Hi, everyone, and welcome.
My name is Jenn, and I'm a certified career coach
at Indeed with over 10 years of career services
experience personally working with over hundreds
of job seekers from a variety of industries.
Today, I'm going to share with you some advice
that I've refined over the years for answering the interview
question, tell me about yourself.
This video will give you the knowledge
that you need to tell a compelling two
to three-minute story about your career
and why you're a good fit for the role that you're
interviewing for.
Also, stick around until the end for a bonus tip
on how to make a real connection with your interviewer.
Now, I'm really glad that we're covering this topic,
because when I conduct a one-on-one mock interview
with a client, this is actually the first place that I start.
And that's because you're almost always
going to encounter this question in one form or another
during the interview, and often several times
throughout the recruiting process.
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let us know by giving us a like.
If you'd like to see more videos like this
or if you're just interested in knowing more
behavioral-based interview questions
and how to answer them, be sure to subscribe to our channel.
So first, let's discuss.
What are recruiters really looking
for in an answer when they ask, tell me about yourself?
Job seekers often ask me, recruiters have read my resume.
Don't they know this stuff?
Well, when you've applied for the role,
your resume was likely processed by an Applicant Tracking
System, which is more commonly called an ATS.
This is a software that many companies are using
to help screen applicants.
And if you'd like to learn more about the system,
check out this link up here.
Long story short, yes.
In most cases, your resume has been reviewed.
But in some cases, it probably only received a quick read.
Plus, the recruiting process can be very disjointed.
The person that's conducting the interview
may not be the recruiter who selected you.
So in short, it's wise to assume that your interviewer doesn't
know the details of your professional history.
In any case, when an interviewer asks you, tell me
about yourself, they like me don't really
want to hear about your resume.
Instead, they're interested in learning
about your professional journey and how your skills are suited
for the role that they have.
To craft a strong answer to the question,
aim to create a compelling story.
So as with writing any other story,
you want to start by creating a good outline.
When structuring your response, I
recommend using the present, past, future format.
Writing down this outline will help you
in arranging or rearranging your response.
So let's begin by starting with the present.
And the present is where you are in your career right now,
or most recently as it relates to the role
that you're interviewing for.
Another quick note-- it's not necessary to state your name
at the beginning of your statement
unless you've been asked specifically
about pronunciation.
So starting your response with, my name
is, can sound stiff and mechanical,
which you really want to avoid.
Here's a sample present statement.
I'm currently working for company C
as a customer service representative.
I've recently been leading a project, that
reduces the time spent on manual processes
by implementing automated chatbots that
respond to simple questions.
In addition to this project, I spend a lot of time
on the phone with clients, answering questions, assisting
in navigating our website, and sending feedback to our product
team for future improvements.
So let's break this statement down.
First, you share what you've been
doing most recently by giving a high level overview
of your role.
This includes stating your title, responsibilities,
and projects that you've worked on recently.
In our example, we stated that we're working for company C
as a customer service representative.
And in a real interview, you would
want to try to show a relationship
between the work that you're doing
and the role that you're applying for.
If you're transitioning into a new role or industry,
this is a great time to mention any certifications you've
completed or classes that you've taken,
or even personal projects that you've worked on that
are related to the new role.
So in this case, start with your most relevant experience
before shifting to your recent role,
and be sure to highlight the transferable skills that you've
acquired that apply to this role.
Next, take the opportunity to highlight a key accomplishment,
and use the preferred experience that you
find within the job description to guide what you talk about.
In our example, we talked about the project
that we led that reduced the time spent on manual processes
and increased efficiency.
Once you've covered where you are now,
start talking about the past, beginning with your motivation
for entering the field.
Avoid reiterating the information
that a recruiter can easily find on your resume.
You don't want to just provide a timeline for how you got here,
you want to focus on your professional ambitions
for pursuing this career path.
So here's a sample past statement
that we can break down.
I've always enjoyed working with people and helping others,
so I went to school and received my associate's degree
in communications studies.
While in school, one of my favorite classes
was technical writing, which has become
one of my greatest strengths.
My first job out of college was as a technical writer
at Company A, which I enjoyed, although there
was very little collaboration with my colleagues
and I spent about 95% of my time working alone.
After Company A, I briefly took on a sales role at Company B,
where I learned a lot about working
within a fast-paced environment.
Then the opportunity at my current company, Company C,
became available, and I was able to combine
my passion for technical writing,
collaboration, and helping people.
In this example, we started by providing
a professional timeline by outlining the roles that we
took after graduation and we highlighted the key learnings
from each.
These learnings included the skills we acquired,
like technical writing, as well as what
we learned about the type of work that motivates us,
like working in a collaborative environment where
we can help others.
If you've changed careers along the way
or are trying to change careers now,
then speak to what motivated the shift in your career path
and try to tie a thread to this new career.
If you're a recent graduate, you may
consider talking about a class that motivated you.
Basically, this is where employers
like to hear the story of how and why you
got to where you are right now.
