“Tell me about yourself.” (Or “How would you describe yourself?”)
Often described as a “stress” question – which either paralyzes job seekers into stunned silence or spurs an attack of the rambles – this is actually a splendid invitation to market yourself. You have the opportunity to showcase your qualifications for the job, and present a condensed history of your professional background.
Present a unified pattern in broad brushstrokes which makes a strong case that you are ideal for the job in question – in no more than two minutes, tops. The interviewer can always ask you to elaborate more later.This can be a “dream” question – but only if you’re prepared. It offers the opportunity to tell the most important things about yourself in an open-ended way you’d like. In your answer, start with where you are now in your career and give a summary of the qualifications that make you perfect for the job in question. For example: “I’m a history major with over 4 years of sports broadcasting experience. For KALX, I led a team that developed and delivered a weekly sports show which reached an audience of over 2,000.” Rehearse your two-minute pitch until it falls trippingly off your tongue and sounds convincing and spontaneous, not mechanical.