Skype interview or a traditional face to face interview, nothing much changes when you go through your Q cards. Assuming the questions you’ll be asked and finding the perfect answer. We’ve all been there, however, we can all agree that as prepared as we feel, there are always some questions that will catch us off guard. The trickiest question that could be asked is to tell the interviewee about yourself. Sounds simple, but it’s fair to say that your answer to this question will make or break your impression.
Write down your answer and keep rehearsing until it sounds very natural. Here are a few things you can add to your Q cards when preparing for an interview, considering you will probably be asked to talk about yourself.
Your CV says it all. There is no need to recite your CV because it will most probably be in the hands-off your interviewee. Keep in mind that having the interview means that you already qualify and meet the requirements. It’s you as a person regardless of your LinkedIn profile and your CV that they want to meet. Through your answer, they are going to fish for the values and character you can bring to the company.
Short, simple, and straight forward is always something we strive for. As simple as this point sounds, we sometimes delve in our words and forget to keep up with the limited time. It might sometimes seem as if you have not understood what’s been asked. Think of it as a slogan for a product. The shorter, catchier, more straight forward the slogan is, the more likely it is to stick in your mind. In this case, you are the product and the answer to “so, tell me about yourself” is your slogan. What you are aiming for is intriguing your interviewee and making them want to know more about you.
Avoiding certain details in mandatory in this case. The interviewee is not interested in knowing the breed of your dog, or if your car is a rental. Discussion about your personal life should be very limited after all this is a professional matter. So, play it safe and stick to professional topics like a Webinar you have attended, or the journey you went through to land your previous job. You would also want to avoid going on for more than 3 minutes.
Wrapping it up is like the icing on a cake. Your interviewee now knows about you, but what missing is this good finishing touch. It should be just as good and as promising as what you have already offered. Confidence is the star of your interview. You can even end your answer to this question by asking the interviewee if they have any questions for you. It takes a lot of nerve to do that but it shows confidence and character. This is exactly what we all aim to radiate.
