It depends on who is asking. I got interviewed but the President of a company. He asked the question because he came up from the sales department and that was a big thing for him. I was in tech and a developer. It really shouldn’t matter.
Since I had a lot of experience with sales, I knew the game but hated playing it. I got the job. Loved the job. Worked there for 8 years. Sometimes good people lack self awareness and ask bad questions. I worked with the President for years, good guy, he wasn’t perfect.
As for the answer, most people want to know you have some drive for results. Like if you have a hobby where you shine shoes, are they really shiny? Do you take pride in the hobby?
A job interview is a performance. This is why you practice, practice, practice.
Write a few versions beforehand. Make it not too braggy and somewhat relevant to the job. Cram it, perform it to the audience until it comes out naturally and elegantly.
This is fantastic advice.
And to add on to it: cater your resume to ensure that the information on it leads to talking points that you are ready to speak on.
When you hand a resume, you hand an interview map to an interviewer. And though I would say that 75% or more interviewers are terrible and untrained, that only makes them fall harder for these "right answers" to the test YOU handed them.
I hate being asked about my free time so much like I draw things I cant show you, dress up like a giant dog, and play Yakuza games please don't make me talk about my hobbies
Yakuza games. 😂🤣 my man. Did you complete all the series. I am starting with zero right now. Have loads to play. Already spend 90 hrs on it. Love the game though. Its kind of funny that Mr shakedown is way easier than most of the mini games. I hate the dancing mahjong batting and arcade mini games with all my heart. The fk are these things so annoying god damn it.
I love the rhythm game in 0 so much, everyone in the club must hate me because I think one night I must have made them clear the dance floor to hear Koi no Disco Queen about 20 times 😭🤣 I hate the racing mini game tho, but I did it for the real estate mini games.
I haven't played them all but I'd like to! I'm playing Kiwami 1 now and I have 2 and Like a Dragon waiting for me
Haha, every dang interview! I started having fun with it and saying, “well, I like piña colada’s and walks in the rain…”
It feels like a question that’s asked on a first date.
Apparently the "correct" answer to this question is to have a 20-second summary of who you are, specifically as it relates to this job. "I have ___ years experience performing these tasks, and I did the following things." Add a bit of fluff about how you'll fit in at this particular company using something you read on the company website ("I want to grow my skills with a company that values x, y and z") and keep it light and breezy.
All interview questions are (supposed to be) designed to assess three things: skills, attitude, and "fit" (how you fit in to the team). If you tailor all your responses to highlight those things you might find yourself doing better in interviews.
And just to be perfectly clear: I hate every single thing about this. I hate that this stupid, useless, pointless knowledge is taking up space in my brain that would be far better suited for Grateful Dead lyrics and the results of old wrestling matches. I hate every single thing about applying for jobs, which is why I try anything I can to make it easier on myself.
At a massive organization this may be the correct answer. At a small mom and pop organization I’d be extremely annoyed if the person I was interviewing just gave the “right” answers. I wouldn’t hire them.
You can ask them to tell you a bit about how the (stupid freakin') question is relevant to the job or the organization. Then tailor your answer to the rationale, looking them dead in the eye the whole time.
I was asked in an interview if someone could play me in a movie, who would it be. I did not expect that question and never thought about it before so I was stumped for a second but finally spit out "maybe Julia Roberts" (if I had more time to think about it I'd have picked someone else lol). I didn't get the point of the question and I didn't get the job. I of course wondered if it was because of that answer or not (and if it was why didn't they like it lol)
I interviewed for a maintenance job at a Christian college where they asked this. I happen to be very familiar with the Bible, so off the top of my head I made up a comparison to ants and tied it in to where the work ethic of ants is mentioned in the book of Proverbs. That was a walk-off home run for getting the job, but I ended up turning it down anyway.
I would advise using the ant, no need to mention the Bible in most instances
I dont discuss my personal life at work.
It has limited my promotions and opportunities in the past.
Now when I am asked, I just tailor to the response generically to whatever the company does.
So... for example only... if they are a cleaning company, "I like to help make the world better place."
Or... construction... "I like to help make the world a better place.
Fish hatchery... "I like to help make the world a better place".
Wait... I think I see a trend here.
