How do I seriously answer "tell me about yourself?
August 8, 2022 8:55 PM Subscribe
I'm having an enormously difficult time figuring out how to answer this question for an upcoming interview, in light of my previous job. I just feel like a loser. I don't know where to begin. What am I supposed to say?
While I'm preparing for this interview, I almost feel like Harry Dean Stanton answering "How would you describe yourself?" "As nothing, there is no self."
I've always struggled with this question, I hate talking about myself. I'm not an impressive person, career-wise. I hate selling myself, because I guess I just think there's nothing worth buying. Like, why am I better than any other candidate? I'm probably not, maybe even worse!
Is there a good way to answer this question for people who hate it? I can't think of ANYTHING. I struggle so much with interviews because everything feels like a trap that's going to lead to a "gotcha!!" moment.
While I'm preparing for this interview, I almost feel like Harry Dean Stanton answering "How would you describe yourself?" "As nothing, there is no self."
I've always struggled with this question, I hate talking about myself. I'm not an impressive person, career-wise. I hate selling myself, because I guess I just think there's nothing worth buying. Like, why am I better than any other candidate? I'm probably not, maybe even worse!
Is there a good way to answer this question for people who hate it? I can't think of ANYTHING. I struggle so much with interviews because everything feels like a trap that's going to lead to a "gotcha!!" moment.
Best answer: You might enjoy this TED talk by Clay Hebert which argues that we're generally terrible at talking about what we do in a way that matters, and that we have to train ourselves. He provides a useful formula which can be applied to many situations.
posted by oxisos at 9:14 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by oxisos at 9:14 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yeah, you just need a few sentences. Maybe write them out if this is stressing you out so much. I think you said you were asked this in a recent interview? I hate this as an interview question (and I'm more often the interviewer rather than the inteviewee these days). Seems unfair and weird. Not everywhere will ask this. And many places don't expect you to answer on the personal side of things. But, yeah, here's one way to approach this:
"On a professional side, after originally exploring X career/jobs, I went to Y University for library school and received my degree in YEAR. I've held different positions and learned that I really enjoy Z work. On the personal side, I am a fan of Q novels and enjoy [other interest]."
posted by bluedaisy at 9:19 PM on August 8, 2022
"On a professional side, after originally exploring X career/jobs, I went to Y University for library school and received my degree in YEAR. I've held different positions and learned that I really enjoy Z work. On the personal side, I am a fan of Q novels and enjoy [other interest]."
posted by bluedaisy at 9:19 PM on August 8, 2022
Response by poster: Thanks so far! Another question on the same spectrum is "Why should we hire you?" (or something like that). Another question that makes me want to scream into the void! (How am *I* supposed to know why you should hire me, or where I rank without other candidates). Is there a decent way to answer that one, too? It drives me crazy.
posted by VirginiaPlain at 9:29 PM on August 8, 2022
posted by VirginiaPlain at 9:29 PM on August 8, 2022
Best answer: "why should we hire you" means "please show us that you understand what the role is supposed to achieve, and have the skills and enthusiasm to do it well." They're not asking you to rank yourself against anyone else. It's "why would you be a good match for the job."
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:34 PM on August 8, 2022 [20 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:34 PM on August 8, 2022 [20 favorites]
Best answer: "why should we hire you" means "please show us that you understand what the role is supposed to achieve, and have the skills and enthusiasm to do it well."
Most of the answers you need are in the job description. If one of the job requirements is "work with vendors" then talk about your experience working with vendors, or in customer service, or any interaction you had with people who aren't family especially if it was a largish project. I might even put a home reno project into the "how I worked with vendors" bucket.
Why should we hire you? Again, go back to the job description - is there a main goal that they want they employee to meet? If not, something along the lines of "what would be my first priority in this role? What do you want me to achieve/produce/accomplish? I'll tell you how I'd do that."
posted by bendy at 9:49 PM on August 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
Most of the answers you need are in the job description. If one of the job requirements is "work with vendors" then talk about your experience working with vendors, or in customer service, or any interaction you had with people who aren't family especially if it was a largish project. I might even put a home reno project into the "how I worked with vendors" bucket.
