Tell me about yourself

1. Start with the end in sight.
Despite the deceptive phrasing, the directive, "Tell me about yourself," isn't a polite request for your life story. What the interviewer wants to know is, "Why should I hire you?" Knowing this, your goal is to craft a convincing statement that will make the interviewer want to know more about you and what you can do for the company.
To prepare, you must develop a response tailored to the specific employer and addressing its interests, goals, and needs. You should revise, refine and rehearse your script until you can deliver it flawlessly -- with energy, enthusiasm and confidence.
2. Take the time to establish rapport.
When interviewers invite you to tell them about yourself, they're asking you to step into the spotlight, a place where extroverts and natural performers shine but where introverts can become anxious, tongue-tied and self-conscious.
If you don't feel comfortable in the limelight, look at the situation in a different way. Rather than delivering an oratorical performance, focus on establishing an emotional bond with your interviewer. Here's where body language can make a difference: Smile, make eye contact, lean toward and talk to and not at your listener.
3. Sketch the big picture.
Experienced candidates should focus on the big picture first so that interviewers will place later information in the proper context. Start by providing an overview that allows them to see your career in total. Example: "Why don't I start with the big picture? As you can see from my resume, I have more than 15 years of experience in sales, marketing and general management, primarily in consumer products. The majority of that time was in the food-and-beverage industry. Thanks to my experiences at ________ and _________, I have an in-depth knowledge of the domestic and international marketplace for the food and beverage industries."
4. Focus.
After you sketch the big picture, talk about specific experiences that are most relevant and interesting to an interviewer. Your research can pay off here. Learning as much as you can about the industry, employer and job (via the job description) allows you to zero in on your most relevant qualifications and experiences.
A senior communications manager experienced in marketing, public relations and event management knew that a prospective employer, a nonprofit, was well known in the Latino community for a successful annual conference. In previous years, major politicians and government officials had been keynote speakers.
While preparing her tell-me-about-yourself statement, the communications manager decided to focus on three major experiences:
· her success in marketing and promoting high-visibility events;
· her high-profile experience working on political campaigns; and
· her experience with the Latino community.
However, she didn't use a chronological approach since these experiences happened at different points in her career.
5. Showcase your communication skills.
Most interviewers observe how you organize and present information about yourself. If your recent experience is most relevant, detail your accomplishments in reverse chronological order, giving less emphasis to your first few jobs. Conversely, if your most relevant experiences happened in the middle of your career, you may want to start your description at that point.
Assume, for example, that your first love is training, but recently you've spent more time working as a general human-resource manager. When interviewing for a training position, your tell-me-about-yourself statement might start: "Since training is my first love and one of my core strengths, I'll start by telling you about my training experience and accomplishments. While I was working at _________, I put together a very successful management-training program that received rave reviews from participants..."
6. Highlight the benefits you'll bring to the employer.
A job search is a self-marketing campaign. Experienced marketing experts say to stress a product's benefits to the customer rather than its features, which could well be nifty but the customer might not need them. In a job search, you're the product. Toward that end, orient any discussion of your skills and experiences toward showing how they can benefit your future employer.
Example: "From the job description, it sounds to me like you're looking for someone who has strong project-management skills. My greatest accomplishment as a project manager was at _____________." From there you can describe the goals of the project, what you did to attain them and the subsequent results.
7. Spotlight the positive.
Never say anything negative about yourself or previous employers. If you decide to highlight earlier experiences instead of a more recent role, be sure to present all your jobs in a positive light. To do that, emphasize how and why your later experiences enhanced your abilities and scope.
For instance, after describing her training accomplishments, the HR executive might follow up by discussing how her success as a manager has given her a better understanding of organizational needs and naturally enhanced her credibility and performance as a trainer.
8. Provide details.
Don't expect interviewers to take your story on faith alone. Have specific examples ready to illustrate your skills. For example, to emphasize your problem-solving ability, describe a problem you faced in a past job, what actions you took to resolve it and the result of those actions. Whenever possible, choose a problem that's similar to those the prospective employer might face. To determine the type of challenge you might be asked to correct, refer to the job description or, lacking that, ask the employer to describe the position so that you can focus your presentation effectively.
9. Disclose personal information cautiously.
When it comes to disclosing personal information, there's no right answer. It depends on two factors: whether you feel comfortable using personal details and what you plan to accomplish by doing so. While disclosing personal information can be a good icebreaker and rapport-builder, it also can backfire. You never know how an employer will process that information. Will a hiring manager be glad to know you're a family man or worry that you won't be free to travel or work long hours?
Keep the purpose of the conversation in mind. Whenever possible, mention personal information strategically. For example, an executive who's interviewing for a job with a toy manufacturer might share anecdotal information about his children's experience with the manufacturer's toys. An executive who knows that a job requires extensive international travel could share about his or her personal travel experiences.
10. Finish strong.
When should you return the floor to the interviewer? Use nonverbal signs as your cue. If an interviewer seems restless and bored, ask for feedback about your presentation: "Is this what you want to hear? Or is there something else that you'd like me to focus on?" This allows the interviewer to change the flow of communication and establishes a two-way dialogue.
If the interviewer remains attentive, you'll have more leeway in how you wrap up. The best way to end your statement is to put the conversational ball in the interviewer's court by saying why you're interested in the company and position and asking for more information about current needs. Listen attentively to the response to determine what parts of your experience and accomplishments to mention as the interview progresses.
-- Ms. Hirsch is a career counselor in Chicago and author of several books on career issues, including "How to Be Happy at Work" (Jist Publishing, 2003).
"Tell Me About Yourself"