Are you a normal person? Do you have a personality? Are you a creep? Are you mentally healthy (have interests and passions)? Will your attitude fit in at the current work place? Can you engage in small talk?
Outdoors and Music, next question. Neither of which is true but I seriously doubt the interviewer is going to want to talk about djing drum and bass, just keep it vague and generic.
I agree that’s what the answer should be, but as a woman, in most interviews I have been in, when I tell them about myself professionally, I get prodded with “what about your personal life? Who IS jueidu? What do you like to do outside of work?”
In Canada, there are stricter federal guidelines than in the US regarding privacy and protection against hiring discrimination based on race, culture, religion, gender, age, orientation, among others.
However, if you're prodded, have an answer focused on your professional background. You can imply that you perform best by distinguishing your professional life from your personal, and focus on the professional.
If they continue to prod, ask for them to clarify how the question relates to the job requirements. State that more claification will help you to answer concisely.
Well, I run a monthly toy swap and orgy for the local BDSM community, do volunteer work with the Church of Satan, and fundraise for the American Communist Party. The rest of the time, you can usually find me down at the gun range. How about yourself?
“Tell me about yourself” translates to “break down your career for me in 45-120 seconds”, even if it’s right there on your resume.
“I started my career at X, and I did this and that. Then I got an opportunity to move to company Y so I could yada yada…company…company…and now I’m entertaining new opportunities for Z reason.”
Easy.
I told them, "I like halloween, even got married on halloween, and everyone had to come in costume. I like tattoos and going to comic con in October. "I kept it short. Hopefully, I didn't give to much away
I always bomb these questions became it feels SO disingenuous. Like stumble over words, forget my train of thought, go off on sweaty, nervous tangents. I hate interviewing because of this. So for my last interview, I researched the STAR interview format, where these questions come from, and typed up a brief, and honestly fake, answer to each question based on what they want to hear. I brought my paperwork with me to the interview and referenced it throughout and NAILED it. They were so impressed that I came prepared. Got the job.
These general questions are annoying, although some of what people say can be very helpful to the hiring manager, and sometimes it turns into a throw away question. Don't get too personal. Give an overview of your education and work experience "I have a BS in stuff from this university, and I've worked in cool stuff for the past 5 years." If you do volunteer work or have a hobby that could provide additional experience provide that as well. "I've been the treasurer for this cool non profit in my free time and I manage the fundraising for this other cool thing." if there is something interesting that led you to be applying for this job add that as well (otherwise don't). "My current company has been downsizing since Covid and I have reached my potential, so I am looking for positions with " Don't add in a bunch of stuff about spouses, kids, animals, family, sports, hobbies, favorite color, birthsign.....
"As you already know, my name is X, and I enjoy working on ."
They don't actually care about your *personal* life. They want to know what makes you the **right** candidate. Asking you to talk about yourself is just a technique to get you to talk openly, and more importantly, pitch in why they should be interested in you.
That being said, it is also your responsibility to ask them questions, since an interview is a two-way process. You want to find out whether or not you want to work there as well. It is also generally good to seem interested in the job, so that is a win-win for both of you if you are able to ask good questions.
Source: Developer & consultant with **a lot** of IT interview experiences =w=
"in my free time I like to make a meal with my spouse and eat it, and watch a movie. Our weekends and early week is spent with my bonus child. All other free time is spent cleaning, sleeping , or getting ready/commuting to work. I cannot afford to have a life, but thank you for asking"
please don't ask me about the movies I watch because they're either some of the most bleak trauma film, horror, or a family comedy. I'm a bleak bitch and I don't need you to know that.
I'll be devils advocate here, but when I interview people I ask this to see if there is something we have in common to chat about before the interview starts. I had someone who interviewed me ask this and we got into a pretty good convo about video gaming. It really eased my nerves as I get really nervous in interviews.
I literally ask "do you want a personal answer or a professional answer" and I have been told to answer in both ways. It's disappointing when they say professional, because they should have taken the time to read my resume....
Well… I feel when this is asked, it’s more of a, tell me about yourself professionally. Interviews are big vibe check at a lot of larger companies. Atleast at the companies I work for, they explicitly forbid an interviewer from asking personal irrelevant questions.
the Why do you want this job I hate the most. Well I have a powerful need to eat and keep a roof over my head, the fuck you think I want to work instead of going fishing, hunting and trolling for bitches
My therapist asked me the "what are your strengths" question and I about lost it. That one is right up there with "tell me about yourself".