Why should we hire you? Again, go back to the job description - is there a main goal that they want they employee to meet? If not, something along the lines of "what would be my first priority in this role? What do you want me to achieve/produce/accomplish? I'll tell you how I'd do that."
posted by bendy at 9:49 PM on August 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
After being un/underemployed for the last eight years and going through hundreds of interviews and hundreds of rejections I'm clear and concise and straight to the point. Turn the focus away from what they want from you and toward what you want from them. I want to take ownership of a part of the thing (oh, you want better security? I can do that.), I want to be the source of truth for this part (here are a couple ideas I have for that), I want to improve the speed of your website (I ran some tests on it and it was less than ideal in this case - here are some changes I could make to fix that).
You have skills based on the fact that people have paid you before. You have skills based on the fact that you think about your job outside of work and have different ideas about to accomplish things.
Next - "tell me about yourself"
posted by bendy at 10:00 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
You have skills based on the fact that people have paid you before. You have skills based on the fact that you think about your job outside of work and have different ideas about to accomplish things.
Next - "tell me about yourself"
posted by bendy at 10:00 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: "Why should we hire you?" isn't asking you to evaluate other candidates. It's asking you to put your best foot forward and show you read the position description and tell them how that aligns with your skills.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:05 PM on August 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by bluedaisy at 10:05 PM on August 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
Like, why am I better than any other candidate? I'm probably not, maybe even worse!
Forget about other candidates. You don't know anything about them, and it isn't useful for you to think or talk about then. You need to communicate that you can do the work they need done, and that you'll do it well, or reliably, or constantly improve, or "and be a joy to work with", or whatever you think you can bring to the table.
posted by aubilenon at 10:06 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
Forget about other candidates. You don't know anything about them, and it isn't useful for you to think or talk about then. You need to communicate that you can do the work they need done, and that you'll do it well, or reliably, or constantly improve, or "and be a joy to work with", or whatever you think you can bring to the table.
posted by aubilenon at 10:06 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
RE: tell me about yourself
Again, I take the lead and say "in what sense?" even though it's mostly a joke and I laugh. I keep it a mix of stuff... "I go to a ton of meetups, I saw a really cool demo of AWS" or other tech topic though pandemic-wise I haven't been to a meetup in a few years; "I play this phone game called Ingress" which leads to me explaining how it was the predecessor to PokeMon.
I think the key is to start a conversation and find common conversation topics with your interviewers.
I would not recommend my "tell me about yourself" suggestions because I think they get too off-topic and don't address the job.
posted by bendy at 10:08 PM on August 8, 2022
Again, I take the lead and say "in what sense?" even though it's mostly a joke and I laugh. I keep it a mix of stuff... "I go to a ton of meetups, I saw a really cool demo of AWS" or other tech topic though pandemic-wise I haven't been to a meetup in a few years; "I play this phone game called Ingress" which leads to me explaining how it was the predecessor to PokeMon.
I think the key is to start a conversation and find common conversation topics with your interviewers.
I would not recommend my "tell me about yourself" suggestions because I think they get too off-topic and don't address the job.
posted by bendy at 10:08 PM on August 8, 2022
Most of my experience is in the public service, but in that context the question is code for 'tell me why we should hire you'. It's an opening to introduce your professional self and relate your skills and experience to the job description and/or selection criteria. If you're applying to a role similar to your previous experience you'd talk about why you're well suited to that type of role, and if it's different you'd talk about what kind of relevant transferable skills you have and briefly mention why you're interested in this kind of role.
If the interviewers ask this question at the end of the interview, you can also circle back and expand on your previous answers if you're dissatisfied with any of them.
posted by aussie_powerlifter at 11:28 PM on August 8, 2022
If the interviewers ask this question at the end of the interview, you can also circle back and expand on your previous answers if you're dissatisfied with any of them.
posted by aussie_powerlifter at 11:28 PM on August 8, 2022
You need to make up a 3 sentence character arc about yourself.
Pretend your career is a movie. Where has the character been and where are they headed? If your character arc fits the role they have well then they can “see” you at their company bada bing bada boom.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:39 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Pretend your career is a movie. Where has the character been and where are they headed? If your character arc fits the role they have well then they can “see” you at their company bada bing bada boom.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:39 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Both of these questions are summary questions.
