The third part of Tell Me About Yourself (after your introduction and you’ve shared your super skills), is sharing stories.
This is the place you will give more detail about where you have worked specifically and include key highlights of your educational experiences. You will share this information by weaving them into stories that connect to the three skills you mentioned in the section above.
You want to give concrete stories so that person listening to you can imagine you doing the work. When you list a bunch of places you have worked and degrees you got, the person listening has no concrete image to think about. They will glaze over and wait for you to finish talking. This is a chance to show value, demonstrate personality, and share stories that might not get out otherwise during the interview.
This is the longest part of the answer and it pays off to be strategic. Know which pieces you want to hit and illustrate the work you are great at by thinking of an example, instead of simply saying you have the skill.
Build relevant stories by weaving in the important stuff
To build these stories, think about a handful of highlights from your career and select one or two that really explain the value you bring. Practice telling them while weaving in some details about where you have worked and what you studied.
Get a pack of index cards and use one card per answer to the following questions.
- What education will this employer care about?
- Where have you worked? What places of employment are most relevant to the position you are interviewing for?
- What are the skills/talents needed for the role you are interviewing for? What is the most relevant experience you have had that backs up that you have this skill?
Arrange the cue cards on a surface and play around with the order of the stories and information. Practice saying it and choose the most interesting sequence of events, that still makes sense. Focus on giving details and stories that demonstrate value.
Need some support with this?
If you are stuck, the best resource I have (with the complete tell me about yourself worksheet) get into my Nail The Interview Prep Course.
If this feels like a lot of work for just one question, remember that you have one chance to make a good impression and this is the only one you really have control over. Most people are nervous at the beginning, this sets you up to know exactly what you want to say and can give you confidence. Make it count, deliver it naturally, and you’ll set a great tone for the beginning.
The next step is sharing your leaving story.
