HOW TO ANSWER : Tell Us About Yourself
Tell us about yourself:
This is an icebreaker question. Do not pre-empt everything about
you.
The important things are the following:
-Your name
-Academic qualifications
-Relevant work experience.
-Key skills.
-Achievements.
There are several formulas you can use. For example there is a formula called the Present-Past-Future formula.
So, first you start with the present where you are right now. Then, segue into the past a little bit about the experiences you’ve had and the skills you gained at the previous position. Finally, finish with the future why you are really excited for this particular opportunity.
Another formula: You answer it in three phases
I am, I have, I can
I am is basically your name
I have are your qualifications e.g your certificates, leadership positions held and accomplishments.
I can is your abilility
NB: “Tell me about yourself.” is not an invitation to recite your entire life story or even to go bullet by bullet through your resume. Instead, it’s probably your first and best chance to pitch the hiring manager on why you’re the right one for the job.
Here is a good example:
If someone asked, “tell me about yourself,” you could say:
“Well, I’m currently an account executive at Standard , where I handle our top performing client. Before that, I worked at an agency where I was on three different major national healthcare brands. And while I really enjoyed the work that I did, I’d love the chance to dig in much deeper with one specific healthcare company, which is why I’m so excited about this opportunity with Metro Health Center.”
Remember throughout your answer to focus on the experiences and skills that are going to be most relevant for the hiring manager when they’re thinking about this particular position and this company.
And ultimately, don’t be afraid to relax a little bit, tell stories and anecdotes the hiring manager already has your resume, so they also want to know a little more about you.