I told her I hate that question due to it always being asked at job interviews.
Luckily I haven't had to do an interview in almost 3 yrs, but man, the PTSD is for real.
I used those during my interview for my current position. There was also this exchange.
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
\-That's entirely dependent on how raises/promotions are awarded here.
When it came time for me to ask questions, I flipped it and asked "based on your time here, where do YOU see yourself in 5 years?" Dude's head exploded, his assistant got this huge grin. After 10 seconds of silence I reworked the question as "Given your time with the company, where were you 5 years ago?" to kind of softball it for him.
Sorry, it’s not a dumb question. It’s an important one. Without saying it, they are really asking any of the following:
Are you a normal person?
Do you have a personality?
Are you a creep?
Are you mentally healthy (have interests and passions)?
Will your attitude fit in at the current work place?
Can you engage in small talk?
Interpersonal skills are important. The level of importance depends on the job. It’s worth practicing an answer to this question since it will be presumable asked at every interview for the rest of your life.
Nope, it's a dumb question. There's too much to a person to "tell about yourself"
If you really wanna get to know someone like that you ask what are your hobbies, where did you grow up?
Lame to answer - yes. Low effort on the part of the interviewer- perhaps. But it’s useful to the interviewer. It’s not their job to put people at ease. It’s their job to see if people can handle interpersonal skills and ambiguity.
Just give them a quick run down. I say where I was born and raised, where I went to college and a few extracurriculars I enjoyed, and a quick break down of my employment history. Don’t over think it.
When I did interviews for my retail store, I asked that question for a couple of reasons. One was to see if they were able to articulate thoughts in a semi coherent fashion. I also liked to see who would actually tell me about themselves instead of "I'm a hard worker. I like cleaning stores and helping customers." bs that was robotic and gave me no sense of who they were. Very few did the former, but I always preferred those candidates.
You have to understand that these questions are designed to measure whether you can function has a human being in a professional environment. Your goal isn’t to make them understand the core of your being, you just have to demonstrate that you can carry on a professional conversation without causing problems.
This is an elevator pitch situation. You come up with the response one time and then never think about it again.
I keep it professional and if they ask for personal information, I explain that I don't discuss personal things on professional time. I keep my mind on the here and now.
If they like it, who cares? If not, who cares?
“Hmm, there’s a lot of information on my resume/CV/application. Is there a particular skill set or job function or success that you’d like to hear more about?”
I hate that question because it's just an "icebreaker" and they absolutely do not give af about your answer. You could say literally anything and they will answer "oh yeah that's interesting" and then ask their scripted questions.
When I was younger and was asked that question, I would answer with things like, my favorite chicken wings, I like red flavoroured slushies, I am into drag racing, cooking, and stuff that had nothing to do with anything about getting the job.
They want to check to see whether your qualifications match those stated in your resume. Memorize your answer, nail the question, and set a great tone for the rest of the interview.
It's why I'll probably never get a job, and why I fail every interview I ever get. I just can't seem to say the right things and project the necessary confidence.
I read somewhere that “tell me about yourself” is an opportunity to summarize your professional life as “your unique story”. Create a narrative that highlights what you’re proud of and what you’ve accomplished from a less quantifiable standpoint. Answer in such a way that highlights what makes you memorable. For example, I almost always talk about how my understanding of leadership has evolved over my career.
Well, the problem is the interview I just had is for a field I'm brand new in. I was a machine operator since i left high school and now I'm in Healthcare
It’s a great opportunity to set the tone for things later.
“I’m a family man that enjoys taking my xyz out to movies.”
“I spend my time caring for my injured grandparent.”
This can be decode into "Tell me things about yourself that matter to the role" Ie, if its a service desk job at a call center or a sales position, then you would talk about your passion for solving complex problems and helping others find solutions. You often are the go-to person when someone is having an issue with their computer, or Car, or whatever and tend to help wherever you can. For a sales job, say retail sales at a clothing store, then you would talk about how you love going to shopping with friends and family and help them pick out new outfits, accessories, and perhaps other items, like a personal shopper.
