OVERHEARD IN THE RECRUITING LOUNGE is a weekly feature on things going on in the recruiting side of CCD.

This week we heard rumblings about the age old question, “Tell Me About Yourself.” Note that although this statement ends in a period, it is indeed a question.  The employer is really saying, “Who are you and why are you applying for this job?” *

There are a couple of different ways to tackle this question.  First I’ll start off with what NOT to do.

• Don’t give your bio. No one cares.  J/K.  But seriously, providing TMI (too much information) can actually be held against you.  (Great Article from Monster: http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview-practice/Tell-Me-About-Yourself/home.aspx)

• Don’t read your resume. Chances are that it will take you quite a while to read your resume, and you should limit your response to no more than 2 minutes.

• Don’t get caught off guard. Many students fail to anticipate this question, but I assure you, it will be asked in 90% of the interviews you do on or off campus.

So how do you win at answering this question?

• Do provide relevant information about yourself. Think about your interests and activities and how they are relevant to the position you are applying for.

• K.I.S.S. That’s short for Keep It Simple, Stupid (or Silly, depending on how polite the speaker is)  Be specific about your points but be brief.  If there’s juicy stuff in your Tell Me About Yourself/90-second commercial**, the interviewer will ask you for more details or you can supply them as you answer other questions later.

• Practice. I don’t have to tell you that practice makes perfect, so practice your Tell Me About Yourself response/90-second commercial all the time.  In the shower.  While you’re waiting for fries in Reynolds.  Before you go to bed at night.  PRACTICE IT!   Sure you’ll have to tailor it a bit to every person you meet, but having the basic framework down is pretty key.

*This is not to be confused with “Walk me Through Your Resume.” which answers “Why are you sitting in front of me?”  Very different questions… (See Overheard in the Recruiting Lounge #1)

** I often use these terms interchangeably.  Tell Me about Yourself can often be answered by the 90-second commercial with is essential a short response about who you are and why you are good for the job.

Tell Me About Yourself Video