Interview Tips: How to Answer "Tell me about yourself"
With all the recent layoffs, there are a lot of people looking for jobs.
In addition, there are a lot of re-orgs and shuffling happening. We want to help you stay on your A-game, not only for new job interviews but also for internal promotions.
How can you stand out? And how can you get better at interviewing?
One of the first things you’ll be asked is “Tell me about yourself.”
A lot of our BIPOC women and femmes clients often cringe at this prompt. We were brought up to not brag about ourselves and our work. So it’s understandable that this type of elevator pitch can be scary.
It is possible to turn that cringe feeling into confidence. It takes knowing yourself, crafting your narrative, and owning your expertise.
Interviews are not meetings to list what's already there on your resume. The person interviewing you already read your resume.
And, unfortunately, the job doesn’t go to the most qualified candidate, rather it goes to the candidate who demonstrates the value they’ll add best.
Describing your expertise, allowing your unique personality to shine, and sharing your goals in a clear, concise, and confident way can be an impactful skill.
Not only can it help you nail an interview, but it can also help you grow your network by inviting people to know you better. It can help you get referrals to new opportunities and get tapped for internal promotions. It will help you define your leadership style and brand.
3 ways to prepare your personal elevator pitch:
Mindset Audit
You can google what to say during an interview, but if you can’t do it authentically or confidently, recruiters will know. Do not fake it til you make it.
If something is blocking you or you’re getting icky feelings about talking about yourself and your achievements, get curious about your mindset.
Ask yourself open-ended questions to explore what’s underneath.
What’s stopping me from talking about myself?
Often it comes down to worthiness and there’s an imposter voice telling us that we’re not good enough.
We all have inner hater voices doubting us, and we want you to come from the energy that your best friend has when they’re hyping you up!
You do deserve this role and the time because you got the interview, and they are interested and want to know more about you. Period.
How can I give myself permission to do this imperfectly and nervously?
We can’t help it if we are a ball of nerves or sweaty on the day of the interview, and it doesn’t serve to beat ourselves up over it. What can help is upping your preparation and self-care game.
It’s ok to say it's scary. It’s ok to sweat. It’s ok to stumble on your words.
We’ve had clients go for runs before, listen to an empowering playlist, and run around the room yelling. Whatever helps you let go of the inner haters.
And when you’re done celebrate yourself for stepping out of your comfort zone and doing the damn thing!
2. Prepare Your Script
If we don’t take the opportunity to share our story, others will do it for us.
Do not wing this answer. Take time to write out what you want people to know about you.
It’s critical to share clearly where you are coming from, where you hope to go, what your goals are, what your skills are, and how all of that makes you a good candidate for the job they are trying to fill.
Prompts that can help:
Who are you?
Not just at work, but outside of work! Share your lived experience and personality.
What do you stand for? What are your values?
Explain why you do the work you do and what motivates you.
What are you looking for next in your career?
Explain what brought you here and what your goals are. Share what impact you want to make.
What unique value add can your expertise, perspective, and experience bring?
This is where you position your experience to match the role you are applying for and share why that’s important to you. Add your special sauce, your essence to why you’re the best person for this role.
3. Practice
Let the words get comfortable on your tongue. If you’re not loving it, edit it to something that feels more resonant, dare I say fun!
Practice with a trusted confidante. Ask them to check your posture, tone, and your eye contact.
Notice how your body feels. If there are parts where you tense up or feel hot, get curious, and explore. Workshop it so it’s easier to deliver.
Remember, the more you practice the easier it will be.
Maybe take it out into the world and introduce yourself more fully to your hair stylist, barista, neighbor, or bartender.
You can even add your new script to your About Me section on LinkedIn.
Who better to help someone learn about you than you? This is your story. You got this.
Now that you’re clear on who you are and what you have to offer, what do you want for your career? Our Radical Visionary workshop could help you (and your entire team) identify your North Star, set values-aligned goals, explore what would bring you joy and fulfillment, and the steps to get there.
Leadership Coach | Healing-Centered Career Development
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