Show Don’t Tell – How to Ace the Tell Me About Yourself Question
The next time you interview for a position, we can just about absolutely guarantee that you’ll hear this coming from the lips of your interviewer: “So, tell me about yourself.”
Does she really want to hear your life story? No! What she’s looking for is more in how you answer the question rather than in what you say.
Do you answer with enthusiasm? Do you exude confidence? Are you passionate about your answer?
Or are you meek, self-effacing to a fault, unconfident? Do you go on and on about yourself, or do you answer succinctly?
Read below for more tips on how to answer this most-ubiquitous of interview questions.
- You want to answer with a few sentences that move your candidacy forward and that help you stand out from other people the hiring manager is interviewing.
- Provide a one-sentence description of your experience and skills and how they can help the employer. For example: “I have more than five years of experience in commercial line accounts and my work over the years has resulted in bringing in more than $1 million for my employers in that short time.” (Just tell us you won’t pique a hiring manager’s interest!)
- Be specific. As in the example above, it’s best if you can give facts and figures in your “about me” statement. If you can’t come up with a figure, give a percentage. If the type of work you do doesn’t lead to these types of facts, aim to be as specific as you can: “As an administrative assistant for XYZ Insurance Company, I’ve aided up to five account managers at a time, making sure they never missed a meeting, a sales call or had trouble during a trip. One has even told me that her success is due to the fact that I’ve never allowed her to miss an appointment!”
- Don’t go to the interview unprepared. You know your interviewer is going to ask you to talk about yourself in some form or another, so have a two- or three-sentence answer ready to go.
- Finally, be sure to remember that whatever you say, make sure it clearly delineates how you’ll be of benefit to an employer. This ensures that you’ll become a standout in the interviewer’s eyes almost immediately.
Tell the recruiters at Insurance Relief™ about yourself by sending us your resume and giving us a call to learn more about our temporary and direct-hire opportunities at some of the country’s top insurance companies. We look forward to hearing from you.