Tell us about yourself?
I'm a [CITY]-based professional with [n] years of experience, mostly in [FIELD 1] and [FIELD 2]. I've worked for a few different organizations, but for the last [n] years I've been with [COMPANY NAME], most recently as [JOB TITLE]. I really love [INDUSTRY/ROLE/TASK] and I'm looking for a role where I can do more of that work for a great company.
Why should we hire you?
I understand that you are trying to [SOMETHING]. My background in [RELEVANT TOPIC] is directly applicable, and I could add [VALUABLE SKILL AND EXPERIENCE] to your team.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:09 AM on August 9, 2022 [13 favorites]
Tell us about yourself?
I'm a [CITY]-based professional with [n] years of experience, mostly in [FIELD 1] and [FIELD 2]. I've worked for a few different organizations, but for the last [n] years I've been with [COMPANY NAME], most recently as [JOB TITLE]. I really love [INDUSTRY/ROLE/TASK] and I'm looking for a role where I can do more of that work for a great company.
Why should we hire you?
I understand that you are trying to [SOMETHING]. My background in [RELEVANT TOPIC] is directly applicable, and I could add [VALUABLE SKILL AND EXPERIENCE] to your team.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:09 AM on August 9, 2022 [13 favorites]
I had to attend a hiring skills seminar as part of an internship this summer. They told us to include some personal information (hobbies, interests) during the "tell me about yourself" section to make us more memorable to the interviewers.
posted by xo at 4:36 AM on August 9, 2022
posted by xo at 4:36 AM on August 9, 2022
"Tell me about yourself" is about your professional "self". I would not even mention any hobbies, unless that specifically awkward question "what do you do outside of work for fun" is asked. They are asking you to make up something about how your work-based personality traits ("I like to solve puzzles! I love working alongside my colleagues! or whatever works for the job) will fit the role.
Just accept the grotesqueness of pretending that the labor and time you offer them in exchange for compensation has anything to do with "yourself" and you'll be fine!
posted by RajahKing at 6:10 AM on August 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
Just accept the grotesqueness of pretending that the labor and time you offer them in exchange for compensation has anything to do with "yourself" and you'll be fine!
posted by RajahKing at 6:10 AM on August 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
Nthing that for "Why should we hire you?" you go through the job description point by point and show how you match up.
In fact when they sit down afterwards to assess and compare candidates, they won't be just sitting back to compare interpersonal impressions, they will almost certainly do it with the job description right in front of them, and run through it as a checklist for each candidate, like:
- Can make teapots? Yes, VirginiaPlain was a senior teapot maker for two years.
- Can pour tea? Yes, covered for a colleague pouring tea for several months and also volunteers to pour tea with kids in their neighbourhood on Saturdays.
- Can grow tea? Hasn't grown tea professionally but gave a great answer about their hobby of growing a tea-like plant and has clearly done a lot of reading about the parallels, showed obvious passion while talking about it.
- Can problem solve tea-related issues? No direct experience demonstrated but their answer about solving cake-related issues showed good problem-solving skills, clearly has the core ability and ability to learn these skills on the job.
And so on.
posted by penguin pie at 6:28 AM on August 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
In fact when they sit down afterwards to assess and compare candidates, they won't be just sitting back to compare interpersonal impressions, they will almost certainly do it with the job description right in front of them, and run through it as a checklist for each candidate, like:
- Can make teapots? Yes, VirginiaPlain was a senior teapot maker for two years.
- Can pour tea? Yes, covered for a colleague pouring tea for several months and also volunteers to pour tea with kids in their neighbourhood on Saturdays.
- Can grow tea? Hasn't grown tea professionally but gave a great answer about their hobby of growing a tea-like plant and has clearly done a lot of reading about the parallels, showed obvious passion while talking about it.
- Can problem solve tea-related issues? No direct experience demonstrated but their answer about solving cake-related issues showed good problem-solving skills, clearly has the core ability and ability to learn these skills on the job.
