THE PM CHRONICLE: How to Answer the Most Common Interview Question?

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

How to Answer the Most Common Interview Question?

How to Answer the Most Common Interview Question?
May 13, 2014

How many of you have answered the question "tell me a little bit about yourself" with a synopsis of your resume? It wasn't until I had a mock interview with my Acting class professor that I realized how pathetically uninspired my answer might seem. Interestingly, most of the people I have interviewed answer this question in exactly the same manner. Here is how I introduced myself.

"I am Ketaki Desai and I am originally from India. Before coming to the United States several years ago, I completed a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pune University. Because I was interested in biomechanics, I designed an artificial knee and ankle joint for my final year project and then applied for a Masters in Bioengineering at ..."

At this point I was abruptly cut off by my professor. She looked at my resume and then back at me. Then she said something I will always remember.

"You are not your list of degrees and achievements. If that is all I wanted to know, I would have read your resume. I want to know the person that you are, what defines your values, what makes you tick, how I can encourage you to be the best employee you can be. And I want to know all this not just because I need the right fit for my job description, but because I believe you need to feel the same way too. And for that, we need to get to know each other."

She asked me a few personal questions, and based on my answers, gave me a very different version of how I could describe myself. Here is what she came up with:

"I am Ketaki Desai, and I have been fortunate to live a third of my life, each, in a predominately Hindu, Muslim and Christian country. This has played a significant role in how I work with diverse teams, as well as my understanding of global cultures and customs. I love learning, which is evident from all my years of being in school, but I believe that practical application of this knowledge is key. To that effect, I participated in several competitions, including a million dollar global competition, where I could apply the theory I learned in class to real-world problems. I even won this global competition and started my own venture to bridge the gap between education and technology in American classrooms. I am very passionate about reading, and whenever I get a chance, I will pick up a book. I am currently reading The Shiva Trilogy, which is a modern day interpretation of Indian mythology."

Her answer made me seem like an interesting person even to myself! An interviewer's job is to glean as much insight into the core values and beliefs of the candidate, so she can pick someone who is aligned well with the culture of the team and organization. When a person dares to step out of their comfort zone of repeating tried and tested information from their resume, not only does it show innovation and enthusiasm, but it also makes the candidate memorable. An honest, passionate answer reveals more about a person than a canned response, because the body language mimics what is being said. When interviewing by the hundreds and getting similar responses, it is the interesting answers that stick.

Does your introduction really highlight the real you? How would you modify your "tell me about yourself" answer to make it more interesting and memorable? Here is how you can test it: the next time you are at a party introduce yourself differently, and go back to someone you just met after a few hours. Did that person remember at least a part of your conversation?

I would love to hear your feedback. You can email me at ketaki.desai@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @ktucky

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Phil Walley
Sales Operations Manager at SophosInterviewers are often not trained interviewers and ask questions like this because they feel they should or simply from lack of a real question to ask. It can be very difficult to make a good impression on a bad interviewer at times, simply because they don't provide the opportunities for you to shine. The key, for me, is to answer this dull question succinctly and then direct the conversation to an area that is beneficial to you and the interviewer. Maybe something like: "My friends and colleagues would probably describe me as logical, approachable and and hard working. My past careers have given me solid experience in IT and customer service and I'm now looking to increase my responsibilities by taking on a manager role. Can you tell me, what particular skills are you looking for in this role?"

Like(41)
Reply(6)3 hours ago
Babu Srinivasan, Tahere Dejahang, Andy Derisier, +38
6 Replies

Regana Davis, MBA, SPHR
Vice President of Human Resources at Tri-State Memorial HospitalWithering looks are a great idea! After all, the HR people interviewing you do not actually know the subject matter of the job you are interviewing for as well as you do, as another poster pointed out. They are generally there to assess organizational fit. Often, we can find several candidates with similar skill sets--we are looking not to hire jerks. Trying to find out how you see yourself is part of that.

Like15 minutes ago

Jonathan Cutting
Mathematician, Scientist Seeking Opportunities@Rob Jessel - Agreed. But keep in-mind that if you're being interviewed for a job, then the interviewer most likely DOES think that little of you as a person. Most interviewers care little for the feelings and well-being of those they interview. They care about self-preservation, and in their case, that means finding ANYONE who is likely to widen the company's profit margin. You. Are. A. Cog.

Like21 minutes ago
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Kathleen Hart
Public Health Program AdministratorActually this was nice, but working in the field of Career and Workforce Development with PA Labor & Industry, I have heard a very different take on this question from employers. The question; "Tell me about yourself?" Was to be interpreted as, What can you do for me, my company and my staff that exactly matches the job you are applying for? Don't tell me what you have done, tell me what you can do to change my bottom line and increase the success of my company.

