"Tell us about yourself"

How to Survive this Interview Question

I know a lot of you have been going on interviews, but are you answering right? are you selling yourself well?

"Tell us about yourself" Believe it or not, the success or failure of many interviews will hinge on your ability to answer this seemingly simple question.

The interviewing process is a kind of sale. In this case, you are the product—and the salesperson. If you show up unprepared to talk about your unique features and benefits, you're not likely to motivate an interviewer to "buy."

The sad fact is that many job candidates are unprepared to talk about themselves. You may have mailed a gorgeous resume and cover letter. You may be wearing the perfect clothes on the day of the interview. But if you can't convince the interviewer—face to face—that you are the right person for the job, you aren't likely to make the sale.

Too many candidates hesitate after the first open-ended question, then stumble and stutter their way through a disjointed litany of resume "sound bites." Other interviewees recite canned replies that only highlight their memory skills.

You may think you already know your life by heart, but you'll be amazed to see how much additional detail you can remember (and ultimately how it will fit together in the context of your next career move) once you write it down.

• So, your first step is to imitate the FBI and build a complete "dossier" on yourself. With this information in place, it will be easier to develop a concise and convincing answer to almost any interview question—an answer that will set you apart from the competition.

• Prepare a separate sheet for every full-time and part-time job you have ever held, no matter how short the tenure. Yes, even summer jobs are important here. They demonstrate resourcefulness, responsibility, and initiative—that you were already developing a sense of independence white you were still living at home. Whether you choose to include some, all, or none of these short-term jobs on your resume or to discuss them during your interview is a decision you will make later.

For now, write down everything about every job. For each employer, include:

• Name, address, and telephone number (plus an e-mail address if you have one).
• The exact dates (month and year) you were employed.

For each job, include:

• Your specific duties and responsibilities.
• Supervisory experience, noting the number of people you managed.
• Specific skills required for the job.
• Your key accomplishments.
• The dates you received promotions.
• Any awards, honors, and special recognition you received

Don't write a book on each job. But do concentrate on providing specific data (volume of work handled, problems solved, etc) to paint a detailed picture of your abilities and accomplishments. Believe me, these hard facts will add a powerful punch to your interview presentation