The Toughest Question in the Interview

By Don Straits, CEO and Dragon Slayer, Corporate Warriors
When you, as a job seeker, are asked the most common, and toughest, interview question, "Tell me about yourself," your answer can make or break you as a candidate. Usually job seekers will respond with their "30 second commercial," and then elaborate on their background. While almost every career book and career counselor will tell you that is the appropriate response, I totally disagree.
Many people fail in their job search because they are too often focused on what they want in a job including industry, type of position, location, income, benefits, and work environment. Their "30 second commercial" is centered around this premise. The commercial describes the job seeker's career history and what they are looking for. Too often, this is in direct contrast to what employers are looking for.
There are two dominant reasons why job seekers are successful in the job search. The first is focusing on the needs of the organization. The second is focusing on the needs of the people within that organization. In this article, we are going to examine how to focus on the needs of the people within organizations. This will assist in rethinking your response to that all-important question, "Tell me about yourself."
In order to learn how to respond to the needs of the interviewer, let's first learn more about ourselves. We can then apply that knowledge about ourselves to knowing how to understand and respond to the needs of others.
Most social psychologists recognize four basic personality styles: Analytical, Amiable, Expressive, and Driver. Usually, each of us exhibits personality characteristics unique to one of the styles. However, we also possess characteristics to a lesser degree in the other styles. To determine your unique style, you can take a Myers-Briggs assessment or go to the following site for a free Keirsey Temperament Sorter assessment test: www.keirsey.com
Here are the characteristics that are most commonly associated with each of the styles:
Analytical:
Positive Traits: Precise, Methodical, Organized, Rational, Detail Oriented
Negative Traits: Critical, Formal, Uncertain, Judgmental, Picky
Amiable:
Positive Traits: Cooperative, Dependable, Warm, Listener, Negotiator
Negative Traits: Undisciplined, Dependent, Submissive, Overly Cautious, Conforming
Expressive:
Positive Traits: Enthusiastic, Persuasive, Outgoing, Positive, Communicator
Negative Traits: Ego Centered, Emotional, Exploitive, Opinionated, Reacting
Driver:
Positive Traits: Persistent, Independent, Decision Maker, Effective, Strong Willed
Negative Traits: Aggressive, Strict, Intense, Relentless, Rigid
Gaining an in-depth understanding of your personality style has enormous value in your career as well as your personal life. However, our focus today is learning how to use this knowledge to make you more successful in your job search.
Once you have learned about your own style and have studied the other styles, I encourage you to have a little fun in trying to determine the styles of others. When you meet someone for the first time, try to identify his or her style within the first two minutes. You can often identify styles by observing a person's demeanor, conversation, body language, appearance, and possessions.
To demonstrate what I mean, let's take some examples from the business world. While there are always exceptions, generally speaking the styles fit the example.
Analytical Style: Financial Manager (or programmers, engineers, and accountants). They like systems and procedures. They are slow to make decisions because they will analyze things to death—but their decisions are usually very sound. They prefer working independently and are usually not very good in team environments, but they are also dependable. They buy cars with good resale value and great gas mileage. They are conservative dressers. At the party, they want to know why so much money was spent on Michelob when we could have purchased Busch. They come to the party with their laptops.
Amiable Style: Human Resources Manager. Very people-focused. They are dependable, loyal and easygoing; very compassionate. They will give you the shirt off their backs and the last nickel in their pockets. They are good listeners and value team players who don't "rock the boat." They are usually conformists and followers—rarely leaders. They avoid conflict and are not good decision makers. They drive four-door sedans or mini-vans to take the kids to sporting events. They usually clean up after the party is over.
