If not all, there definitely are a few predictable questions asked in an interview, one of them being ‘œTell me about yourself’. We share a few relevant things you must keep in mind while answering Tell me about yourself in an interview.
Getting shortlisted for the interview is your first step towards a new job. What comes next is an interview with your prospective employer. Because your resume might have described about your job profile, experience and interests in brief, you need to be prepared about what are you going to talk about in the interview.
If not all, there definitely are a few predictable questions asked in an interview, one of them being “Tell me about yourself”. I, personally, feel it’s a very boring and vague question wherein you need to give a verbal bio data about yourself. But unfortunately, hiring managers have oathed to know it from you in-person, which is why you have to be prepared for it.
While you know what to talk about when you answer that question, you need to make sure that you answer it in such a way that impresses your interviewer. We share a few relevant things you must keep in mind while answering Tell me about yourself in an interview. Read on.
Relevantly describe your points
While you talk about yourself, never forget whom are you talking to. While being informal with friends and family is absolutely normal, you must mention things that are relevant only to your profile. For example, the first thing you should talk about is your name and the region you belong to or living at. You need not talk about how many times have you relocated or give a history of places you’ve lived in. That will only elongate the duration of the interview and make your interviewer lose interest in recruiting you.
Next, describe your education briefly, like where did you do your schooling and graduation from. Talk about the stream you chose for graduation as well as post graduation (if you have a Master’s degree that is).
Third comes, your work experience. Remember that you got shortlisted for the interview majorly because of your experience in the respective field. So, rather than describing each and every work profile you’ve worked for, talk only about the things that interests your interviewer, like what did you like about working in a particular organization.
Finally, you may talk about your family or your philosophy of life. Companies hire athletes, and not wannabes. Your philosophy in life indicates your position as a thinker and not just an employee. Also, this proves that development is an essential part of your professional growth.
There’s a reason why do hiring managers ask you to talk about yourself in interviews. They tend to know about your confidence, enthusiasm and passion for the job. More than they care about your answer, they do it for their decision of choosing you over other candidates. And the best way to avoid being rejected is to avoid fumbling or pausing at the onset of your answer, as they indicate your lack of self awareness and self-confidence.