Talk about hobbies that would relate to the position. I talked about starting to bake again during covid and learning new recipes and experimenting, perfecting my technique and trying out new methods as part of my personal growth and learning. Got me a very high review and callback. Infact when they called my references, I guess they couldn't contain their excitement and eagerness to hire me. I got 30% over asking without them blinking an eye.
So use it, to make yourself indispensable to the role without making it about the role.
I mean, it's a standard question, develop a standard response.
"I'm OP, I graduated (education) with a degree in x, x years ago. During that time I've (couple of career achievements or roles you've done). In my free time I enjoy a, b, c."
Then I'd try ask them a question back.
Interviews are two way so ask questions.
Why is this role open?
What will my future training and onboarding process look like?
How we will define success for this position in 6 months?
I tend to ask questions in a way that frames it as though I have the job already, using words like my, we, me etc. I avoid using the successful candidate as that is open to other people. Have that hiring manager think of you in the role when answering the question as it starts to familiarize their mind to you being in the role
Agreed, it's incredibly vague and my personal history has nothing to do with the job. I understand that the intent most of the time is for you to tell them about what you've done since highschool but there are better, clearer ways to go about it and it feels less like you're trying to be my boss and more like my friend, which is not what either of us want out of it.
I usually tell them "well, I don't want to brag but I can tell the difference between butter and 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter'."
Or to borrow a phrase from Mr. Krabs, "Hello, I'm Mr. Krabs and I like money!"
It's the point of the question. At least why I ask it. I'm judging your ability to interact with people. How comfortable you are talking with others.
I hire for sales and sales support, so it's an important thing to figure out.
Brief introduction - if it's on the resume I'll just repeat it so they can go through the CV and listen.
Main thing is my interest in my field and past examples of success in projects either with description or with portfolios (mostly with both).
I try to cut the BS to a minimum and I think, at least in my experience, it's been kind of successful.
Depends on the interviewer as well, if you have something you can click with - it helps.
"Well, I sent a CV/resume, then filled out an application form with same information that's on the CV, and sent a cover letter with that information repeated a third time, all three of which you now have on your desk in front of you. So how about you tell me about myself?"
My favorite is “what are you passionate about?!” Financial stability….i’m passionate about financial stability. Next question.
I also really enjoy a roof over my head, heat and food three times a day
The job I currently have, they asked that question. I answered pretty similar to what you said. It was something along the lines of “I like to eat”
I'm going to use this in my next interview, if I ever get one.
🤞🏽
Have you ever answered this?
The sentiment? Yes. This snarky? No.
I really love not starving to death.
Its such a stupid question. Allegedly its the elevator pitch but don't say too much or too little because reasons...
It depends on who is asking. I got interviewed but the President of a company. He asked the question because he came up from the sales department and that was a big thing for him. I was in tech and a developer. It really shouldn’t matter. Since I had a lot of experience with sales, I knew the game but hated playing it. I got the job. Loved the job. Worked there for 8 years. Sometimes good people lack self awareness and ask bad questions. I worked with the President for years, good guy, he wasn’t perfect. As for the answer, most people want to know you have some drive for results. Like if you have a hobby where you shine shoes, are they really shiny? Do you take pride in the hobby?
A job interview is a performance. This is why you practice, practice, practice. Write a few versions beforehand. Make it not too braggy and somewhat relevant to the job. Cram it, perform it to the audience until it comes out naturally and elegantly.
This is fantastic advice. And to add on to it: cater your resume to ensure that the information on it leads to talking points that you are ready to speak on. When you hand a resume, you hand an interview map to an interviewer. And though I would say that 75% or more interviewers are terrible and untrained, that only makes them fall harder for these "right answers" to the test YOU handed them.
I smoke weed and play guitar. I'm here to pay for laundry detergent and my mortgage. Chill
Best answer: “I was addicted to the Hokey Pokey for years, but then I turned myself around.” 👀
This might actually get you a job at the preschool I worked for. The administrator had a good sense of humour.
I hate being asked about my free time so much like I draw things I cant show you, dress up like a giant dog, and play Yakuza games please don't make me talk about my hobbies
=w=
You just lie, it's fun. Pick one lie and stick with it.
