“So tell me a little bit about yourself”….the introductory, catch-all question by anyone going through a first interview. We’ve all sat at that conference table well dressed in a suit, freshly printed resume on the table, unsure of the conversation ahead. Your mind is racing – will my years of education be challenged through tests and problems? Or, will they be interested in my experience? Regardless, my future lays in the outcome of “tell me a little about yourself?” and subsequent problems. So how do I prove that I deserve this job? It’s ok. Remember, you’re prepared for this.
First, keep it clear. Be concise, be thorough, and be strategic when you answer each and every question. Don’t ramble, and stick to things that you know well because you’ll probably begin to say detrimental things. If you need, take a moment after the question to collect your thoughts then proceed. When you respond, word your answer from beginning to end of thought. Provide complete ideas or solutions to a problem.
Next, show off a bit. Don’t be modest with your education or experience background. Trust that you’ve got the skills and background needed to get the job down. Show it off by providing visuals, physical examples. If asked, provide a mathematical proof, I don’t know, of Cauchy’s Mean Value Theorem on a white board - that’ll do. Provide a visual and you are less likely to be forgotten.
Finally, be interesting and interested. The former means – don’t provide answers you think they want to hear. Give honest thoughts or solutions. Reference your experience, provide examples, and name-drop if you have to. The more you can provide identifiers to your background, the more likely the interviewer(s) will trust your skills and in you. The latter, be interested in the interviewer(s). If you’re able to turn the interview into a conversation, you’ve advanced your chances of landing that job. Positively reinforce your personal branding and be confident to ask questions about your interviewer’s background with the company and see if you have any common ground professionally.
To conclude, reinforce that you’re the right fit for the position – it’s your job to get the job. Wrap up the conversation well; obtain contact information and thank them for their time, but don’t think your work is over when you leave the room. Perform a self post-mortem of your experience to learn from in the future. Then you can send a follow-up response to not only express your thanks but as an opportunity to revisit the conversation and confirm your passion and enthusiasm for the position. “Tell me a little about yourself” is now a great segue into “so, when can you start.”
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