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Tell Me About Yourself?
This interview question is one of the most common questions asked during a job interview. How do you answer interview questions that are wide in scope but should be narrow in content? Some of the best job interview tips help you to understand how you can present yourself as the best person for the job. Tell me about yourself is a basic interview question that if answered properly can make you the most desirable candidate for the position. Practicing the answer through mock interviews can help to make you stronger; however, what is the best response to this question? This article will discuss how to properly and strongly answer one of the most dreaded interview questions: Tell me about yourself.
Variations of the question, “Tell me about yourself”
One of the most important things to understand is that this question can be asked in many ways. Understanding that you can use the same answer for all the ways that this question maybe asked, may help you when preparing for your answer. Here are a few varieties of ways this question maybe asked:
- I have reviewed your resume but what can you tell me about yourself that is not on there
- Walk me through your resume
- I would love to hear more about your career
- Share with me some details about your background
- Describe yourself to us
These are only a few variations of the question “Tell me about yourself,” but when asked they are all in essence asking you to answer in the same manner. With that said, we now will discuss how to formulate an answer for these types of questions.
What can be included in your answer?
Because it can be difficult at times to start constructing an answer, let us first pose some questions that you will want to think about prior to developing your specific answer.
What qualifications or qualities make you a good fit for the position?
You will want to think about what makes you standout for this position? What will make you different from other candidates applying? Is it your years of experience in the field or a specific certification or skills that you may hold? When trying to determine what will make you stand out, review the job description to determine what qualifications you possess that makes you qualified or even over qualified for the position.
Why are you interested in that specific company or industry?
This is where researching the company comes in handy. In previous blog articles, we have discussed the importance of researching a company prior to an interview. We suggest you go back and review those articles as there is a wealth of information on how to properly research a company. In short, some of the items you can look for are missions, visions, culture, and community involvement. Are these items that you agree with and can get behind? If so, how will you show that you support these items? When you are thinking of these answers, you also want to see how they incorporate into your vision of the company’s future or industry trends.
What qualities do you possess that will be a benefit for this role?
Again, this question can be viewed side by side with the job description. Is it a highly detailed job? If you are an organized individual, then that is a quality that you will want to make sure that you mention. How do you think of yourself? How do others view you? Take those answers and mirror them with the job description as much as possible.
Do you have something that is unique to you and your work background?
Everyone has unique characteristics or skills, they just need to recognize them as such. For example, did you learned to code at a young age or are you a self-taught computer guru? This question might take a little time to think through, but it can result in an interesting bit about yourself that the interviewer may find interesting and help you to stand out among other candidates.
How to answer, “Tell me about yourself”
Discuss personal experiences and achievements relating the answer to the position
You have taken the time to read the job description at this point and think through the questions mentioned above, now you need to jot down the required skills for the position and how you meet those needs. If you do not have an example or experience from each listed requirement, that is okay as well. Rarely, does any candidate meet all requirements; however, you do need to meet a majority of the requirements. It is always best to relate your experience to a job you have held, but if that is not possible using volunteer experiences are acceptable as well.
How does your current and previous jobs relate to the position
It is important that you relate to the position with as much existing or previous experience that you have developed. This will demonstrate that you have at least the foundation of the knowledge that the position requires. This will help to show the interviewer that you will not be starting from the ground up, but rather you come in with existing knowledge that will only need to be tweaked for the manner in which the company conducts business.
Strengths and skills with examples
When you present a strength or skill, you need to support it with examples of how you developed or used the strength or skill. By using examples, you are showing the interviewer that you not only have those skills, but that you also use them. If possible, use numbers to back up your assertions and make sure to be as specific as possible if numbers are not part of the example.
Personality
Take the time to show and tell the interviewer who you are as a person and worker. This does not mean to tell them your entire life story or even too many personal details, but rather tell them who you will be and are in the work environment. Personality is often a determining factor during a job interview, so take the opportunity in this question to show yours.
Format Your Answer
Take the time to format your answer prior to the interview. Think through all of the items listed in this blog and write them out in a logical fashion: past, present, future. Take the time to formulate how you speak through this answer to ensure that it covers your true self as a person and an employee.
