Tell me about yourself — Simplified
Interviewing — Tell me about yourself (Part 1)
How do I prepare for an interview? I am not sure what the interviewer will ask or ponder upon? I am not sure what should I ask the interviewer? Am I well suited for the role or under-qualified? Will I get this job?
I am sure all of us working in corporate world may have experienced these heightened sense of anxiety at some points in our life. After all, it is natural human psyche to do well, or to be seen as competent or fit, under any circumstances. Given the times we are witnessing with dwindling economies, mounting job losses and every $ expense being scanned into with a microscope, it is both natural and imperative that potential candidates consider the bigger macro picture into account and spend an enormous amount of time introspecting, discussing and preparing for these far & few job interviews.
I have been fortunate to have worked with some great organisations like Apple, Google & Target among others. Moreover, I coach a number of candidates looking for that job change, or career progression since the past several years. I would like to start a series here on Medium.com articulating my experience going past interviews at these top organisations, learnings from my mistakes, and coached by some of the best leaders. Without getting into specific answers, I would focus on the potential approaches, best practices in addressing interview questions as you attempt to position yourself for the job.
In this article, I wish to focus and emphasise on one of the most basic yet loaded questions that almost 99% interviewers tend to begin with — “Tell me about yourself”.
Before we delve into the specific question, it is critical to note that the adage “first impressions are last impressions” is absolutely relevant more so in an interview set up. Here are my suggestions:
- Ditch the Monologue: Do not Rattle off your bio or resume. Take a pause and think — Why does the interviewer pose that question when he or she has seen your resume, in all likelihood checked out your LinkedIn profile too? Please refrain.
- Understand the role: A good starting point is the job description — look for phrases such as “required” or “must have” or “highly desired” to preempt the requirements. The key is to understand personal attributes the hiring manager is looking for (team player, self-starter, etc), and not qualification (MBA, 5 years of experience). Then look for ways to substantiate how you are adept at the skills expected.
- Tell a story: This is extremely critical and impactful. Each one of us comes with our own unique experience, learning curve, an inner circle of mentors / influencers and strengths. Stitching a coherent story woven from these components, experiences is always invaluable and can boost the authenticity quotient many notches. According to advisors at Yale University, the best answers to “tell me about yourself” often include a motivational story. Though there is no standard rule, it must not exceed 2 minutes.
- Knead it together: There is YOU. And then there is the “Company”. Match who you are and your personal story with the company’s brand and primary need. Exploring the company website, videos of its top brass to understand the culture and values is also a good investment in this pursuit.
In Practice:
What the company is looking for: Vendor Operations Lead
What they’re known for: Exceptional customer service, simplicity in products
Your answer : “I love solving problems collaboratively. The fact that I am a people’s person helps too. I enjoy listening to and talking to people within & outside my organisation, even strangers on a flight and exchanging perspectives and offering help. I perceive even internal stakeholders as “customers” who need to be served and delighted. It has helped me in my career to look at problems from a customer lens.
One of the bigger reasons for choosing a career in vendor operations, and here’s what I like about your company ……..”
In a nutshell, it boils down to preparation — about the following:
Who are you? What is your story? How is my story relevant to the job at hand?
It is about putting all the pieces together. Keeping it authentic and relevant at the same time. Think of it in a similar way like elevator pitch where one tries to strike a conversation, typically with someone really senior in the organisation, about a topic (beyond small talk) in a contextually sensible way, within time constraints. It won’t come off the cuff, or out of the blue.
Investing in yourself entails focusing on these little aspects of your journey and being able to articulate it to a stranger who is either assessing you in an interview or who might become interested in your credentials basis the depth and uniqueness of your story. Think about a cricketer who is not in the playing 11 for now. He or she spends time in the net practicing with different bowlers, and in different conditions, to be able to face any eventuality and improve their chances of selection next time team composition is to be decided.
Enough said. Hope you will find this article useful. Looking forward to your comments.
In the next article, we will focus on a different aspect of interviewing process in detail i.e., How to take charge & convert it into a conversation. Stay tuned.
You can also drop comments to me at gundecha18@gmail.com.
AG
