A seemingly straightforward, easy to answer question, right? Wrong! In my experience, many candidates completely blow their chances at the job with their answer to this question.

 

The problem is candidates include everything about their personal and professional life – including the kitchen sink. We call that TMI!

 

I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard a candidate begin to answer this question with something along the lines of:  “Well, I grew up in…. and went to school…. I really enjoy playing golf in my free time….” You get the idea. They start to answer this question with experiences from their personal life – often, their VERY EARLY personal life and move forward chronologically. This information is completely irrelevant to their ability to do the job and the candidate can be perceived as unprofessional.

 

Well, now you know what not to do! J And, if you are cringing after reading the above examples, it’s okay because we have all been there and said something similar. Use it as a learning experience and move on!

 

So, how do you answer the “Tell Me About Yourself” question?  You develop The 60 Second Commercial to sell yourself. Here’s what your commercial should look like:

 

The 60 Second Commercial

 

·         The words are like the headline in the newspaper

·         It’s a summary of your skills and accomplishments

·         Describes your focus and passion

·         Uses your non-verbals to tell the rest of the story

·         Needs to be rehearsed but not robotic

·         Uses your head and heart to sell you!

 

 

I would also recommend spending some time brainstorming your thoughts, IN WRITING, so that you can pick and choose the attributes and accomplishments that will help you best sell yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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