When you land a job interview, there’s always the chance that you’ll be asked one or more tough interview questions that turn out to be a doozy to answer. That’s why today I’m discussing how to answer these tricky and tough interview questions.
For me, one of those tough interview questions turned out to be, “Tell me about yourself.” An interviewer often uses this tough interview question as a starter to the interview. But for me, this was the only question asked during the entire job interview! This immediately prompted some awkward silence, blundering answers, and too much information on my part. In retrospect, I would have done many things differently to answer this interview question and ace the job interview.
To learn from my mistakes, here are some strategies for answering this tough interview question: Tell me about yourself.
1. Take your time. As with any interview question, it’s okay to take your time to think about your answer. This shows you’re being thoughtful in what information you’d like to share with the interviewer. In fact, in t
he end, it will sound much better than a rushed and unorganized response. In many ways, this is such a tough interview question because there is no right answer!
2. Discuss accomplishments and work history, but don’t tell your life story. It’s easy to feel a little unfocused when answering this interview question. But just remember to focus on your accomplishments and work history. Specifically, focus on your skills and background that show you’re fit for the job to the interviewer.
3. Don’t let any awkward silence get to you. An interviewer will sometimes like to leave the questions hanging to see if you’ll add any more information, or perhaps add too much information. Don’t be tricked! If you’ve answered the question to the best of your ability, let the silence be and kindly ask if the interviewer has any additional questions. If you’re not sure, simply try to keep your answer to no more than two minutes in length.
The bottom line: Preparing the answer to this tough interview question right now will save you a headache later. This interview question is often useful during networking events and informational interviews, so having a succinct answer prepared will be helpful to you in more than just the traditional job interview.
Have you ever had to answer this tough interview question? How did you answer it? Are there any other tough interview questions you’d like to see discussed on our blog?
