#professionaltransitioncoaching

A Frequently Failed Interview Question

Tell me about yourself.  Based on responses to this question during interviews, you would think it is some sort of trick question intended to make people stumble, mumble and fail.  Which, unfortunately, they do more often than they succeed. 

There is no question interviewing is critical to progressing a career and due to the importance, it immediately increases the desire to behave perfectly and answer questions with exactly what the interviewer wants to hear.  I saw this thousands of times over the many years I have spent as a Human Resources professional and hiring manager. 

I assumed the frequency of success in answering this question would greatly improve in my interaction coaching individuals having a desire to make a change in their job.  In professional transition coaching, I have formed a relationship with individuals who are looking for help and guidance in taking steps to change jobs and becoming the best applicant they can be.  Even in the trusting environment we create, most are still unable to answer the question, tell me about yourself. 

Some of the common mistakes I have seen over the years include: not being prepared with an answer even though it is the most commonly asked interview question, feeling the need to share their life story including where they were born and raised (I am not kidding, this has happened more frequently than one would think!), taking the overly confident route with a snarky response of “look at that resume, what more do you need to know,” and the list could go on and on. 

Even after having been on the interviewing side of the table so often, when I am being interviewed myself, I am not perfect and there are days when I am off my game and I make the same mistakes.  To help us increase our odds of successfully answering a frequently failed interview question, here are some ideas to get started:

Be prepared.  We know this question is coming in some way, shape or form, so plan ahead and think about what you want to say.  Write it down and rehearse so that it flows naturally and doesn’t sound memorized.  The more prepared you can be, the less stressed the environment will make you. 

Three things.  I am a simple person and I learned from a successful business leader many years ago, keep things simple with three things.  Think about the top three highlights of recent, relevant experience that will demonstrate the skills, ability, and accomplishments you bring to the table.

Show your personality.  Inject your personality into your answer because after all, connecting with the people interviewing you will always be a benefit.  Taking the opportunity to show some of your personality should not make the answer longer, it can be woven in naturally. 

Be confident.  Even though the environment is usually nerve-racking, using affirming statements like, “I am” or “I have” will help you believe in your own skills and abilities.

Being able to successfully answer this interview question will help you feel more comfortable about the interview process overall because for at least one moment during the conversation, you let the interviewer know exactly what it is they need to know about you that differentiates you from other candidates.