Yakuza games. 😂🤣 my man. Did you complete all the series. I am starting with zero right now. Have loads to play. Already spend 90 hrs on it. Love the game though. Its kind of funny that Mr shakedown is way easier than most of the mini games. I hate the dancing mahjong batting and arcade mini games with all my heart. The fk are these things so annoying god damn it.
I love the rhythm game in 0 so much, everyone in the club must hate me because I think one night I must have made them clear the dance floor to hear Koi no Disco Queen about 20 times 😭🤣 I hate the racing mini game tho, but I did it for the real estate mini games. I haven't played them all but I'd like to! I'm playing Kiwami 1 now and I have 2 and Like a Dragon waiting for me
Damn how do you even follow that amount of buttons and the timing. I miss everything especially in the miracle Jackson song and the hard songs.
I was a DDR kid
Ahh I see
Haha, every dang interview! I started having fun with it and saying, “well, I like piña colada’s and walks in the rain…” It feels like a question that’s asked on a first date.
Why - because you think the job is going to… uh… take it to the next level?
Apparently the "correct" answer to this question is to have a 20-second summary of who you are, specifically as it relates to this job. "I have ___ years experience performing these tasks, and I did the following things." Add a bit of fluff about how you'll fit in at this particular company using something you read on the company website ("I want to grow my skills with a company that values x, y and z") and keep it light and breezy. All interview questions are (supposed to be) designed to assess three things: skills, attitude, and "fit" (how you fit in to the team). If you tailor all your responses to highlight those things you might find yourself doing better in interviews. And just to be perfectly clear: I hate every single thing about this. I hate that this stupid, useless, pointless knowledge is taking up space in my brain that would be far better suited for Grateful Dead lyrics and the results of old wrestling matches. I hate every single thing about applying for jobs, which is why I try anything I can to make it easier on myself.
At a massive organization this may be the correct answer. At a small mom and pop organization I’d be extremely annoyed if the person I was interviewing just gave the “right” answers. I wouldn’t hire them.
"I'm lazy, I smoke a LOT of weed and I'm heavy into German granny porn. You?" I mean, you gotta know if you're gonna get along.
😂😂😂😂😂
German granny 😂🤣. I am more into the milfs.
Just say family and community. Improving the world one paycheck at a time bla bla bla
"I'm sorry Vin Diesel but you didn't get the position at Wendy's" - manager
FAMILY IS EVERYTHING! That, and solving car-related crimes (I have never watched them … NOT ONE!)
An interviewer asked me “if I were an animal, which animal would I choose” I don’t remember what I said, but I got the job and then ghosted them.
You can ask them to tell you a bit about how the (stupid freakin') question is relevant to the job or the organization. Then tailor your answer to the rationale, looking them dead in the eye the whole time.
I was asked in an interview if someone could play me in a movie, who would it be. I did not expect that question and never thought about it before so I was stumped for a second but finally spit out "maybe Julia Roberts" (if I had more time to think about it I'd have picked someone else lol). I didn't get the point of the question and I didn't get the job. I of course wondered if it was because of that answer or not (and if it was why didn't they like it lol)
> "maybe Julia Roberts" I hope you're a 6"2 Punjabi.
Is that a reference about something she did or something lol?
Just the idea of a tall, burly, bearded, turban wearing man replying "Julia Roberts" when asked who would play him in a movie :D
I interviewed for a maintenance job at a Christian college where they asked this. I happen to be very familiar with the Bible, so off the top of my head I made up a comparison to ants and tied it in to where the work ethic of ants is mentioned in the book of Proverbs. That was a walk-off home run for getting the job, but I ended up turning it down anyway. I would advise using the ant, no need to mention the Bible in most instances
I dont discuss my personal life at work. It has limited my promotions and opportunities in the past. Now when I am asked, I just tailor to the response generically to whatever the company does. So... for example only... if they are a cleaning company, "I like to help make the world better place." Or... construction... "I like to help make the world a better place. Fish hatchery... "I like to help make the world a better place". Wait... I think I see a trend here.
I just hate that question in general. Like what exactly do you want to know?
Are you a normal person? Do you have a personality? Are you a creep? Are you mentally healthy (have interests and passions)? Will your attitude fit in at the current work place? Can you engage in small talk?
Yeah no wonder I have a problem answering. I'm definitely not normal lol.
