How To Answer The Interview Question: Tell me about yourself

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You finally got the interview for the job that’s going to take your career to the next level… you’ve made it through the lobby holding doors for people and smiling, and even made some great small talk with the receptionist …
… you’re meeting the hiring manager for the first time and you give the perfect handshake and eye contact and even that professional smile that says, I’m not too eager, but I do connect well with people.

As you wait for her to offer you a seat, you’re realizing that you’re not too nervous and all your preparation is already paying off… then she starts the interview with the one question you did not practice out loud… she asks… tell me about yourself.

In most interviews the hiring manager is likely to start off the interview by asking you to tell her about you. Technically, this should be really easy, right… I mean who knows you better than you. There is a catch however…

You see, the interviewer doesn’t want to simply know about you, she wants to know how you are going to be asset to the company.

And as you’re telling your story, she’s looking to see if you’re going to fill the missing void on her team… and she’s going to make that decision… in about 90 seconds.

This 90 second story you’re going to tell about yourself is sometimes referred to as your elevator pitch…

...meaning you’ve just stepped into an elevator with a prospect by chance, and you have his attention for the 90 seconds or so that it takes for him to arrive at his floor… the pressure’s on.

And while very few people actually give their elevator pitch on an elevator, the name does provide a good visual to what you’re trying to accomplish. So, how do you give a good elevator pitch, or introduction story about yourself, in a way that shows… the interviewer you’re what the team needs… without ever saying those words…

When it comes to getting crushing this questions there a few key steps you’ll want to practice:

Keep your story work related, keep it relevant to the role and the employer, and use the TAG’M Method… let’s dig in!

First, make sure you keep your answer work related. When you’re asked this question it’s typically at the beginning of the interview and it’s not time to start moving towards the sidelines of your professional life. You may get asked a question or two about hobbies or passions later in the interview … that’s when it’s more appropriate to share stories of selling chocolate bars to fundraise for your high school team… but even then, it’s always smart to connect things back to work…

Next, keep your answer relevant to the role for which you’re interviewing and relevant to the needs of the employer based on what you know from your research. Now is not the time for you to vent about previous experiences that did not go your way… in fact, there’s never actually a time for that in an interview… Instead, focus on how everything about you… makes you an asset to them!

A key ingredient in making this step stand out above the other candidates is being genuine. Being genuine makes it easier for the interviewer to connect with you… and in most cases, will cause the interviewer to let her guard down making the interview more comfortable for everyone.
And finally, a great starting point for your story is to follow the TAG’M method

TAG’M is an acronym that stands for Talents, Achievements, Goals, and Motivation

To Best utilize this method, start with asking yourself these 4 questions:

Question 1: Talent Professionally speaking, What do you do well? Are you a seasoned business development rep with a reputation for connecting to the C-Suite? Or a recent college grad with and insatiable desire to utilize the strengths you’ve building over the last few years.
Question 2: AchievementsWhat is your greatest achievement in this area OR acommon compliment you receive about your skill?
Question 3: Goal
What would you like to do and how does it relate to the needs of the team you’re hoping to join?
Question 4: MotivationWhat’s your “why?” What makes you want to jump out of bed and get to the office early and stay late?

check out this example of an elevator pitch for an entry-level candidate:

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