T ell Me About Yourself!

971001017 Cheryl
 The most frequently asked question

Your response will set the tone for

the rest of the interview!

What do interviewers want to know?

What information should be include
d?

The secret to answer:

focus script practice
 EX1
she did it once and can
I'm happily do and
married it again.
originally from Den
ver," she began. "My husband was transferre
d here three months ago, and I've been gettin
g us settled in our new home. I'm now ready
to go
she did notback to work. I've worked in a variety o
emphasize
what shef did.
jobs, usually customer service-related. I'm l
ooking for a company that offers growth opp
ortunities.
Will she stay content
for long?
 Focus
List five strengths
(experiences, traits, skills)

Eleanor is strong in communications and

ex. connecting with people. She has a
strong background and proven success
with customer relationships. Her real
strength is her follow-through. She prides
herself on her reputation for meeting
deadlines.
 Scripting
Begin by talking about
past experiences and proven success
"Ihave been in the customer service industry
ex. for the past five years. My most recent
experience has been handling incoming calls
in the high tech industry. One reason I
particularly enjoy this business, and the
challenges that go along with it, is the
opportunity to connect with people. In my
last job, I formed some significant customer
relationships resulting in a 30 percent
increase in sales in a matter of months."
 Scripting

Next, mention your strengths and abilities

My real strength is my attention to detail. I

ex. pride myself on my reputation for following
through and meeting deadlines. When I
commit to doing something,
I make sure it gets done, and on time.
 Scripting

Last, conclude with a statement about

your current situation

ex. What I am looking for now is a company

that values customer relations, where I can
join a strong team and have a positive
impact on customer retention and sales."
 Practice

Practice with the script

You should NOT memorize it
it will be stiff and rehearsed.

The more you can talk about your product

(YOU!) the better chance you will
succeed!
 W hat are your stre
ngths?
 Make your Case
Concentrating on your five best strengths:
focus during the interview
(easier to remember you!)

Professional suggests:
Tell what you are going to say early
and repeating your points

Keep going back to the main point

 EX2 interviewing a position that
requires organizational skills

Question: Tell me about yourself.

Begin:
(part of the answer should include your organizational skill)

One of my key strengths is being

organized. If you were to ask my
coworkers, they would tell you I am
the ultimate planner.
 EX2 interviewing a position that
requires organizational skills

Question: Tell me about yourself.

Later:
(repeat your strength in a story format)

One project I worked on was very complex

and detailed. It required a lot of
forethought and planning on my part. I was
able to do this using Microsoft Project
software for tracking and scheduling.
 EX2 interviewing a position that
requires organizational skills

Question: Why should we hire you?

Answer:
(you should repeat information about being organized.)

From what I have heard throughout the

interview, it sounds like you're looking
for someone to come in and bring order
to projects here. Since I am known for
my organizational skills, I know I would
be a real asset.
 W hat are your weakn
esses?
 The worst interview questions.

Interviewers want to see job seekers

in which area they need to improve
what they are doing about it
make sure the weakness isnt a skill the

company need
test how they handle themselves under
pressure
 Do NOT say you have no weakness or
work too hard
Tell the interviewers:
I am working on improving!
 Strength or weakness?
Understand the job duties before the
interview starts
What is your strength that someone may consid
er as a weakness?

ex. I really take a lot of time to listen to a

customer before I provide
recommendations. A lot of sales
people are quick to answer, but I
spend time making sure I understand
the customer's needs
 Be honest

A weakness on one hand

is a strength on the other!
W hy should we hire
you?
 Selling yourself in the interview

Think yourself as a product

 Wrong answers

Because I need a job. x

"What can you do for
us?"
I'm a hard worker and really want to
work for this company. x
why do you choose
us?"
 Good answers

Because I'm a good fit for the position.

Be warmer! More O
details!
I have what it takes to solve problems
and do the job. O
A better answer so
far.
The bottom line:
What can you do for this company?

Ready to summarize your accomplishm

ents and works.
 Step 1
Looking at job description

Step 2
Do an inventory (2~3 key qualities)

Step 3
Match what you have to offer and
merge 2 of them into summary
statement
W hat did you like leas
t
about your last j
ob?
 To test if youre going to be satisfied
in this company

Focus on tasks rather than company

politics or people
 Wrong answers

I didn't have enough challenges! I thrive on c

hallenge! x
"Will we be able to keep him challenged?"

Lack of stability. What I am looking for is stabili

ty in a job and company. x
.
He may have some burnout and flexibility issues.

My boss was overbearing and wouldn't let me

do my job. x
It sounds like he could be a problem to supervise.
 EX3
I've been able to work with some really
interesting people. I have to say that I did
have a job where there was an inordinate
amount of paperwork. Because working with
people is my strength, the paperwork really
bogged me down at times.

inordinate
= unusually large amount
=kept you from doing what you do best
 Was the work or the office environment
causing the dissatisfaction?

Create a list of your dissatisfactions

Will they happen again in the new work

ing environment?

Choose the work you like to do best