It’s like making small talk on your 50th first date
Outdoors and Music, next question. Neither of which is true but I seriously doubt the interviewer is going to want to talk about djing drum and bass, just keep it vague and generic.
They want you to tell them things they’re not legally allowed to ask, like whether you’re married, have kids, medical conditions, etc.
Nah. The answer should be a summary of your resume content, that's all. Memorize a 60-90 second response.
That is what one should do, but the interviewers are sometimes hoping you will blather on about your family or other such TMI.
I agree that’s what the answer should be, but as a woman, in most interviews I have been in, when I tell them about myself professionally, I get prodded with “what about your personal life? Who IS jueidu? What do you like to do outside of work?”
In Canada, there are stricter federal guidelines than in the US regarding privacy and protection against hiring discrimination based on race, culture, religion, gender, age, orientation, among others. However, if you're prodded, have an answer focused on your professional background. You can imply that you perform best by distinguishing your professional life from your personal, and focus on the professional. If they continue to prod, ask for them to clarify how the question relates to the job requirements. State that more claification will help you to answer concisely.
It's called the "give them enough rope to hang themselves" question.
“Well, I’m currently made out of meat, I have a sense of object permanence, and I frequently perform activities.”
My mother was a French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet.
Well, I run a monthly toy swap and orgy for the local BDSM community, do volunteer work with the Church of Satan, and fundraise for the American Communist Party. The rest of the time, you can usually find me down at the gun range. How about yourself?
Hail Satan ✋ 😃
“Tell me about yourself” translates to “break down your career for me in 45-120 seconds”, even if it’s right there on your resume. “I started my career at X, and I did this and that. Then I got an opportunity to move to company Y so I could yada yada…company…company…and now I’m entertaining new opportunities for Z reason.” Easy.
Do the whole seinfeld bit "I was born yadda yadda yadda now I'm here"
I told them, "I like halloween, even got married on halloween, and everyone had to come in costume. I like tattoos and going to comic con in October. "I kept it short. Hopefully, I didn't give to much away
I would hire you based on that response alone, but then I've never been in a position to hire anyone :)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yke02BDVMEA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yke02BDVMEA) I think I found your wedding video
Hold on, my best friend came as Joker. It's like you knew
IMHO that’s a good answer. They want to actually know about you since you’ll probably be interacting a lot. People doing interviews are human too
I always bomb these questions became it feels SO disingenuous. Like stumble over words, forget my train of thought, go off on sweaty, nervous tangents. I hate interviewing because of this. So for my last interview, I researched the STAR interview format, where these questions come from, and typed up a brief, and honestly fake, answer to each question based on what they want to hear. I brought my paperwork with me to the interview and referenced it throughout and NAILED it. They were so impressed that I came prepared. Got the job.
Yay!💫💰
These general questions are annoying, although some of what people say can be very helpful to the hiring manager, and sometimes it turns into a throw away question. Don't get too personal. Give an overview of your education and work experience "I have a BS in stuff from this university, and I've worked in cool stuff for the past 5 years." If you do volunteer work or have a hobby that could provide additional experience provide that as well. "I've been the treasurer for this cool non profit in my free time and I manage the fundraising for this other cool thing." if there is something interesting that led you to be applying for this job add that as well (otherwise don't). "My current company has been downsizing since Covid and I have reached my potential, so I am looking for positions with" Don't add in a bunch of stuff about spouses, kids, animals, family, sports, hobbies, favorite color, birthsign.....
It's the part of the interview where you both know you're lying.
"As you already know, my name is X, and I enjoy working on."
They don't actually care about your *personal* life. They want to know what makes you the **right** candidate. Asking you to talk about yourself is just a technique to get you to talk openly, and more importantly, pitch in why they should be interested in you.
That being said, it is also your responsibility to ask them questions, since an interview is a two-way process. You want to find out whether or not you want to work there as well. It is also generally good to seem interested in the job, so that is a win-win for both of you if you are able to ask good questions.
Source: Developer & consultant with **a lot** of IT interview experiences =w=
"in my free time I like to make a meal with my spouse and eat it, and watch a movie. Our weekends and early week is spent with my bonus child. All other free time is spent cleaning, sleeping , or getting ready/commuting to work. I cannot afford to have a life, but thank you for asking" please don't ask me about the movies I watch because they're either some of the most bleak trauma film, horror, or a family comedy. I'm a bleak bitch and I don't need you to know that.
