Chances are that the first question you’ll be asked in an interview is “Tell me a little about yourself”, or something similar. It is a great icebreaker and a positive way to get the interview out of the gate. How you answer it can “make it or break” the interview. If you are unaccustomed to interviewing, this question may seem harmless enough. However to an experienced interviewee, you know that answering this question succinctly and thoroughly will create a positive interview result. Although it is meant to “break the ice” instead of starting right off “grilling you” on your technical skills or ambitions, It is also a great opportunity for you to “seed” the interview with some accomplishments you might want the interviewer to know, but wouldn’t be aware of by reading your resume alone.
Some things NOT to do when answering this question:
- Do not take longer than 2 minutes maximum to answer this question. It is easy to go on and on, starting at childbirth and ending at walking into the interview. What may be incredibly interesting to you may be excruciating boring to the interviewer.
- This is not a “confessional”. There is no need to describe your personal living style, marital difficulties, problems with an old boss, etc, etc during this question.
- Lose train of thought. Keep focused on “introducing yourself” to the interviewer by answering this question, so that they begin to feel comfortable with you. Heck, its even okay if they start to LIKE you, so make the time spent enjoyable for both of you.
Here are some things you’ll want to do when answering this question:
- Hit the Headlines. There are undoubtedly several “highpoints” in your life, these are great anchor points for this question and create a positive impression to the interviewer about you.
- Peel the onion, don’t bite into it! By hitting only the highpoints, if the interviewer finds something relevant in your background, they will stop you and ask about it. There is no need to “drill down” into excruciating detail with every point you make. Gloss over the details in answering this question, with just “the facts”.
- Try to bring out the highpoints in your life that show relevance to the type of position you seek. It is DESTINY that brought you to this point, all your life you’ve been unknowingly preparing for this very moment!
- Stay positive. It is easy to start talking about a failed marriage or a missed opportunity at education, etc, etc. but use this limited time to impress your interviewer instead with the positive things you’ve accomplished.
- Limit yourself to 2 minutes. Remember most interviews only run a total of about 30 minutes; don’t take up half the time answering this single question.
An example of a good way to answer this question might be:
“I was born the first of 3 boys in my family, my dad was in the military so we moved around a lot. It was tough, but it allowed me to learn how to make friends quickly. Since money was tight in my family growing up, I worked part time at a gas station, It is there where I began my interest in maintenance and “fixing things”. I decided to follow my father’s footsteps into the Army, as it was a great way to get some additional training, and get some needed money for college. My intentions were to only do an initial tour of duty of 3 years in the military and then go to college, but I found that I really enjoyed the challenges, and responsibilities that I was given and decided to re-enlist for another two tours. During this time, I attended night school and obtained a degree in automotive mechanics. My experience working in the motor pool helped me gain additional insight and knowledge, which allowed me to graduate at the top of my class. Although I was busy with work and school, I still made time for extracurricular activities and I enjoy team sports like softball and soccer. I was selected to be my unit is team captain, which was a great honor for me. I advanced quickly in the military, being promoted ahead of my peers and if I chose to, I would continue to have an excellent career in the military. However, I think I’ve accomplished what I set out to and I’m anxious to explore an opportunity within the civilian world. Being involved in two conflicts back to back has been a tremendous hardship for my family, I’m proud to have served my country, and now confident that my technical skills and ambition will be appreciated as well outside of the military.
Now, use this example to find your own “headlines” and make your interviewer stand up and say “WOW” with your two-minute answer.
About the author:
Bill Gaul (bgaul@destinygrp.com ) With 15+ years experience of helping veterans transitioning to the civilian workplace, after himself graduating from West Point and serving in the Army as a helicopter pilot, Bill Gaul is an Author, speaker and President/CEO of The Destiny Group, given the Weddles Users Choice Award for 2005 and chosen as one of the TOP 50 Career Websites by CareerXRoads, the only veteran specific job board to win this honor for the past 3 straight years. The Destiny Group operates the career centers for more than 50+ Veteran Service Organizations/Associations and has a reach of nearly 3 million veterans through its network. Bill’s articles are Copyright 1997-2005, The Destiny Group.