Expressive Style: Sales Manager. Very outgoing and enthusiastic, with a high energy level. They are also great idea generators, but usually do not have the ability to see the idea through to completion. Very opinionated and egotistical. Money motivated. They can be good communicators. They prefer to direct and control rather then ask and listen. They drive red convertibles with great stereos; to heck with the gas mileage. They come up with the idea for a company party, but never help clean up. They are on their way to another party.
Driver: Corporate CEO. Intelligent, intense, focused, relentless. They thrive on the thrill of the challenge and the internal motivation to succeed. Money is only a measure of success; it is not the driving factor. They are results/performance oriented. They have compassion for the truly disadvantaged, but absolutely no patience or tolerance for the lazy or whiners. They drive prestige cars, not because the car attracts attention, but because it was a wise investment. They want to know why we had a party; what were the benefits of the party, and did we invite the banker?
Ok, now you are really getting some insight into your style and the style of others. It is time for the interviews. Throw out your 30-second commercial. Think on your feet.
You will be interviewing with the human resource manager, the finance manager, the sales manager, and the CEO. The first question each of them will ask you is: "Tell me about yourself." How should you respond? Remember the second reason for succeeding in a job search: focus on the needs of the people in the organization. Here are just a few examples of how to respond to that question:
"Tell me about yourself?"
Response to Finance Manager: "I have been successful in my career by making well-thought-out decisions based on careful analysis of all factors. I approach problems with logic and sound reasoning. I would enjoy working with you in developing the appropriate systems and procedures to make our two departments function efficiently together."
Response to Human Resource Manager: "My career has been characterized by my ability to work well with diverse teams. I seek out opportunities to involve others in the decision-making process. This collaboration and communication is what has enabled me to achieve success in my department. People are the most valuable resource of any organization."
Response to Sales Manager: "Throughout my career I have always adhered to the principle that everyone in the organization must be sales-focused. My department is always trained in customer service, providing outstanding support to the sales team and to our customers. Without sales, the rest of use would not have a job. I look forward to helping you drive sales in any way possible."
Response to CEO: "I have achieved success in my career because I have been focused on the bottom line. I have always sought out innovative solutions to challenging problems to maximize profitability. Regardless of the task or challenge, I always established benchmarks of performance and standards of excellence. I have never sought to maintain the "status quo." An organization that does not change and grow will die. I would enjoy working with you to help define new market opportunities in order to achieve the organization's goals."
In each instance, we responded to the "needs of the individual." It is almost guaranteed that, when you respond appropriately to the diverse needs of the different managers, you will become the standard by which all of the other candidates will be measured.
I challenge you to learn about your personality and leadership style, learn about the styles of others, and learn how to think on your feet when responding to questions. Whether you are seeking a job or you are gainfully employed, by understanding the needs of others you will become a more valuable person, employee, manager and leader.

Job Search

Let us see some of the changes you can make to get that job faster.

Small Changes to Your Resume Can Make a Big Difference

Sometimes during a job search you reach a point where you must ask,why am I not getting calls from decent companies for interviews? Aftersending out tons of resumes with little or no response, you need toreevaluate your position and try to make some changes.

