Tell me about yourself question

Gael23

This is a classic interview opener that I always struggle with.
Is it just a summary of your CV, education, key points from your work experience and notable achievements, highlights how those make you suitable for the role?
Interested to know good approaches to this day

Teddy Daniels

Gael23 wrote: »

This is a classic interview opener that I always struggle with.
Is it just a summary of your CV, education, key points from your work experience and notable achievements, highlights how those make you suitable for the role?
Interested to know good approaches to this day

When you ask about me I believe you are asking about the working me. I have the old fashioned ethic when it comes to employment, by that i feel there should be give and take in a working environment which can best be achieved through communication and excellent performance and not through the employee demanding rights and the employer having to monitor their output. Rather I like to let my output and attitude speak for themselves and in return I earn the respect and appreciation that is important to any person in their working life.

You can then go on to talk about the not working you; team, healthy , happy, would be some key words here.

PanicStations

Teddy Daniels wrote: »

I have the old fashioned ethic when it comes to employment, by that i feel there should be give and take in a working environment which should be achieved through communication and not through the employee demanding rights and the employer having to monitor their output. Rather I like to let my output and attitude speak for themselves and in return I earn the respect and appreciation that is important to any person in their working life.

I really hate this kind of answer, it's just fluff, I want someone to give me concrete examples of what they are like and what they have done.

Teddy Daniels

PanicStations wrote: »

I really hate this kind of answer, it's just fluff, I want someone to give me concrete examples of what they are like and what they have done.

:eek:


Whats your experience with interviewing people, give me a concrete example of what you have done and what you are like.

Gael23

PanicStations wrote: »

I really hate this kind of answer, it's just fluff, I want someone to give me concrete examples of what they are like and what they have done.

Should you avoid a regurgitation of your Cv?

drunkmonkey

It's your shot to show how you fit the job not just on paper.....you can really feck up that question.

OMM 0000

They want to know about you. We know this because they haven't said "Can you walk me through your work history?" or "Can you tell me about your current role?"

So an answer I would expect is:

I'm from so and so. Growing up I always loved x and y. That was the reason I chose z in college. I loved the course, and blah blah. After graduating I was offered a job at whatever and ..."

That then leads the conversation into going through your CV.

Part of the reason for asking this question is it's "easy" and they know you're nervous.

screamer

Just shows how much our expectations differ.....
tell me about yourself is a loaded question, and one that as an interviewer I would avoid. You’re not allowed to ask about various areas, which could well come up for discussion in such a sweeping question.

If asked that question I’d reply by asking what do you want to know? Or certainly I’d ask them to clarify if they want work oriented me, or personal life me......

whoopsadaisy

screamer wrote: »

Just shows how much our expectations differ.....
tell me about yourself is a loaded question, and one that as an interviewer I would avoid. You’re not allowed to ask about various areas, which could well come up for discussion in such a sweeping question.

If asked that question I’d reply by asking what do you want to know? Or certainly I’d ask them to clarify if they want work oriented me, or personal life me......

They want to know about you - this isn't a trick question at all and treating it as such by turning it back on the interviewer sounds a bit defensive.

Think about it - why is this employer taking time out of his day to meet you? They obviously liked what they seen on paper and want to see if you can deliver an equally good impression in person. Yes they may know about your career history etc from the CV but "tell me about yourself" isn't asking you to reinvent the wheel by trying to come up with interesting anecdotes that you wouldn't see on the CV. They simply want you to tell them about yourself. I would see nothing wrong with talking through your CV - one of the main reasons an employer would want to meet you is to verify that you are decent in person and not just on paper.

I would start with your most recent employment and walk through back to college. Why did you leave X position to go into Y? Explain your career motivations for doing certain courses, or changing jobs etc. Spot any gaps in the CV and address them before the interviewer does. Draw attention to something you're really proud of in your career, or that you have achieved. And why are you here today - what are you looking for out of your next move? Why are you interested in this company?

Maybe mention one or two things at the end that's interesting in your personal life (hobbies, other achievements etc) if you have something to add - but don't start going on about a sport you played when you were a teenager just for the sake of wanting to have something to say.

They want to get to know you; mention anything you feel is relevant and will give a good impression of not only you as an employee in X role but as a valuable member of the team. You should be able to talk about yourself for about 5 minutes I would say uninterrupted. It's an opportunity to sell yourself - take it!

listermint

screamer wrote: »

Just shows how much our expectations differ.....
tell me about yourself is a loaded question, and one that as an interviewer I would avoid. You’re not allowed to ask about various areas, which could well come up for discussion in such a sweeping question.

If asked that question I’d reply by asking what do you want to know? Or certainly I’d ask them to clarify if they want work oriented me, or personal life me......

You've just got defensive and im now on the back foot as the interviewer. I'm not in a happy place.


Caveat. I interview people every week.