Like(28)
Reply(6)3 hours ago
John Heffernan, zeshan aslam, Babu Srinivasan, +25
6 Replies

Carol Ellis CHRP, PCC
Leadership, Life and Career Coach, EntrepreneurThat is a good answer as well. I think it depends on the interview. I believe that interviewers are ultimately looking at the WIFM - so good point to note.

Like1 hour ago

john bea
On EarthAs I was in sales I always followed the same logic....through the vast knowledge, work ethics and experience I have already gained my sole aim would be to help your company be more profitable. .

Like1 hour ago
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Bob Chalfant
Entrpreneur, University of Akron, Lean Launch Pad, Kauffman FastTracI make my students write their personal elevator pitches for points toward their final grade and practice in front of the class to help them gain some confidence. My intent is to help them break the ice at networking events, but it will work for interviews just as well. Extreme shyness or fear of meeting people can be mitigated with practice. Practicing out loud is mandatory: we all have experience doing our dry run in front of the audience, right? Oh the humanity!

Like(16)
Reply(1)3 hours ago
Deb Freeman, Chetan Mahore, Ummi Jalilova (Ummi Cəlilova), +13
1 Reply

Tammy Wayman
EAM (IBM Maximo Software) ConsultantHats off to you in teaching students that, throughout their career, they will be speaking in front of an audience, whether it be in an interview, promoting their company to a new client, being at a conference where they don't know anyone, or being a team leader.

Like(3)1 hour ago
Chetan Mahore, Tony Sommer, and Brenda Zirkle

Keith Liscio
Helping great marketers hire and get hired.Unless you are interviewing with an acting class professor, I would recommend NOT answering the "tell me a little bit about yourself" question like this, at least in preliminary rounds of interviews. The interviewer's primary job is not "to glean as much insight into the core values and beliefs of the candidate" but, rather, to ascertain whether the candidate has the skills and experience necessary to excel in the position at hand. In later stages or when an offer is more imminent, it may be more appropriate to have discussions that reveal cultural fit. Fit and qualifications are both important; but most employers care more about your ability to do the job, not your current reading list.

Like(9)
Reply(1)2 hours ago
Brian Denney, Barbara Ann Allen JD, Jimmy Schloss, E.I.T., G.I.T., +6
1 Reply

Jimmy Schloss, E.I.T., G.I.T.
Hydrogeologist at HRS Water Consultants, Inc.Couldn't agree more Keith!

Like14 minutes ago

Bob Philpin
Inbound Marketing Success Mentor | Leadership Coach | SmallBiz Trainer | Predictive Index® ExpertHere's a tip: Don't ask this USELESS question in the first place!

Like(7)
Reply2 hours ago
Jordan Stanley, Anselm Fernandez, MSEE, MBA, Randy Scott, +4

Mary Taylor
I/O PsychologistThis is a tricky field to navigate for two reasons in my opinion. 1: In an interview, candidates are focused on talking about their qualifications for the job. 2: We're not very good at acknowledging our "soft skills." Coupled together and mixed with nerves, these tendencies make us inclined to simply recite the facts, X years experience, proficient in Y, interested in Z. Not all businesses are so savvy as to understand how personalities and individual personal strengths can make the difference between someone who can do the job and someone who can completely master excelling in the job. With people who might not know what they're good at and business who don't know what personal strengths to look for, this question leaves much to be desired and much open for interpretation. I really like your take on this question - keep it focused on the position, specific to your unique qualities, and not focused on your expertise or accolades. Acknowledging what we're each uniquely good at and what personal strengths we bring to the table is an exercise which we should all embark on, not just for the purposes of interviewing.

Like(5)
Reply2 hours ago
Sarah Goins, Jesse Ward, Girish Chavan, +2

Becky Cole
Chief Capacity BuilderThere seems to be a lot of these types of articles coming out lately, and none of them seem to be all that useful. I have found most often the person doing the interviewing already has an idea of what they want to hear, and if you don't guess what they want, they will use that against you. Many times the person who is doing the interviewing has just pulled some questions of the internet and really has no clue or ability to interpret your answers, yet they are the ones making judgements about you. There have been many times where I have asked for a clarification on what they were looking for, only to have the person be upset that I asked that because they didn't want to admit they didn't have a good reason for it. The other nonsense question is "what are your three weaknesses". Mine are Johnny Mathis, Josh Groban and hot dogs. Will we ever get to the point where an interview can be a grown up conversation between two grown ups, or will this perpetual espionage spy game that children play be as good as it gets?

Like(5)
Reply(1)1 hour ago
Sheryl Rieck, Andrés Villarreal, Kristen Constantinescu, +2
1 Reply

Andrés Villarreal
Senior Lawyer at Marval, O'Farrell & MairalThe funny but possibly realistic scene in Anger Management movie where therapist Buddy Rydell (jack nicholson) asks "who are you" to Dave Buznik (adam sandler), and the answers, perfectly illustrates what you say.