Sometimes minimal changes to your resume and cover letter will have adrastic effect on the number of calls you are receiving. A good firststep is to search the internet for free sample resumes for the type ofposition you are looking for and see what people are putting on theirresume.

What to Change?

One you decide to make changes, you need to look at your resumeobjectively and ask yourself if you think it is a decent resume. Whatdo you like or dislike about it? Does it represent you as a smart,go-getter that can get the job done? Or does it look dry and boring?Ask yourself why anyone else would want to look at it twice if youthink it is boring.

Once you start to see areas for improvement, start making changes. Thebiggest area where most people can use changes in is the format.Approximately 75% of people who are looking for jobs still use theindented, basic style resume that looks like their grandfather put ittogether.
Change the format and use tables instead of indentions.Widen the margins to get more on a page. Overall, just make it lookgood when you hold it up and glance at it.Another area that many people need some help in is the organization oftheir resume. Long gone are the days were you need to put a careerobjective at the top of your resume that says you are looking for afast-paced job in an exciting industry.
Guess what?
Everyone knows youare looking for a job. Instead of putting in a career objective, putin a professional profile and write a short paragraph about yourself.

Modern Resumes

You also no longer need to add the last line that says referencesprovided upon request. Everyone you send your resume to knows you willprovide references when they ask for them. There is no need to restatethat. Instead, save that room and add a section to your resume ofadditional skills or civic and volunteer activities.

Finally, add some buzzwords or power words that draw attention to allthe things you have accomplished throughout your work history. Thesepower words include: facilitated, managed, administered, developed andthe list goes on and on. You can generally get an idea of the buzzwords by viewing sample resumes on the job boards.

Ultimately, you need to look at your resume objectively and decide tomake some changes to make you appear more appealing to prospectiveemployers. Once you decide to make a change, go ahead and change andstart sending out your new resume. Keep tweaking your resume until youget it right and you will start seeing the calls roll in. Don't justsit around and wait for something to happen. Go ahead and make thechanges and you will reap the reward.

Are You Ready For The Telephone Interview?

Donï't allow yourself to be intimidated by the telephone interview. Youcan sail through it easily. The phone interview is often a prelude toa face-to-face meeting and is frequently used by employers,recruiters, and headhunters to select a pool of highly qualifiedcandidates for more in-depth discussions. The preparation, conduct,method of handling questions, and even your body language are aslikely to impact the outcome as if you were sitting in the office ofthe hiring manager. Following are some useful guidelines.

1. Schedule the interview so that there is enough time to dohomework and prepare. Reschedule surprise interviews. Tell the callerthat you have a conflict and arrange a mutually convenient time thatallows you at least 24 hours to organize and plan for the discussion.Make sure to get the name and title of the person with whom you willbe speaking.

2. You should be in a quiet area where there are no distractions.That means making sure there are no disturbances. Barking dogs, cryingchildren, background stereo or TV, or any other type of noise ordisruption is unprofessional. Make sure your family knows you cannotbe bothered. If alerted by your call waiting service, ignore it � anddon�t forget to shut off your cell phone. If it is not possible toeliminate disturbances, then arrange to take the call from a locationoutside of your home or office.

3. Keep pen and paper handy to jot down an address, phone number,or the spelling of a name. It is our recommendation that you do nottake notes while being interviewed. Note taking creates uncomfortablepauses in the dialog and you will invariably miss part of what isbeing said. Write any notes at the conclusion of the interview whilethe information is still fresh in your mind.

4. Dress professionally. It will make a difference. How you feelabout yourself is almost always conveyed in a phone discussion. Assumethe same dress and professional demeanor as if your conversation wasactually in an in-person meeting. Your attitude will be more positiveand you will be more confident.

5. The things you will need to have at hand: a copy of theadvertisement to which you responded, a copy of your resume and coverletter, a copy of a two-three minute well rehearsed statement thatsummarizes your educational and professional background, a listing ofyour skills and major achievements, and a list of questions to ask theinterviewer. Remember that the interview is a forum to exchangeinformation and develop mutual interest in an enduring relationship.It makes sense to be prepared.