This section can change depending
on how relevant your current role is to the job
that you're interviewing for.
If you're changing industries, it's
helpful to highlight transferable skills you bring,
even when your previous role may not
seem relevant at first glance.
Here's a bonus tip.
If you can show how your experience
from a different industry provides you
with a uniquely valuable perspective for the employer,
that's even better.
And finally, let's jump to the future.
This part of your response is a great opportunity
to get strategic with your answer
and align your personal goals with the goals of the company.
Aim to show that you've researched the company,
that you know what their values are,
that you've researched their mission statement,
and that you are specifically well-positioned to fill
this role.
By addressing how you support an employer's goals
and how your values align with them,
you're showing that you're a good match
and that you're invested in them by already doing the research.
Here's an example future statement.
Looking forward, I'm seeking more leadership opportunities
and I think it's important to grow and be challenged.
After managing several successful projects
in my current role, I found a new passion
in leadership and mentorship.
I also want to be part of a company that contributes
to the community, and I was so impressed with how
your company organizes multiple volunteer
events throughout the year.
Now, the future statement is all about why--
why do you want this role?
Why are you passionate about this opportunity?
In our example, we talk about how we found a new passion
in leadership and mentorship, which
are key attributes, especially when you're interviewing
for management roles.
We also made a point to reference the research done
on the company by referring to the volunteer events
that they coordinate throughout the year.
And this aligns with our desire to work
with a community-focused company.
Speaking about what excites you about the role or industry
could remind your interviewer why they got into the business
in the first place, and this makes you more relatable
and can draw a stronger connection.
If it sparks a response or a similar passion
from your interviewer, be sure to mention that in the thank
you note that you sent after the interview.
Wrapping up by focusing on the future
is also a natural close to the answer.
It signals to the interviewer that you're
talking about a future within their company
and it gives them the opportunity
to segue to the next question.
A common way that I've heard candidates end their response
is by saying, yep, that's me.
But let's try this conclusion statement instead.
And that's what brings me here today
for this exciting opportunity.
This is a much better way to signal to the interviewer
that you are done talking.
This link right above me will take you
to an Indeed Career Guide article on this topic with more
tips and example answers.
Now that you know what you're going to say, let's
talk about how you want to say it.
And I have four basic tips here.
One, avoid reciting or reading your resume.
Remember, in your answer, you're telling
the story of who you are, and what brought you to this point,
and where you're looking to go from here, all as
it relates to this job.
Two, leave out any highly personal information,
such as marital status, children,
or political or religious affiliations from your answer.
This is not relevant for an employer
to decide if you have the abilities necessary to perform
the functions of the job.
There can be some flexibility to this rule.
For example, if it's part of your personal story
and it's critical to your career path,
then it's appropriate to include a high level of detail.
I, for one, have personally broken this rule.
When I was interviewing to be a technical career coach,
my previous experience was with career coaching at a university
level with students who were majors in communication,
business, liberal arts.
And I thought it was important to mention
that I felt a personal connection to working
with technical job seekers, because my husband is
a senior software engineer and I saw how much he sometimes
struggled in his own job search.
And this addition really helped me in the interview,
because I was able to provide that personal connection
to the type of job seeker that I would
be serving at this company.
This, in addition to the transferable career coaching
skills that I already possessed, made me a strong candidate,
and I was ultimately offered the job.
But unless a personal story directly
impacts your career path like this,
it's wise to avoid mentioning these topics.
Number three, be concise.
This question is most likely to come up
at the beginning of an interview,
so it's best to craft a response that's
roughly three minutes long.
You'll have the opportunity to dig
into the details of your experience
and your accomplishments later.
Talk about the main highlights of the role
and the relevant strengths that apply to the job
that you're interviewing for.
A good way to be concise is to practice by using a timer
or having a friend time you.
And four, here's my bonus tip that I always share
in one-on-one consultations.
Don't forget about the human connection to your journey.
Yes, it's important to have your key accomplishments
ready and tailored, but a good interview
should feel conversational.
You can briefly mention hobbies, personal development,
or your community involvement when it's relevant to the job
that you're interviewing for.
For example, if you're applying for a role
at an outdoor sporting goods store,
be sure to mention that you love to go on hikes.
And five, smile and make eye contact.
If you're in a video interview, try
to remember to look directly at the camera.
This communicates that you're engaged
and you care about what the interviewer is saying.
There's this great quote by Maya Angelou that
says, "I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel."
And over the years, I found this to be
really applicable to the interviewing experience.
So being professional, approachable, and prepared
are always traits that you want to aim to display.
So to quickly recap my top tips for how to answer,
tell me about yourself, are one, stick to the format.
Think present, past, future.
Two, tell your story, don't just summarize your resume.
Three, leave out any personal information.
Four, don't forget the human connection.
And five, practice, practice, practice.
So those are my tips for today's topic.
Thank you so much for watching.
I hope you found this information to be helpful
and that you're able to apply it to your interview prep.
If you'd like to see more interviews like this,
please like and subscribe, and hit the notification bell
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See you next time.