Like21 minutes ago

Vinnie Boombots
Owner, VFLOnce I was asked. Where do you see yourself in 5 years, I said sitting on the throne Pinching a Loaf, Can we get on with the next question Please LOL!

Like(3)
Reply3 hours ago
Mark Strong CHRPro, Clay Kraemer, and Morgan Fisher

Janice Lavallee
B2B Communications and Translation, HTRC Industrial Solutions Inc.There are as many answers to this as there are interpretations of the question.....

Like(3)
Reply2 hours ago
Anselm Fernandez, MSEE, MBA, Mandi Giles, EIT, and Franci Hoffman CISR

David Miller
Customer Service Manager/ Open to New OpportunitiesHi Ketaki, Thanks for an insightful article on how to address that question in job interviews. Sincerely, David

Like(2)
Reply3 hours ago
Kevin Sandlin and Anil R Nair

Thomas Ricketson
Insurance Professional, Construction and Structural Defect ConsultantI've always thought the interviewer was looking for more personal information...something that gives a hint to the type of person I am after hours. My answer is generally something along the lines of "Well my family arrived in Georgia in the late 1680's and we've been here since. I've been married for 25 years and have a daughter in college. I collect and restore classic cars and enjoy camping with our 3 Labs". With that answer, I've let the interviewer know I'm proud of my southern heritage, am devoted to my family, take education seriously, have interests outside my profession and have a love for the outdoors and our pets. I believe I landed one job after the interviewer asked about what kind of cars I had. I was able to point outside his window at my 64 SS Chevelle and say well there's the one I drive on a daily basis and I have 6 other classics at home. He ended up walking outside with me after the interview to look at my car and I took him to lunch in it. He was amazed that someone in my profession was also able to rebuild engines, do body and interior work and restore a car from the ground up in my garage. Ends up he had a 63 Corvette he had paid others to restore for him.

Like(1)
Reply(1)3 hours ago
Jennifer DuBreck
1 Reply

Randy Scott
Draftsman / Machinery Designer at ContractorI've always wished I could do that. At least I can say "I'm the kind of guy who has a rebuilt Chevy big block in my garage waiting for me to save up enough money for a car to drop it into."

Like(1)1 hour ago
Melynda Ross, Ph.D.

Shahla Pirnia
A Work in Progress"An interviewer's job is to glean as much insight into the core values and beliefs of the candidate." Well put.

Like(1)
Reply3 hours ago
Anil R Nair

Kate Gurule
Senior Account ExecutiveGreat article to keep in mind to help in any situation where you are asked "tell me about yourself". I know I fall into the category of saying what I do for my job more than my personal history in social situations unless specifically asked.

Like(1)
Reply3 hours ago
Najeeb Uddin

Richard (Rich) Dickson
President of the Board at DuPage Habitat for HumanityHard for me to believe anyone finds this to be a useless question. You spend 40 to 50 hours a week at work and the rest of the time doing something else. It is important to me to know what you do the majority of your time as it is not working! If you start off by telling me about your skills and job history that is sitting in front of me on my resume, then you automatically lose in my book. This is the opportunity to tell the interviewer what makes you tick, how important the rest of your life is, what you can do for the company and how you can best fit into the company. This open ended question is fraught with danger for the candidate since they do not know what the interviewer wants. If the interviewee guesses what the interviewer wants and gets the job without being true to their own values, then both parties lose. Answer the question with who you are, but give the question some thought before you go into any interview.

Like(1)
Reply1 hour ago
Girish Chavan

Ian Salvin
Purple SquirrelI tend to answer by providing attributes of my personality that would generally be applicable to the job. For example I might say "I'm an articulate, creative, competitive guy who can communicate clearly with people from all walks of life. Combine that with a strong element of common sense and a wicked sense of humour and you've got me in a nutshell. Of course, I'm more complex than that; but those are some of the attributes I have that will help me help you." There are variants depending on the role. You may want to emphasize being well organized and having a strong attention to detail for quality roles, or being observant and capable of "out of the box" thinking for positions in process development. Just examples; but the idea is to focus on character traits rather than the experience or education that's on your resume. Be prepared to back up your claims as well. Don't say you're articulate if it's not a strength. They'll see right through you. I would never claim to enjoy flying. They might try to get me on an airplane...

Like(1)
Reply1 hour ago
Alex Kenol

Nancy Sung-Lindsay
Automotive and Financial Industry - Sr. National Account Manager Sprint - Business DevelopmentWhat a great article. Thank you for sharing. We can use the same approach in sales when customers ask .."tell me about Sprint".. :)

Like(1)
Reply57 minutes ago
Jing-jing Lamug

MySee Yang
CRM System TesterGreat article!

Like
Reply3 hours ago

Lynn Macfarlane
Seeking new opportunity within admin support and customer service.Very interesting Ketaki, I will reflect on this tomorrow, when I meet up with my prospective new employer!

Like
Reply3 hours ago