For reasons of simplicity we will limit the framework to recruitment. When an interviewer asks someone the “tell me about yourself” questions he doesn’t really mean that he wants to hear about you as a child, as a student or even as a professional. No, he wants to know what you can bring to the table, he wants to hear what makes you good and even better than the other candidates, he wants you to convince him that you are the person who will be able to solve his problem! When you are asked the question in a networking session, what the person wants to know is “Is this person worth getting in contact with?” For some people selling themselves comes easy, for others it takes some time to prepare. When you wish to prepare your answer maybe you can use these questions:

• What problem do you solve? What is your added value?
• How do you do it differently from other people? What makes you the person you are?

 

You had me at hello!

The first things you say and the way you tell them are by far the most important. Make what you say unique. Why are you different and even better than others?

Practice!

Know what you want to say, but beware: it must seem natural and conversational, even spontaneous, as if you just thought of it at that moment. Even though you have to prepare it in advance you don’t have to memorize it. It shouldn’t sound like a rehearsed lesson. It’s best if it is a little different each time.

Don’t be a mouse!

Tell your story enthusiastically and with confidence. Put a smile on your face and keep eye contact. You have to care about what you say.

Done?

Of course not! If you are doing a screening this was just the first part, the introduction. Now it’s time to check with your audience which parts of your experience/history/CV you need to elaborate on. And this is where STAR training comes in handy ;o) (yes this will be the subject for the next post). So next time someone asks you to tell them about yourself make sure you get them at hello! Please do not forget to leave remarks, or share your thoughts via the comments.