Triceratops Ballet

"Tell me about yourself" is way too general a question and imo a sign of a poor interviewer. The purpose of the interview is to ascertain in a short period of if the person in front of you is the right hire, asking such a broad non specific question opens you up to trouble in what they might say and a long meandering answer that goes nowhere.
Answer in relation to your CV, if they want to know about you personally they will ask specifically.

jimmii

I'd normally start asking this or asking what do you know about the place as an easy opening question so the interviewee can settle into the interview. Some people choose to tell you a bit just about them outside of work and some people tell more about working history. Neither is right or wrong but it does give you an insight into their priorities. I think the best response is a it if both so you can mention if you moved to the area recently or something like that. I think it's good to finish with a quick mention of your last role that then leads on naturally to the more formal part of the interview.

listermint

Triceratops Ballet wrote: »

"Tell me about yourself" is way too general a question and imo a sign of a poor interviewer. The purpose of the interview is to ascertain in a short period of if the person in front of you is the right hire, asking such a broad non specific question opens you up to trouble in what they might say and a long meandering answer that goes nowhere.
Answer in relation to your CV, if they want to know about you personally they will ask specifically.

Incidentally it's certainly not a question Id ask , as it's rubbish.

jimmii

listermint wrote: »

Incidentally it's certainly not a question Id ask , as it's rubbish.

True cant actually recall last time I asked that specifically. I think it's intended to be easy to answer so that's why it's used but clearly it's not as it easy as it seems!

OMM 0000

I think it could be worded better:

"Can you tell me a little about yourself: where you grew up, why you chose to study x, what do you do for fun, things like that".

Should be easy enough to answer, and there's no "correct" response, assuming you're not being unsociable and unwilling to answer the question.

If I asked someone this, and they gave a terrible answer (basically didn't answer it), I would assume they have poor social skills and it would be a mark against them. But I'd keep in mind they might just be nervous.

Declan1

https://www.facebook.com/185299872215014/posts/331615667583433?sfns=mo

Interviewers ofter start with an open question like this to settle you into the interview. There’s no right or wrong answer but you should view it as an opportunity to help you persuade the interviewer that you are the right fit for the job.

You should approach every interview with your own agenda - that is an understanding of what you need to tell the interviewer to demonstrate you match their person specification. Use open questions like this to tell the interview some relevant facts about you and your experience to support your agenda. For example, if teamwork is an important part of the role you could mention some examples of teams you are or have been involved with etc. Mention relevant areas of employment experience. Mention interests that demonstrate a knowledge of the industry or role.

Rikand

Declan1 wrote: »

Interviewers ofter start with an open question like this to settle you into the interview.

being asked this question does the exact opposite of settling me

Declan1

Rikand wrote: »

being asked this question does the exact opposite of settling me

There’s a handful of questions such as this one and eg “why do you want this job” that are very predictable so really you should be prepared for them. They’re opportunities for you to totally control what you want to tell the interviewer - subsequent questions are more likely to be more specific. Another guaranteed question is “have you any questions for us?” Well worth thinking about this one in advance too.

skallywag

I agree that it's a poor/lazy question, and it's not one that I would ask myself when interviewing. That said, I do always try to start the interview on an informal note, where I get some small chat going. It sets the candidate at ease, but also gives me a very valuable first impression of what this person is going to be like to work with, and whether or not they will fit in.

I certainly would not reply with some class of pre-programmed answer designed to impress concerning how great one is professionally etc, that's going to be a big black mark for starters, in my book. I would just keep it casual, e.g. small talk about where you come from, family situation, hobbies, etc.

Triceratops Ballet

skallywag wrote: »

I agree that it's a poor/lazy question, and it's not one that I would ask myself when interviewing. That said, I do always try to start the interview on an informal note, where I get some small chat going. It sets the candidate at ease, but also gives me a very valuable first impression of what this person is going to be like to work with, and whether or not they will fit in.

I certainly would not reply with some class of pre-programmed answer designed to impress concerning how great one is professionally etc, that's going to be a big black mark for starters, in my book. I would just keep it casual, e.g. small talk about where you come from, family situation, hobbies, etc.

NEVER go down a family situation road, there is only trouble that way!!

skallywag

Triceratops Ballet wrote: »

NEVER go down a family situation road, there is only trouble that way!!

Why do you think so?

I find it very normal that someone who I am interviewing will offer up such details without being probed, and when they do I will then tell them about my own situation. I see nothing wrong with that, and it can certainly help the interview to get off to a warm start.

Ollibelo

skallywag wrote: »

Why do you think so?

I find it very normal that someone who I am interviewing will offer up such details without being probed, and when they do I will then tell them about my own situation. I see nothing wrong with that, and it can certainly help the interview to get off to a warm start.

Any interview I've been in with veered towards me being about to talk of my family situation was quickly moved to the next topic by both the HR and main interviewer.

The Equality Acts of 1998 and 2004 prohibit employers and potential employers from discriminating against anyone on the basis of:

Gender
Marital Status
Race/Age
Disability
Family Status
Sexual orientation
Religion
Member of the travelling community.


Therefore, questions relating to any of these subjects could bring about criminal proceedings.

I think the only topic you can talk about, that's outside of the scope of the company/job, is body weight!!

Triceratops Ballet

skallywag wrote: »

Why do you think so?

