If you’re preparing for a job interview, you might be drowning in potential questions.
Don’t panic!
Stop searching Google for all those possible questions, and focus on the one job interview question that you’re definitely going to be asked.
Ready for it?
The most common question asked in interviews is, “Tell me about yourself.”
It’s a warm-up question. A softball question.
You might be thinking, “No sweat! That’s the easiest question there is.”
The problem is that a lot of candidates ramble on and on for 2–3 minutes when they get this question. The interviewer doesn’t walk away with a memorable story. S/he gets bored and sits there trying to figure out how to make the rambling stop.
The way to stand out from the pack is to craft a Signature Introduction that you use to answer the “tell me about yourself” prompt.
Your well-crafted Signature Introduction is a 30–60 second clear, concise, and confident response.
Here is mine as an example:
Hello, I’m BJ Gray and I recently departed my executive job at Victoria’s Secret to pursue career coaching for young grads who want to have more confidence and less confusion when applying and interviewing for jobs. It really makes me feel satisfied to help them come up with a game plan for how to get better results in their careers and, ultimately, in life. I’ve had a successful career at several major corporations, and now I want to give back by offering advice and key insights. So much of our success depends on how we are able to manage our minds, manage our behaviors, and demonstrate maturity. That’s what I love guiding grads to do so they can find jobs they excel at and build independence.
Let’s break down the recipe for creating a signature introduction.
- Who you are.
- Where you’re from: where you’re living now, your school, or your current job.
- Your skills, your story, or a past experience that is memorable.
- What you have to offer: why you are there, or why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Take action! Draft your signature introduction. Time it, practice it, say it to your mom, dad, roommate, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. Get comfortable with it.
Having your Signature Introduction will help you in your interview, of course, but it will also help you in other key circumstances, like making an elevator pitch to a bigwig or attending networking events.
If you found these tips helpful and want to get deeper into how you can have more confidence and less confusion when applying for jobs, contact me for your free mini coaching session.
[click here for free mini session]
And Remember… “Progress is impossible without change. Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
Originally published at https://graymattercareercoach.com on October 31, 2017.
