Tell me About Yourself - What to say when asked during the interview

‘Tell me About Yourself’. Simple, unadorned, and direct question, except it is not, though mistaken by many it is so. Often used as the initial ice-breaker during an interview, these words pose the most challenging question that will determine the atmosphere and success rate of the interview. The moment when you bring your introduction to the interviewer is an important moment where they will assess whether you are cut out for the job or not.

By asking such a question, your future employer wants to know if you understand yourself enough to be applying for a role that you feel that you will be a good fit for. The interviewer wants to know useful information about yourself that is related to the job you applied for. They are not asking you that particular question to know what are your hobbies or what do you do during your free time. Thus, to leave a good first impression, you tackle this question with killer answers as your initial selling points. Here are some tips to prevent the interview turning downside!

1.      Concentrate

To stay focus during an interview is an essential element for a successful outcome. Pay attention to what the interviewer says, maintain eye contact to show your interest and confidence, and straighten up your back. It is vital to be in a good posture, as body language do play a part too! You need to think fast about the answer, but do not lose control of what you are saying. It is okay to reply unhurriedly. Choose words carefully to avoid any misunderstanding. While talking about your previous jobs, you may need to reveal only those that are relevant to the current job role you are interviewing for.

2.      Provide coherent answers

What you say should be placed in a good order to make it easier to for interviewers to understand you. To produce a smooth interview, you will need to prepare coherent answers. When asked to introduce yourself, you need to list some of most basic information about yourself, that is, relevance to the role. Next, you can start to talk about your achievements, as well as why you decided to leave the company. Mention your strength, abilities, as well as weakness and how you cope with it. Highlight your expertise is a must, but be careful not to make it sound like you are bragging. Lastly, you need let your future employers know why you are interested in the job.

3.      Rehearse

Practice makes perfect. This old saying sounds like old advice. But it works every time nevertheless.  Talk to yourself in front of the mirror and repeat your answers until you feel confident. If you think your answers sound too tedious, you may want to express it differently and at the same time, impress the interviewer. Practising the interview is a good thing to prepare yourself mentally but keep in mind that too many rehearsals will only make you sound like a robot for memorising a script.

Bear in mind that, interview sessions are to be held in a natural and relaxed state.

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