I find it very normal that someone who I am interviewing will offer up such details without being probed, and when they do I will then tell them about my own situation. I see nothing wrong with that, and it can certainly help the interview to get off to a warm start.

I'm all for small talk to warm up an interview, and will always chat for a few mins before we kick off things formally because it's important to allow the other person to relax. I just try and not lead people down a path where they discuss topics that are related to the 9 grounds, it's none of my business as an interviewer and it can potentially cause trouble for the company, it's my job in HR to protect the company from stuff like that

Twenty Grand

I think the question is a rephrase of "talk me through your CV".

It's an easy opener as everyone should know their CV backwards and it's easy for me to dip in and out if I want specific details or more insight into a particular point.

It's also easy to see if people are prepared and have any bullsh*t on their CV.

wench

skallywag wrote: »

Why do you think so?

I find it very normal that someone who I am interviewing will offer up such details without being probed, and when they do I will then tell them about my own situation. I see nothing wrong with that, and it can certainly help the interview to get off to a warm start.

And if you got a young woman in, she says she is newly wed and loves babies and wants at least a half dozen of her own as soon as possible...


You may well recoil in horror at the thoughts of all that maternity leave, don't hire her and leave yourself open to claims of discrimination.

Twenty Grand

skallywag wrote: »

Why do you think so?

I find it very normal that someone who I am interviewing will offer up such details without being probed, and when they do I will then tell them about my own situation. I see nothing wrong with that, and it can certainly help the interview to get off to a warm start.

Some things are better to steer clear of in an interview and family is one of them. By all means ask about them once you've offered the job.
Had a colleague ask about a interviewees boyfriend (who was foreign) and whether he was planning on staying in Ireland long term... Innocent enough in one context, but damaging in another...

skallywag

Twenty Grand wrote: »

...By all means ask about them once you've offered the job...

I never mentioned that I would ask a candidate questions along this line.

My point is that if a candidate choses themselves to bring up anything which is family related then it's something that I am fine with as an interviewer. It happens quite often in fact.

Twenty Grand

skallywag wrote: »

I never mentioned that I would ask a candidate questions along this line.

My point is that if a candidate choses themselves to bring up anything which is family related then it's something that I am fine with as an interviewer. It happens quite often in fact.

Suppose that's fair enough, I'd steer the conversation back to work though.
I just wouldn't like to see it turn into a "he said she said" problem.

lainey_d_123

OMM 0000 wrote: »

They want to know about you. We know this because they haven't said "Can you walk me through your work history?" or "Can you tell me about your current role?"

So an answer I would expect is:

I'm from so and so. Growing up I always loved x and y. That was the reason I chose z in college. I loved the course, and blah blah. After graduating I was offered a job at whatever and ..."

That then leads the conversation into going through your CV.

Part of the reason for asking this question is it's "easy" and they know you're nervous.

I answered the question like this years ago (just after leaving college), briefly saying where I was from, why I chose my course and what I enjoyed about it and what sort of person I am and was utterly humiliated by the interviewer, who looked at me as if I was stupid and said 'I meant your professional background'. He had my CV right in front of him, so I assumed he wanted to know something more about me. No, he was expecting a summary of the CV he was obviously above reading.

skallywag

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

I answered the question like this years ago (just after leaving college), briefly saying where I was from, why I chose my course and what I enjoyed about it and what sort of person I am and was utterly humiliated by the interviewer, who looked at me as if I was stupid and said 'I meant your professional background'. He had my CV right in front of him, so I assumed he wanted to know something more about me. No, he was expecting a summary of the CV he was obviously above reading.

I guess the exact goal of the question is open to interpretation alright, but any time I ask a similar question as an opener I am expecting to hear exactly the type of answer which you provided, and it was the way that I answered myself when I was interviewed.

If an interviewer expects a more professional experience orientated answer then fair enough, but they can steer things that way with subsequent questioning. Bluntly putting someone in a humiliating situation as you describe is the sign of an asshole.

_Brian

The big problem.

So in th answer a female candidate mentions they got married and has children. Both issues could never be covered in direct questions for fear of discrimination.

However, the fact that the question has brought up these things it a risky place for the interviewer to be. Could it be constrewed at a future stage that this information was used to discriminate against the candidate? Possibly, in this crazy era where everything is a oroblme I’d rather aviloid this scenario.

Interview questions should be focused on candidate ability and skills, allowing interviews to wander off into merky personal issues is dangerous.

I’ve been interviewing for 20 years and would never use this tired old style question.

lainey_d_123

skallywag wrote: »

I guess the exact goal of the question is open to interpretation alright, but any time I ask a similar question as an opener I am expecting to hear exactly the type of answer which you provided, and it was the way that I answered myself when I was interviewed.

If an interviewer expects a more professional experience orientated answer then fair enough, but they can steer things that way with subsequent questioning. Bluntly putting someone in a humiliating situation as you describe is the sign of an asshole.

Yeah, he was an asshole, and I very bluntly excused myself from the interview after that. I think some jumped up middle aged men get off humiliating and bullying young girls because it wasn't the first or the last time. Anyhow, if I get that question in an interview, I clarify what exactly they mean by it now.