What to Say When the Interviewer Wants You to Talk About Yourself
Job interviews are stressful. While you can’t prepare for every single question an interviewer asks you, there are a few questions you can prepare for that will likely set the tone for the rest of this hour-long interview. The first question someone might ask you is, “Tell me about yourself.”
This is an open-ended question that you can answer by providing information on everything from your love life to why you left your last job. However, while it may seem like just an icebreaker, there are “right” and “wrong” ways to respond. If you plan ahead a little, you can really knock this out of the park and set a positive tone for the rest of your interview.
CNBC Make It recently spoke with several interview experts , Joan Kohl and Sandy Gould, about how to properly answer the infamous interview question.
One of the best takeaways? Tailor your answer to the job you’re interviewing for.
It sounds easy, but many people get it wrong with it. When you think about your answer to a question, think about the position you were applying for and what qualifications the interviewer is likely looking for.
Before your interview, prepare some relevant stories about how you meet these criteria. It doesn’t have to be specific job stories. If you do not meet specific job requirements during your career but are volunteering, please indicate that as well. And you don’t need to mention in conversation “I see you are looking for someone with great organizational skills …”, just tell your story and let your interviewer add two and two.
And rest assured of your experience. It is easy to conclude that your personal experience is “not good enough” for a particular job. If you say this during the interview, then your interlocutor will most likely think that you also do not have the necessary experience, even if you do. Instead, come to the interview making sure you are the ideal candidate for the job. If you believe in this, then most likely your interlocutor will feel the same way.
Check out the full list of tips on CNBC .