‘Tell me about yourself’

As an interview coach, before I work with a client I ask them for their top three concerns, dreads, disasters or hiccups. Guess what always features in that list? Right first time, ‘Tell me about yourself?’ or ‘Tell me about your career?’ A slightly easier version of that question if you ask me.

I don’t have to ask why this question is so dreaded. I know why. It is vast. It can also be perceived as quite personal and comes at you right between the eyes as first question off the blocks. No time to warm up, get some flow going and ease into this infrequent, stressful and important process. The interview.

The generic and expansive nature of the question is why it is dreaded so much.

Yet if I asked that question of a business owner or entrepreneur, I suspect they would not see it in the same manner. Rather than rely on anecdotal evidence, I decided to test drive my theory at the recent conference, the ‘Emerging Leaders Forum’ in Canberra held by the Women In Aviation group. The speaking lineup was impressive as was the range of aspiring aviation professionals. I can report that there was little if any hesitation as fellow speakers and industry specialists rattled off their key milestones, values, aspirations and plans interspersed with relevant personal data.

What is the difference between an employee or job seeker who traditionally hates the ‘Tell me about yourself’ question and an entrepreneur who embraces it, I pondered? The entrepreneur has, as part of the business process, been required to define his or her purpose, goals and values. Something as individuals we are not often required to do – until an interview comes along, that is. Without parameters this task is confusing and for this reason many of my clients, if not all, rate it as their biggest concern.

Your story, your journey, your life and your career are intertwined. Separating them into neat packets of information, or sifting events down to those that are relevant, takes time, effort and decision-making. Entrepreneurs have eagerly taken this time whereas job seekers have often avoided it.
– Where do I start?
– Where do I finish?
– How long should I speak for?
– What do I leave in or leave out?
– What if I over-share?
– I have no achievements to list?

These are the responses I hear daily and thrive on detangling.

To help, here are a few of the guidelines I use to pull together a succinct, relevant and factual outline to answer that question.
– List your key life/career milestones or events (don’t judge your life events just list them. It’s not an ‘I’m more exciting than you’ competition)
– Ensure you quantify those milestones as this makes them fact based
– Organise the list in chronological order
– Decide if you are answering ‘Tell me about yourself’ for ‘Tell me about your career’
– Delete anything that is not relevant to the situation you wish to use it for

It is highly likely you will end up with a few variations suitable for different situations. For example, if I am talking to a group of high school students I typically leave out that I left school at 16 as that might be a disincentive for them to stay. Or if I was being interviewed about my career I would leave out personal milestones such as moving to the country for two years to work with quarter horses. It really isn’t relevant though it was a defining moment in my life.

The ability to easily and succinctly articulate your story in response to this question is a lifeskill – one that confronts you to make decisions about yourself and to commit to and accept those milestones, good and not so good, that define you. Keep in mind, that other people will only know what you choose to tell them, so be strategic and considered in the decisions you make, and know that you hold the power over what you decide to share.

‘I don’t have to ask why this question is so dreaded. I know why. It is vast’