The Question That Traps Job Candidates, and How Your Answer Can Get You the Job . . . If You Rehearse by Gary North
Sometime in the interview, probably early, the interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself." You had better have a well-prepared answer.
Underlying the question is a strategy: to see if you are a good salesman. The interviewer wants to see if you have business sense. What he is after is a short answer that reveals what you bring to the table. If you can give him what he is looking for in 60 seconds, you move to the top of the list.
If you have followed my advice, you have prepared to get the interview. You know about what the company is after. You know something about its niche. You have spent time researching the firm. You should therefore know how you will fit. Even if you are not sure, give an answer that says, "This guy knows what he can do."
Your answer should offer two examples from your employment past that support your #1 benefit. Follow the rule of direct-response advertising: Lead with the benefit. Follow with the proof. Tell the person what your #1 strength is, which means your #1 benefit as an employee from the point of view of the company. Then give an illustration of how you demonstrated this strength in the past, preferably to an employer. If you can give two examples, you have met the challenge.
You need to think this through carefully before the interview. What is the company after that you can supply? Presumably, you asked this before you started researching the firm. Once you identify it, you need a couple of good examples that prove your case. If you don't have any, you should probably not begin the process of contacting the company for an interview.
Keep the answer to 60 seconds. The person doing the interview uses the question to assess your likelihood of being valuable enough to hire. It's more of an ice=breaker. He is not interested in a verbal summary of your life history.
A good job candidate will know this before the interview. He will not waste any time on peripheral matters. He will get right to the point.
If your answer produces "tell me more," you are over the hump. But still keep your follow-up response to two minutes. Give more examples.
Don't give three minutes up front. Be in a position to give three minutes.
The interview is your chance to sell yourself to a buyer. Selling is about providing benefits. So is working.
I hope the two will match: sales presentation and subsequent performance.
Sometime in the interview, probably early, the interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself." You had better have a well-prepared answer.
Underlying the question is a strategy: to see if you are a good salesman. The interviewer wants to see if you have business sense. What he is after is a short answer that reveals what you bring to the table. If you can give him what he is looking for in 60 seconds, you move to the top of the list.
If you have followed my advice, you have prepared to get the interview. You know about what the company is after. You know something about its niche. You have spent time researching the firm. You should therefore know how you will fit. Even if you are not sure, give an answer that says, "This guy knows what he can do."
Your answer should offer two examples from your employment past that support your #1 benefit. Follow the rule of direct-response advertising: Lead with the benefit. Follow with the proof. Tell the person what your #1 strength is, which means your #1 benefit as an employee from the point of view of the company. Then give an illustration of how you demonstrated this strength in the past, preferably to an employer. If you can give two examples, you have met the challenge.
You need to think this through carefully before the interview. What is the company after that you can supply? Presumably, you asked this before you started researching the firm. Once you identify it, you need a couple of good examples that prove your case. If you don't have any, you should probably not begin the process of contacting the company for an interview.
Keep the answer to 60 seconds. The person doing the interview uses the question to assess your likelihood of being valuable enough to hire. It's more of an ice=breaker. He is not interested in a verbal summary of your life history.
A good job candidate will know this before the interview. He will not waste any time on peripheral matters. He will get right to the point.
If your answer produces "tell me more," you are over the hump. But still keep your follow-up response to two minutes. Give more examples.
Don't give three minutes up front. Be in a position to give three minutes.
The interview is your chance to sell yourself to a buyer. Selling is about providing benefits. So is working.
I hope the two will match: sales presentation and subsequent performance.
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