26/05/2024
Tell us something about yourself:
A gateway to enter the rest of your interview! If you become a master of it – no one can stop you from getting hired for the job!
This is the first interview question that is usually asked. Some common variations of this are;
· Explain yourself
· How do you describe yourself?
· I have your resume right in front of me but tell us something about yourself
· Summarize yourself in a few words
· Walk us through your experience
Let’s not drag it on too long. But yes – keep in mind that the interviewer, by asking this question wants to explore the following with you;
· Your personal details
· Your Education
· Your previous experience – if it has some similarities with the upcoming role
· Your skill set – if it matches with the upcoming role
· Your communication – if it’s a client-facing role
· Your confidence – if the role is all about team handling
Let’s assemble all these bullets into one solid answer using the “Present-Past-Future” approach that not only impresses the interviewer but also opens opportunities for you to get more questions from the interviewer.
Present: When answering this question, start with your current employer. It should include basics such as your name, education, your current job title, and role:
"My name is Mark Lee and I’m an XYZ graduate. I’m a Senior Content Writer at XYZ and responsible for producing content for the company’s web, blogs, social media, and newsletter campaigns. I am solely responsible for increasing web traffic. I am proud to tell you that I increased it from 20% to 50%."
Past: Add on your previous role and responsibilities that shaped your career – and now exclude the current employer – just talk about your past:
"Before my current Senior Content Writer position, I worked for XYZ company for two years in the same role. There, I had a chance to develop the company’s content strategy from scratch. I proved myself as a problem-solver and brought in innovative content ideas to bring the website to the top of Google rankings."
Future: It’s time to tell your interviewer how you link your present-day achievements to your plans:
"While I am enjoying my work as a Content Writer, I would like to dig deeper into the most recent writing trends that help companies produce more traffic than going with usual content writing. Also, I am more excited about learning advanced SEO techniques so that I can refine content in light of the search engine’s algorithm."
You can combine the Present-Past-Future approach into one solid answer.
Agreed?