What to answer in an interview when asked to tell about yourself

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Experience, skills, goals, and other topics to talk about with a recruiter.

First, do not be afraid of such a request. The interviewee most wants you to be successful because they need an employee. Secondly, remember that some things are definitely not worth talking about. For example, don't retell your entire life. The employer does not need to know which school you went to, what clubs you attended, and who you dreamed of becoming as a child.

Focus on useful information: Tell us about your recent professional successes and your educational background. Reflect on useful skills and highlight your career goals. And be sure to explain why you are interested in this company. Give each category no more than 30 seconds, and your story will take 2.5 minutes in total. Let's analyze each item in more detail.

1. Recent professional successes

This part is the most important. Prepare carefully in advance so as not to rummage through the memory of the interview.

What to talk about

• Pick three to five recent accomplishments that are important to the position you are applying for.
• Briefly describe them with specific examples.
• Tell us about a case from your practice that characterizes you as a professional.

What to avoid

• Retell the resume verbatim. The interlocutor himself can read it. Now focus on what you did cool.
• Talk about your experience without backing it up with examples. You might think that you are embellishing reality or even lying.
• Mention achievements that are not related to the profession. It's great that you bake delicious buns. But this is unlikely to help you get a job as an accountant or editor.

2. Education

It is important to show not the presence of an education and a diploma, but the experience gained in practice - during the implementation of a project or in a master class.

What to talk about

• Tell us what you learned in your last job.
• Explain how these skills will help you cope with your new responsibilities.
• Describe the experience you have had while working on your largest project.

What to avoid

• Go through all the points of your education (school, university, courses). It's too much. In addition, school skills are unlikely to help you much at work.
• Show off honors. Its presence alone does not mean your professionalism.
• Mention every course you have taken and every conference you attended. Name the last one - this is enough to show that you are developing in your field.

3. Useful skills

These are additional points in your favor. If you lack experience, pay special attention to them.

What to talk about

• Think of two or four useful skills that you are good at and which will come in handy in a new place. If you don't know what exactly you will have to do, choose the universal ones: the ability to work in a team, the willingness to learn new things.
• Explain how these skills have helped or will help you in practice.
• Tell us how you got them.

What to avoid

• Lie about your skills. Such lies will quickly be revealed. Perhaps already at the second interview or at the stage of the test task.
• Talk about skills that are not related to work (I had a rock band, my paintings were shown at an exhibition). This characterizes you as a versatile person, but does not necessarily indicate professionalism.
• Get off with banal phrases about stress resistance and multitasking. These words mean practically nothing.

4. Career goals

If you haven't thought about what you want to achieve in the future, it's time to do it. This will help you decide which vacancies to apply for, and show yourself as a purposeful person during the interview.

What to talk about

• Mention goals that are consistent with the company's mission. To do this, study her website in advance. If the information is not there, try to imagine what the organization wants to achieve with its activities.
• Explain how the company will help you achieve these goals and how you, in turn, will help it.
• Show that you want stability and career growth.

What to avoid

• Talk about general goals in life (I want to buy a house, have children and a dog). You probably already understood: it is better to omit everything that is not related to the profession. Unless, of course, you are asked about it directly.
• Mention goals that the company cannot help you achieve. This will give the impression that you are heading in different directions.
• Saying that you don't have specific goals. If you don't know what you want, you may be a disorganized person with little long-term thinking. It is unlikely that this will endear the employer to you.

5. Reasons why you are interested in the company

This is a trivial question, but it is he who can win the favor of the recruiter. Try to be honest about what exactly attracted you to this job.

What to talk about

• Say that the goals of the company are close to you (and list which ones). This will show that you are close in spirit.
• Describe how your new position will help you improve.
• Hint that you see yourself in this company in the future. Just do not say that you want to lead it in N years, this is too much.

What to avoid

• The first step is to mention an attractive salary. Everyone needs money, but first it is better to say about interesting tasks, professional growth and other advantages of the company.
• Saying "I just need a job." This will definitely not increase your credibility.
• Refer to the fact that there are good people here. You are not going to make friends, but to fulfill your duties and make a profit for the company. You can praise the professionalism of the employees and say that you want to learn from them, but do not show the future team as the only plus.

By following the rules listed above, you will save yourself from awkward pauses and will not force the employer to listen to information that he does not need at all. This will significantly increase your chances of a successful interview.