it is a safe bet this will be one of the
first questions you will face and the
way you answer it will set the tone for
the entire interview one thing that
stays true for this answer every time
you are asked keep it professional
employers are not asking you this
question because they want to know what
your favorite color is they want to know
why you are the best candidate for the
job employers want to hire the best
person for the job and your job is to
convince them this is you as it is most
likely the first question you will face
in your interview it is one of the first
impressions we'll be giving the employer
you want to give the most professional
image of yourself as possible in order
to accomplish this do not volunteer
personal information please tell me
about yourself
well I'm 23 years old I was born and
raised in this city I have two dogs and
I love basketball this candidate has
already set himself back you don't want
to give any information about your
personal life but rather your
professional life and how it relates to
the position you are interviewing for to
do this successfully you need to prepare
and structure your answer highlighting
your relevant education experience and
professional qualities from the job
description you know what the
qualifications for the job are and what
skills the employer is looking for so
you want to highlight all of the
previous work experience education
training and all other professional
skills that are relevant to the position
no matter what your work history is you
have transferable skills if this is your
first job in your field then highlight
the skills and training you receive from
your education as they pertain to the
job and talk about any transferable
skills you might have gained from any of
your work experience highlight your
accomplishments as well if you've
received any academic awards or any
promotions or commendations from your
job
feel free to mention it not every
position you interview for is going to
be exactly the same
even if the job title is each company
has different needs so study the Job
Description and figure out exactly
like what it is they're looking for once
you figure out what the employer is
looking for in a candidate your job is
to be that person so emphasize the
skills and qualifications you have that
relate to the job specifically try to
keep your answers in chronological order
you do not have to recap your
professional history year by year but
detailing the experiences and skills
that you have gained as you obtain them
in an organized fashion will leave a
good impression on the employer your
resume can help you with this as it is
in chronological order and can help you
set a timeline now that you have the
structure here is a good example please
tell me about yourself let's see I
believe I have a very solid background
in medical assisting I earned my degree
in medical assisting where I learned
viable skills such as taking vitals
administering injections explaining
treatment procedures to patients
preparing patients for examination and
assisting the physician with examination
while earning my degree I worked in
customer service at ABC pharmacy for
three years as well where I gained
valuable communication skills and
learned how to address customer's needs
which enabled me to relate and
effectively communicate with patients
and their needs I also completed an
internship at a health clinic while in
school where I picked up more valuable
skills including updating patient files
and medical records handling
correspondence scheduling appointments
arranging for hospital admission and
help make sure the office ran smoothly
these are all valuable skills which I
will hopefully be able to apply to this
position and bring to your office
remember when answering the question
tell me about yourself keep it
professional and do not give any
personal information highlight your
skills from your relevant education and
training that will help you in the
position tell them your work history and
transferable skills as it relates to the
job you are interviewing for and do so
in an organized chronological fashion
you