And so on.
posted by penguin pie at 6:28 AM on August 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
I hate this shit too but it really is supposed to be an opportunity to make yourself desirable beyond whatever restrictions exist in resume format or the job application. a last chance, not a test or a punishment. they are particularly useful questions if you don't meet the full employee wish-list in the job posting but are sure you could/would do a great job because you know or have done X Y & Z that aren't reflected in your formal credentials. this is the official opportunity to tell them that stuff. or if you are "overqualified" it's the time to convince them you really want this specific position for specific reasons, not because you're desperate and will leave as soon as something better appears. in the event you ever need to lie about this it is nice to have a designated place to lie about it.
if on the other hand you do fit all the stated requirements and don't need to make a special argument for why you're qualified, all you have to do is reiterate that in a way that reminds them you prepared for the interview by researching the company and carefully rereading the job ad.
anything about you that isn't related to the job and can't be described in a brief, entertaining, and not too personal paragraph doesn't have to be mentioned.
posted by queenofbithynia at 6:39 AM on August 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
if on the other hand you do fit all the stated requirements and don't need to make a special argument for why you're qualified, all you have to do is reiterate that in a way that reminds them you prepared for the interview by researching the company and carefully rereading the job ad.
anything about you that isn't related to the job and can't be described in a brief, entertaining, and not too personal paragraph doesn't have to be mentioned.
posted by queenofbithynia at 6:39 AM on August 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
related: How to Answer “Why Do You Want to Work Here?”
posted by oceano at 12:43 PM on August 9, 2022
posted by oceano at 12:43 PM on August 9, 2022
I struggle so much with interviews because everything feels like a trap that's going to lead to a "gotcha!!" moment.
Some people do interview like this, but equally others are genuinely trying to give you the best opportunity to make your case. Remember, they want to hire the best person - it's counterproductive for them to try to trick you!
In terms of 'why should we hire you?': think about the specific requirements of the job, and level. So for example in my library roles, if the job is at the individual contributor level, I'd pitch my research skills. If the title is 'senior librarian' or something, I'd speak about my skills and interests in mentoring and supporting more junior colleagues to get better at their work. If it's a management job, then speak about ability to lead and build a team, set standards, support staff, work with other managers etc.
I'd probably also briefly tick off anything obviously non-negotiable, like having an MLIS and a set number of years experience, if that was a requirement in the job ad.
posted by Pink Frost at 6:08 PM on August 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Some people do interview like this, but equally others are genuinely trying to give you the best opportunity to make your case. Remember, they want to hire the best person - it's counterproductive for them to try to trick you!
In terms of 'why should we hire you?': think about the specific requirements of the job, and level. So for example in my library roles, if the job is at the individual contributor level, I'd pitch my research skills. If the title is 'senior librarian' or something, I'd speak about my skills and interests in mentoring and supporting more junior colleagues to get better at their work. If it's a management job, then speak about ability to lead and build a team, set standards, support staff, work with other managers etc.
I'd probably also briefly tick off anything obviously non-negotiable, like having an MLIS and a set number of years experience, if that was a requirement in the job ad.
posted by Pink Frost at 6:08 PM on August 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you for all the advice. (I'm preparing for it right now!!!)
Connecting "Why should we hire you" with the job description has been a revelation for me... it's almost like another "tell me about yourself" reply! It changed how I view the question. Especially going through the job posting/description and connecting the dots. I don't know why this never connected for me before. I'm going to hone the answers tomorrow, but I'm just glad to be getting stuff down!
I also visited the library today incognito, which made me feel a bit better about the interview for some reason. Nothing stood out as "crazy" when I was there, so that's a plus!
posted by VirginiaPlain at 6:11 PM on August 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
Connecting "Why should we hire you" with the job description has been a revelation for me... it's almost like another "tell me about yourself" reply! It changed how I view the question. Especially going through the job posting/description and connecting the dots. I don't know why this never connected for me before. I'm going to hone the answers tomorrow, but I'm just glad to be getting stuff down!
I also visited the library today incognito, which made me feel a bit better about the interview for some reason. Nothing stood out as "crazy" when I was there, so that's a plus!
posted by VirginiaPlain at 6:11 PM on August 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
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It doesn't have to be true, it just has to basically sound like it makes sense and vaguely tie to your previous experience.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:58 PM on August 8, 2022 [16 favorites]