Here’s the right way to answer the interview question: Tell me about yourself

Read this to understand what hiring managers expect you to say when they ask you to tell them about yourself in a job interview.

Tell me about yourself.

This is that interview question everyone feels they can confidently answer because it seems simple and easy.

Yes, you can say it simple and easy but this same question can throw you off balance if you only go on to mention your name and talk about your personal and family life.

When a hiring manager throws this question at you, you’re actually not only being asked about yourself but also about your experiences, qualification and why you are the right candidate for the role you’re being interviewed for.

Here are tips on how to answer the question in your job interview.

1.      Give a summary of your work history

After telling the telling the hiring manager you name and the schools you attended, you’re expected to also mention your first professional job, the company the role you play and how long you stayed in the job.

For instance, you can say something like this: I started off my career as a financial analyst five years ago at XYZ Company in Lagos, where I performed accounting duties and assisted with budgeting and forecasting on a monthly basis.

2.      Make your work history achievement oriented

To further endear yourself to the hiring manager don’t stop at the company you’ve worked for and the role you played. Also talk about your achievements for the company.

Whatever you did to help the company save time, money and improve productivity can be listed as your achievement. Also, anything you did that resulted in a quantifiable result for the company or department can be counted as your achievements. So, don’t ever forget to mention all these when you are telling your prospective employers about yourself.

3.      Tell hiring mangers what you know about the role you applied for

Having told the interviewer about your work history and your achievements in your previous roles, you also need to tell the prospective employers what you understand about the role for which you are being interviewed.

This goes to tell the hiring manager that you’re not only good at what you used to do, but you clearly understand what the new role required of you if you get the job.

4.      Tell them why you think you are the right candidate for the job

Many people have applied for the same role you applied for and all of them think they are the right candidates. Before you close your response to this question, make sure you blow your trumpet. Give the hiring manager the reason to believe you’re the right candidate for the role.