If you need help working on an answer to this question, check us out at www.interview-expert.com. We have interview coaches waiting to assist you with your next big interview!
What is Your Greatest Weakness?
This interview question is one of the toughest questions to answer as it is always difficult to admit what your weakness may be. It is even harder to admit what those weaknesses are when you are trying to demonstrate your best self to an interviewer. Some of the best answers for interview questions are simply the truth with a little spin on them. Practicing through mock interviews or through answering mock interview questions will help to iron out the details of how to answer a question about your weakness in a manner that does not leave your interview with a bad taste about you as a candidate. An interview coach can assist you with perfecting the best answer specific for you. Interview Expert has a host of interview coaches who can assist. This article is going to address some useful tips that will help you to craft a satisfactory answer for the questions related to your weakness. Often, this question is asked to determine if you will indeed be honest about yourself or if you will try to get around telling something negative about yourself. This is known as a negative question which requires a negative response, but does not have to leave a negative feeling. You will learn tips on how to frame your weakness in a positive manner with an action plan and this will help you to stand out among other candidates.
Example Weakness
I am too detailed
While being detailed oriented is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be in certain situations. For example, if you spend to much time on the details and it causes a project to go over budget or past its due date, then this can be an issue. By sharing with an interviewer that you are aware that you may focus too much on details, this allows you to demonstrate that you are self-aware and can reign in the issue if needed. By sharing that you are detailed-oriented, you are also showing the company that you can avoid even the smallest mistakes. Mistakes cost companies money and time and by demonstrating that you can avoid them through your attention to detail can potentially give you an advantage over other candidates.
One of the most valuable adds when discussing your biggest weakness is to ensure you include ways you handle this weakness. While being too detailed may be a weakness for you, you can share that you build in extra time for projects just in case you lose track of time. You can share that you have timers set for certain tasks to hold you accountable for a reasonable amount of time spent on a certain project or aspect of a project. You can share that you have an accountability partner whom you call upon during times in which you know you may become bogged down with the details and need help getting out. There are so many ways that you can state how you hold yourself accountable for ensuring that this is not a common occurrence; however, at the same time, making sure that the job is done and done well.
Letting go of a project assigned to me is challenging
This weakness can also be a good or a bad thing. It is challenging to let someone move on or forward with a project that you have worked so hard putting together. The interviewer likely has experienced a similar situation with a project. It is easy to become very invested in your work and it is not always a bad thing. This weakness shows that you care a great deal about the things that you work on. It shows that you have dedication and passion for your projects. However, at some point in your career you may have to let your project move on to the next person and this can be difficult.
Adding in this statement why you are so passionate about not letting go of projects can help in your answer, but also explaining that you understand the importance of allowing others to work with a project. Allowing others to review or work on a project opens the doors to criticism that you may not be able to see because you are too close to the project. It also helps you to see where there may be room for improvement. And by having others review the project this prevents potential errors and allows further refining of the project. These are all things that can be added to this weakness to ensure the interviewer that you are open and aware this is a weakness and you also understand how to overcome the weakness.
I have a difficult time saying ‘no’
An individual who accepts all requests of them may seem like a dream employee to a company; however, this can cause great issues for the employee themselves. Not being able to say no can result in work overload or in ability to complete your personal job responsibilities. Therefore, difficulty saying no can be a weakness for not only the employer but also the employee.
Ensure that if you choose to use this as a weakness that you also state the ways in which you manage this weakness. Suggestions could be how you are working toward managing your own tasks and sharing with others what those tasks are and your time constraints.
Conclusion
Answering the interview questions related to your weaknesses can be very intimidating. However, these are answers that you need to be thinking about as many potential employers will ask these types of questions to have a better understanding of you as an individual. Everyone has weaknesses, the strength about knowing what yours are is that you can actively put things in place to ensure that this is less of a weakness for you in the work place.
If you have additional questions or need help determining how to properly answer these questions, then reach out to us at www.interview-expert.com. We have interview coaches standing by who are ready and willing to help you to ace your next big interview.