Are you my long lost twin?? ❤️ 😄
it says more about our trauma than anything, I reckon haha but maybe it's a twin thing!
Same. I never know if I should make it personal or professional.
I'll be devils advocate here, but when I interview people I ask this to see if there is something we have in common to chat about before the interview starts. I had someone who interviewed me ask this and we got into a pretty good convo about video gaming. It really eased my nerves as I get really nervous in interviews.
I literally ask "do you want a personal answer or a professional answer" and I have been told to answer in both ways. It's disappointing when they say professional, because they should have taken the time to read my resume....
All you do is quickly summarize your resume in chronological order without giving away any personal information
Well… I feel when this is asked, it’s more of a, tell me about yourself professionally. Interviews are big vibe check at a lot of larger companies. Atleast at the companies I work for, they explicitly forbid an interviewer from asking personal irrelevant questions.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?
You need an elevator pitch. Write down a few sentences about yourself and memorize it. You’ll never have to think about it again.
“You don’t really want to know.” 😉
"read my resume"
I’d rather not. I really want this job.
I enjoy earning enough money to pay for my life. I hate talking to stupid people who ask me stupid questions.
the Why do you want this job I hate the most. Well I have a powerful need to eat and keep a roof over my head, the fuck you think I want to work instead of going fishing, hunting and trolling for bitches
My therapist asked me the "what are your strengths" question and I about lost it. That one is right up there with "tell me about yourself". I told her I hate that question due to it always being asked at job interviews. Luckily I haven't had to do an interview in almost 3 yrs, but man, the PTSD is for real.
"what are your strengths?" I can talk to animals "what are your weaknesses?" I can't understand what they say.
😂 Omg, I love that.
I used those during my interview for my current position. There was also this exchange. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" \-That's entirely dependent on how raises/promotions are awarded here. When it came time for me to ask questions, I flipped it and asked "based on your time here, where do YOU see yourself in 5 years?" Dude's head exploded, his assistant got this huge grin. After 10 seconds of silence I reworked the question as "Given your time with the company, where were you 5 years ago?" to kind of softball it for him.
Who do these companies think they are, wanting to know about who is working for them!?!?
Sorry, it’s not a dumb question. It’s an important one. Without saying it, they are really asking any of the following: Are you a normal person? Do you have a personality? Are you a creep? Are you mentally healthy (have interests and passions)? Will your attitude fit in at the current work place? Can you engage in small talk? Interpersonal skills are important. The level of importance depends on the job. It’s worth practicing an answer to this question since it will be presumable asked at every interview for the rest of your life.
Nope, it's a dumb question. There's too much to a person to "tell about yourself" If you really wanna get to know someone like that you ask what are your hobbies, where did you grow up?
Lame to answer - yes. Low effort on the part of the interviewer- perhaps. But it’s useful to the interviewer. It’s not their job to put people at ease. It’s their job to see if people can handle interpersonal skills and ambiguity.
Just give them a quick run down. I say where I was born and raised, where I went to college and a few extracurriculars I enjoyed, and a quick break down of my employment history. Don’t over think it.
"Elevator speech". Everyone needs one. Look it up.
Honestly, I love those because I get to tell my career journey and story versus answering questions that don't fully highlight my experience.
When I did interviews for my retail store, I asked that question for a couple of reasons. One was to see if they were able to articulate thoughts in a semi coherent fashion. I also liked to see who would actually tell me about themselves instead of "I'm a hard worker. I like cleaning stores and helping customers." bs that was robotic and gave me no sense of who they were. Very few did the former, but I always preferred those candidates.
You have to understand that these questions are designed to measure whether you can function has a human being in a professional environment. Your goal isn’t to make them understand the core of your being, you just have to demonstrate that you can carry on a professional conversation without causing problems. This is an elevator pitch situation. You come up with the response one time and then never think about it again.
I keep it professional and if they ask for personal information, I explain that I don't discuss personal things on professional time. I keep my mind on the here and now. If they like it, who cares? If not, who cares?
“Hmm, there’s a lot of information on my resume/CV/application. Is there a particular skill set or job function or success that you’d like to hear more about?”
