Tell Me About Yourself The Opening Interview Question

Tell Me About Yourself Typically the first question in many interviews “Sets the tone” for the rest of the interview Referred to as the TMAY or your “Elevator Pitch” by HR professionals.

TMAY Stressful for Job Seekers because of the open- ended nature of the question. The danger lies in Talking too much Getting off topic and sharing irrelevant information Raising “red flags”

Here’s What Not to Do! TMAY Failure #1 TMAY Failure #2 TMAY Failure #3

So, then, how should I answer the TMAY? Hints for the TMAY Keep it focused on business. No personal information! Make sure it starts off the interview on the right foot. You are there to SELL YOURSELF as the candidate for the job! Limit your answer to 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don’t ramble!

What to include in your answer: Education and training relevant for the position Previous work experience and how it helps to qualify you (think transferable skills) Specials skills and traits that qualify you State your interest in the job…I want to hire someone who WANTS this job!

Sample Good Answers Sample #1 Sample #2 Sample #3 Sample #4