At some point during your interview, your employer may simply ask you to talk in an open-ended way about yourself. Answer by explaining what drives you, what you’re looking for, what you can do, what you’ve done in the past, or all of the above.
Some interview question are more predictable than others, and while there’s no way to know in advance if you’ll be quizzed on job-specific clinical or technical points, there are a few questions that are almost guaranteed to make an appearance during your session.
These include the kinds of general queries that represent basic due diligence on the part of your employer, like
- Have you done this kind of work before?
- Why should I hire you?
Here’s one question that you’ll face in almost every interview you’ll ever attend:
- Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
- This question may also take a few alternative forms,
- like “What brings you here today?” or “What’s your story?”
Why Interviewers Ask This Question
This open-ended question allows the two of you to break the ice and get the conversation moving, but that’s not all it’s designed to do. By handing you the floor and letting you speak without specific prompting, your interviewer hopes to learn more about what matters to you, what you can do, what you’d like to do, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.
Whether you realize it or not, you’ll also be demonstrating your ability to speak confidently and share an honest and thoughtful assessment of the situation from your point of view. Here are a few tips that can help you make a great impression while you do this.
Prepare Well in Advance
Don’t just wing it and count on your off-the-cuff speaking skills to save you. No matter how brightly you tend to shine in these situations, script your answer and practice your delivery beforehand.
That way you won’t miss a single opportunity or leave out a critical detail that might help you make your case. (An additional tip: Don’t throw the question back at the interviewer or demand more specifics and structure. Just answer as you practiced, and do so with confidence.)
Provide Relevant Background Details
As you choose an approach to your answer, you’ll have several options, and one of these will involve launching into a brief description of your work history and how your previous jobs have prepared you for this open position.
Start a few years in the past and work your way up to the present. Explain some of your most relevant roles, including what you learned on the job and how these lessons have set you up for success.
Talk about Your Personality and Passions
Another common approach to this question will involve simply talking about what drives you and what defines you as a person and an employee. Describe your personality and the spark of passion that drew you to this industry in the first place.
If this job will require certain character traits and you have those traits, this is your opportunity to say so. (While you do this, avoid personal details that aren’t your interviewer’s business. Don’t discuss your family, your children, your religion, or your medical status.)
Stay in the Present
You can talk about your past, you can talk about your personality, or you can choose to stay in the moment. For example, you can explain why you chose to leave your last job and look for another (maybe you have an ambition your last employer couldn’t fulfill).
Or you can discuss how you found out about this open position and why your abilities are a perfect match for the employer’s needs (as you see them).
- Focus on Non-Verbal Cues
As you tell your employer about yourself, you’ll be using more than your words alone. The answer will also come through in your posture, your voice, your gestures, and your expression, so make sure these elements are under your control.
If you say “I’m very friendly”, but you say it while mumbling and staring at the floor, your gestures will speak louder than your words.
For more on how to describe yourself while emphasizing only the most helpful, meaningful, and professional information you have to offer, explore the interview tips and job search tools at crplindia.com
