strengths question for instance, you would want to build connectivity between the two. I hope this helps!
@@jeffhsipepi Thank you sir, you are gentleman and a scholar. I think I need to think these two out a bit as I end up with different skills; but I'm at a good point to start thanks to you. Cheers!
This response is unorthodox & might throw the interviewer off, particularly when they’re expecting you to go on a career-highlight rant for about 2-mins; and then they have a good baseline of where to place you & what probing questions to follow up with next - based off what you’ve just narrated to them. But since it’s coming from you Jeff, I think it’s worth the risk going about it this way - worst that will happen is they tell you that they actually want you to answer the question in the traditional way they were expecting or the don’t move ahead with you as a candidate due to your unorthodox response to this routine question. Wheew, let me go and focus on my core strengths and see the ones the align to the role & prepare for the 2nd stage of my interview. I hope I have the courage when push comes to shove to compose myself & respond as calmly as you did while smartly inserting a question back to the interviewer too. Thanks.
Lanre, yes, try it, they can always ask the question you are typically answer - Walk me through your resume. Tell me about yourself is about connecting why you are a fit for the role. And it is a way to wake them up from the typical answer and get them to pay attention and get intrigued from the start!
@@jeffhsipepiGotcha Jeff, will attempt this style in the next phase and revert. And when they do pick one of the core skills I earlier highlighted that I should particularly focus on, that’s when I’d start pouring examples of scenarios from my previous roles where I showcased that core skill; maybe using the S.T.A.R technique right?
@@1anre so you offer to back your strengths with examples, but you would not go into the full example. Meaning you would highlight the high level example and then ask them if they want to dig deeper. Remember, this is a warm up question, so we want to make sure that the interviewer can stick to their agenda. I hope this helps!
Hi Jeff, I have my interview for a PgM role but the recruiter told me that they will decide the team after they interview me. How should I go for this answer in that case?
Hey I got great information from your videos .. thanks for that. I m in my Onsite interviews now. But I was given message that before starting Onsite interviews that position is on hold, like headcount is on hold. Can you please tell me something about that. What does that mean ,while person is about to start Onsite interviews
Antariksh, I am sorry to hear the position has been put on hold. There are really an endless number of reasons why this happens. The most common reason is the business needs changed/are changing and the organization is trying to determine the validity of hiring for this specific role. You should try and get full clarity from the Recruiter or Hiring Manager about the reason it was put on hold and how this impacts your future opportunities with the organization. What company are interviewing with (if you can say)? Thanks!
@@jeffhsipepi thanks for prompt response. I am interviewing Google. I had 2 Onsite interviews yesterday. I have 1 now and 2 on in couple of days. Though they said it was on hold but I was given choice for either go for interviews or drop off. But I decided to go for it and complete all process
@@antarikshvora007 great choice, finish the interviews and if they go well, Google will try their best to find another position for you. The biggest thing to know about Google, is if you do great in the interviews they will always try to find a role for you, now or in the future. Good luck!!
Radhe, great question! I believe taking this approach works for anyone. The reason is because it is position aligned. So, a fresher (freshman) interviewing for an internship could focus on the skills they have learned in classes, team projects, and or being part of a club or sports team. People get the job by having skill alignment, so this happens at every level. I know this approach is a little tough, but it works and engages your interviewer in a different way than the typical answer. I hope this helps, thanks!
Hi, Firstly I would like to thank you for sharing this kind of wonderful and helpful videos I am having interview next week for the role of Territory Manager SMB Google Workspace at Google. Can you suggest me few important things for preparation and kind of questions I need to prepare
