| This is the most popular way for hiring managers to | | | | being here in THIS room with them. This means you |
| start most one-on-one interviews; get this right and the | | | | need to show where and how you got started, the |
| rest of the interview will fall into place. Yet so many | | | | decisions and changes you made along the way and |
| people just don't get it right and perhaps lose out | | | | that the role you are about to be interviewed for is the |
| because of that. | | | | right progression for your career. But not only is it right |
| After the informal chat about the weather and travel | | | | for you but with your interest, enthusiasm and skills it |
| and so on, most interviewers will start off the formal | | | | will be right for the prospective employer as well. And |
| part of the interview with something like this: | | | | do all this in about 3 minutes! |
| "Tell me about yourself" | | | | You have three minutes to hold their attention and tell |
| The words may vary of course but the request is to | | | | them how you took up your first job after college or |
| start talking and get the interview under way. It is at | | | | university and gained specific skills as you progressed. |
| this point that PANIC sets in. What do they want to | | | | Add to this your promotions or appointments to new |
| hear? Where do I start? How long have you got? | | | | job roles and how you sought out opportunities to |
| Your answer to this really is quite simple when you | | | | develop in your chosen career. Spend most of your |
| think about it this way: The reason you are sitting in this | | | | three minutes on your most recent job and how the |
| room with this interviewer is to convince them that you | | | | expertise you have matches the underlying needs of |
| are the person they need to hire. Therefore what they | | | | the new job. |
| want to hear from you are reasons and facts to | | | | Then state most carefully that when you saw this |
| convince them that you ARE the right person to hire. | | | | new job being advertised, you became very excited |
| This is a job interview! They do NOT want to hear | | | | as to the closeness of the match and the career |
| irrelevant stuff about where you go to watch football | | | | development opportunity you envisioned. And that is |
| or your pets' names or how your grandchild just lost | | | | why you are so pleased to be at this interview. |
| her first tooth. (I've heard all of these.) | | | | And that is how you construct your answer to the "tell |
| What they DO want to hear is a brief introduction to | | | | me about yourself" command at job interviews. |
| show how your career brought you to THIS point of | | | | |