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  The “Tell us about yourself” interview question might seem easy, however, a lot of things can go wrong if you aren’t prepared and tactical in answering it. This question has disqualified thousands of job applicants. Most often, interviewers ask this question to access your intelligence, and it is always the first question in every job interview.
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How you answer this question determines the success of the interview. Not answering this question appropriately and confidently can cause you to lose your confidence throughout the job interview, thus, not landing you the job. There is a guideline to follow when answering this seemingly simple, yet technical question. In this article, I am going to show you how to answer this question in a step-by-step guide in three structured parts.

  1. Share Relevant Job Qualifications And Experiences

When asked to introduce yourself do not go about the bush by telling your interviewers your childhood experience, state of origin, and all other irrelevant information. You are to tell them your educational qualifications that match the role you are applying for. Don’t go about sharing your life history. Give them an overview of your professional and academic background that is relevant to the role you’re being interviewed for.

  1. Highlight Your Relevant Skills

During the process, the second step is to market yourself by highlighting relevant skills and traits and if possible some professional achievements that will tell your interviewers that you’re well suited for the role. Interviews are opportunities to highlight the number of teams you have managed, contracts you’ve successfully negotiated and completed, the targets you’ve hit, and so on.
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  1. Describe How The Role Suits Your Career Goals

Lastly, let your interviewers know how futuristic and progressive you are. In this question of introduction, letting your interviewers know how enthusiastic you’re willing to contribute to fulfilling their goals and objectives and how much it means to your career growth can land you a job. However, do not be tempted to tell them why you left your previous position. Do not castigate your previous employer so that you don’t look like a complainant. Remain positive all through. By being futuristic on your career goals and how your potential employer can contribute to that goal can make your potential employer see you as an asset rather than a liability.

Sample

If you’re asked by the interviewer, “Tell us about yourself”, here is a sample on how to go about it. I am a banking and finance graduate with a Masters in Corporate Finance Management. Since leaving university, I have pursued a financial accountability management career in the microfinance industry. During my time in the industry, I’ve expanded financial management skills, particularly in financial allocation and profit creation. I have a natural strength in bookkeeping and budgeting that helps organizations manage their financial expenses. I believe that these skills were best highlighted in my previous position where I served as chief accounting auditor, in which I boosted our annual profit by 12% by reducing cost and effectively channelling finance to productive quarters. My previous organization helped me develop the financial management skills I have today. However, I believe that for the sake of advancing my expertise further, it’s time to move on. Therefore, I’ve commenced my job search to look for a more challenging role within a fast-paced global organization, where there is plenty of room for me to grow as a financial management expert. That’s why I was so pleased to be invited to interview for this role.

Final Words

Knowing how to introduce yourself in an interview takes effective preparation. When preparedness meets with opportunity, success is inevitable. When asked ” Tell us about yourself” simply summarise your academic, career, and professional history. Featured Image Source: Kuulpeeps
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This article was first published on 20th October 2021

nnaemeka-emmanuel

Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.

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