Don’t Leave the Answer to This Interview Question Up to Luck!

Whether you’re asked directly or not, you will have to talk about yourself in a job interview situation. The trick is knowing exactly what to say.

Should you keep it 100-percent professional and risk sounding like a robot? Should you ‘keep it real’ and talk about your drunken travels from last weekend? Or is a combination of the two the best way to go?

When an interviewer says to you, “What should we know about you?” be prepared by brainstorming and rehearsing your response so that is comes out naturally.

Take the Employer’s Point of View

A simple and effective way to think about this situation is to put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. After you’ve thoroughly researched the job, the company and the industry, think about what you would like to hear someone else say if they had to talk about themselves.

Once you’ve done this, you can work backwards to develop your own personalized answer. As with the rest of your interview prep, it’s important to honestly talk about yourself. Try not to be someone else because you think that’s what the employer wants.

Write a Loose Script

It could seem a little strange to write down words that you are going to say later on but doing this is a proven technique to sound more confident.

Begin by writing down where you grew up and where you went to school. Then, write down your past professional achievements, as well as the abilities and experience you’ve gained throughout your career. Finally, write down how you’re looking to expand on those achievements with this particular job opportunity.

Rather than memorizing a script, commit these key points to memory and you be able to talk about yourself without sounding robotic.

Practice Makes Perfect

Again, it may feel a bit weird to rehearse for an interview, but it this has been proven to be effective. Rehearse until you can deliver your response without even thinking, and then maybe rehearse a little more. These rehearsals may grow tedious but remember that interview nerves could have you rattled. The best way to overcome these nerves is to have your material down pat.

All of this planning will allow you to concentrate on what you can deliver to a prospective employer. Contemplating these personal details can also help you reply to other questions that might arise. The more you can talk about your value, the better you will be at selling yourself to an interviewer.

Need More Interview Help? Contact Career Concepts!

At Career Concepts, we act as your partner and help you with your job search and interview prep. If you’re ready to find a new job, please contact us today!