How to Answer 'Tell Me About Yourself...'

So, says the interviewer. Tell me about yourself. Sounds pretty benign. But saying the wrong thing here can be lethal.

So, tell me about yourself. Sounds pretty benign, right? But saying the wrong thing here can be lethal. I’m Kat Miller and this is Dice TV.

It’s smart to think ahead abut answering what seems to be a simple question. Go on too long, ramble too much and suddenly you’ve lost the shine (that) you’ve been trying to present to the person (that) you hope is going to be your manager.

The key is not to make the question, jumping off point for a career version of the autobiography (that) your third grade teacher asked you to write.

Remember those? "I was born in Metropolis, Ohio.

My father's a car dealer.

I have a sister Patty, two brothers, Joe and Bill, and a dog’s bike and..." In other words, resist the natural tendency to tick off each of your career roles and transitions in a single narrative.

The interviewer isn’t looking for completeness right now. She’s looking for a coherent story that provides indications that you’re a good fit for the opening.

That means (that) your answer should be briefly convey sense of who you are and where you’re going. Why the opening is a logical next step for you.

You needn’t make that point explicit, but if you can suggest it in your answer, you'll score points!

And be sure to mention something about your previous career that prepares you for the role you’re interviewing for.

Focus this part of your answer on accomplishments, not just responsibilities or functions. For each past or present job you discuss, tell an anecdote -- a brief anecdote -- about a challenge, a project or a lesson that's directly relevant to the new role.

Don’t go through each and every job you've had. And don’t explain why you've left jobs.

The interviewer’s going to ask about that later.

The best answer to “Tell me about yourself” will have a Goldilocks quality. Just enough detail without getting tedious or long winded. Concise, but not too concise.

Maybe two minutes long, assuming the interviewer doesn’t break in. If you can, try to watch yourself from outside while you’re answering. Be on guard against rambling. If you catch yourself starting to delve deeper and deeper into one situation or past job, just cut yourself off and move on.

Note that Goldilocks is a reference to "The Story of the Three Bears." In the story, Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear had dished up some porridge in their home, and then went for a walk to give the hot porridge time to cool down. While they were out a girl named Goldilocks (who had golden hair, or locks) invaded their home and helped herself. She tried one bowl of porridge but found it to be too hot. She tried another and found it to be too cool. The third one was just right. She tried their chairs. One was too big, another was too small, but the third was just right. Then she tried their beds. One was too hard, another was too soft, and the third was just right.

Americans sometimes refer to this story and Goldilocks when we want to convey that something shouldn't go too far toward one extreme or the other. If it has a Goldilocks quality, it is just right.

delve, v. dig: turn up, loosen, or remove earth; "Dig we must"; "turn over the soil for aeration"

I’m Kat Miller. This has been Dice TV. And we now return you to your regular desktop.

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