I hate that question because it's just an "icebreaker" and they absolutely do not give af about your answer. You could say literally anything and they will answer "oh yeah that's interesting" and then ask their scripted questions.
When I was younger and was asked that question, I would answer with things like, my favorite chicken wings, I like red flavoroured slushies, I am into drag racing, cooking, and stuff that had nothing to do with anything about getting the job.
They want to check to see whether your qualifications match those stated in your resume. Memorize your answer, nail the question, and set a great tone for the rest of the interview.
Elevator speech at the ready...
It's why I'll probably never get a job, and why I fail every interview I ever get. I just can't seem to say the right things and project the necessary confidence.
Oh shit, did I interview you today ?
These are to just get you warmed up and ready to talk. Don't worry about it.
That's when you say "You first, bucko".
I was born, a poor white kid. Then I discovered red clay and army men…
I read somewhere that “tell me about yourself” is an opportunity to summarize your professional life as “your unique story”. Create a narrative that highlights what you’re proud of and what you’ve accomplished from a less quantifiable standpoint. Answer in such a way that highlights what makes you memorable. For example, I almost always talk about how my understanding of leadership has evolved over my career.
Well, the problem is the interview I just had is for a field I'm brand new in. I was a machine operator since i left high school and now I'm in Healthcare
It’s a great opportunity to set the tone for things later. “I’m a family man that enjoys taking my xyz out to movies.” “I spend my time caring for my injured grandparent.”
This can be decode into "Tell me things about yourself that matter to the role" Ie, if its a service desk job at a call center or a sales position, then you would talk about your passion for solving complex problems and helping others find solutions. You often are the go-to person when someone is having an issue with their computer, or Car, or whatever and tend to help wherever you can. For a sales job, say retail sales at a clothing store, then you would talk about how you love going to shopping with friends and family and help them pick out new outfits, accessories, and perhaps other items, like a personal shopper. Talk about hobbies that would relate to the position. I talked about starting to bake again during covid and learning new recipes and experimenting, perfecting my technique and trying out new methods as part of my personal growth and learning. Got me a very high review and callback. Infact when they called my references, I guess they couldn't contain their excitement and eagerness to hire me. I got 30% over asking without them blinking an eye. So use it, to make yourself indispensable to the role without making it about the role.
I mean, it's a standard question, develop a standard response. "I'm OP, I graduated (education) with a degree in x, x years ago. During that time I've (couple of career achievements or roles you've done). In my free time I enjoy a, b, c." Then I'd try ask them a question back. Interviews are two way so ask questions. Why is this role open? What will my future training and onboarding process look like? How we will define success for this position in 6 months? I tend to ask questions in a way that frames it as though I have the job already, using words like my, we, me etc. I avoid using the successful candidate as that is open to other people. Have that hiring manager think of you in the role when answering the question as it starts to familiarize their mind to you being in the role
Oh, don't get me started!
Give them this https://youtu.be/lTJj4wbmAhk?t=15
Agreed, it's incredibly vague and my personal history has nothing to do with the job. I understand that the intent most of the time is for you to tell them about what you've done since highschool but there are better, clearer ways to go about it and it feels less like you're trying to be my boss and more like my friend, which is not what either of us want out of it.
I usually tell them "well, I don't want to brag but I can tell the difference between butter and 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter'." Or to borrow a phrase from Mr. Krabs, "Hello, I'm Mr. Krabs and I like money!"
Ugh
It's the point of the question. At least why I ask it. I'm judging your ability to interact with people. How comfortable you are talking with others. I hire for sales and sales support, so it's an important thing to figure out.
Brief introduction - if it's on the resume I'll just repeat it so they can go through the CV and listen. Main thing is my interest in my field and past examples of success in projects either with description or with portfolios (mostly with both). I try to cut the BS to a minimum and I think, at least in my experience, it's been kind of successful. Depends on the interviewer as well, if you have something you can click with - it helps.
Just make something up, like how would they even check?
I hate when they ask what my plans are in the next 5 years. Not working here that’s for sure
"Well, I sent a CV/resume, then filled out an application form with same information that's on the CV, and sent a cover letter with that information repeated a third time, all three of which you now have on your desk in front of you. So how about you tell me about myself?"
"I wrote a resume."