6. Practice your presentation with a relative or friend, or infront of a mirror. Smile, it impacts your attitude. Speak clearly anddirectly into the phone but dont rush answers. Your sincerity, toneof voice, and method of delivery will substantially impact how you areperceived. Listen carefully to what the interviewer says and if youdont fully understand a question, then ask for a clarification. Thetechnique of rephrasing or repeating a question, may allow time tobetter formulate your response. It is absolutely ok to say, I think Ineed a moment to get my thoughts together. Answer yes or no questionswith a direct response and then follow with any necessaryamplification. Dont ramble or become long-winded. Dont interrupt theinterviewer. Focus your questions on the issues that appear to be mostimportant to them, the tools or training they provide, and what isexpected of you not on compensation or benefits. Try to avoidsilence. Silence for more than a few seconds can be awkward andunpleasant for everyone. If it appears that the interviewer is unsureof what to ask or say next, be prepared with your own questions.

7. Donï't discuss compensation. If the interviewer asks about yourcurrent salary or desired income, indicate that you will be happy todeal with those questions in an in-person meeting once mutual interesthas been established. Then inquire what salary range has been budgetedfor the position. If the job requires relocation, it is important toknow the compensation range so additional time is not wasted pursuinga job in which you have no interest.

8. Finally thank the person for the interview, show enthusiasmabout pursuing the opportunity, and ask about the next step in theprocess. Write a thank you note the same day. Follow up with a phonecall within two or three days to ask questions that have surfacedsince the interview and reinforce your desire to secure an in-personmeeting.

Using Recruiters: How To Get A Step Ahead Of The Crowd

When there is an opening to fill, a company has four basic approachesat their disposal:

* Advertise the position on Internet job sites
* Network
* Probe the Internet for viable candidates
* Use recruiters

When a companyadvertises an opening on an Internet job site, theyreceive hundreds of resumes. It simply is too long of a process andfinancially prohibitive to review every resume and move through eachstep of the interviewing and selection process to fill the opening.Since decision-makers know other decision-makers, a hiring managersnetwork can be quite extensive. In time, good candidates can belocated. The problem with this approach is that the hiring manager maysimply be too busy to engage in the time and human interactionrequired to make this happen.

Employers and recruiters utilizing keyword searches scour the jobsites in search of candidates to fill job openings. A major segment ofthese openings are unadvertised. When you post your resumes to a jobsite, you gain visibility, indirectly, into the hidden job market, andhave access to a greater number of jobs.

On the downside, since most people searching will post their resume toa number of different sites, the number of potentially viablecandidates for any one particular position is huge. Employers havealso frequently found major discrepancies between candidates and theirresumes. The fine line between reality and the realm of imaginationbecomes razor-thin for creative resume writers.

Screening and reviewing hundreds of resumes for accuracy and positionviability, is time-consuming. If the job also requires a certain typeof personality, which doesn�t materialize at the interview, more timeis wasted. For this reason, more and more employers turn to recruitersfor a more efficient hiring process. A recruiter will conductexhaustive screening procedures as part of their candidate searchprocess. They will charge a fee to the employer for this service, butit is worth it in terms of time and effort.

One of the best ways to capitalize on a recruiters mission is to postyour resume to the career sites. Using keyword searches, recruiterswill find you as long as your resume comes up a match. While this maynot seem like a very strong proactive approach, it is by far the mostsensible.

Recruiters do not work for you; they work for employers. They are inbusiness to help companies find people, not the other way around.Attempting to contact a recruiter regarding a particular job will onlylead to disappointment. Do not be surprised or put off if your callsand emails are not returned. Their allegiance is to their client, theemployer who is paying their bill.Having said that, it may be advantageous for you to present yourselfto recruiters as a potential fee-paying client once you have beenconverted from candidate status. If, for example, you are a middlemanager or decision-maker, this point can be easily made. You can alsoname-drop a referral to meet with a recruiter. Recruiters stronglyfavor these types of candidates. In a letter to a recruiterspecializing in your field, make a case for yourself in the strongestand most specific way possible.Recruiters play a tough game yet serve a valuable purpose. They do notwork for you, yet you can formulate an approach for working with them.By utilizing recruiters in your overall job search efforts, you willfind yourself a step or two ahead of the crowd.