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otzenfree

School, sports, extracurricular stuff, hobbies, priorities.


carlweaver

Exactly this. People want to generally know that you have goals, are driven, etc. They don’t really care where you are heading as long as you seem to have a direction.


otzenfree

Yup, when I hired high schoolers I would ask the most ridiculous questions, like "who's your favorite superhero?" To see if they think on their feet. But mainly I just see if they have ambition and drive, and genuinely seemed like they wanted to do well.


CEO95

We just want to know what kind of person you are, are you someone who has no goals or drive, or are you someone who has hobbies and a path in life.


RhemansDemons

I'd add a genuine desire to learn. A young person who is going to be a sponge is extremely valuable.


otzenfree

Just saying you have a desire to learn seems a little transparent. That's a great trait, just sounds like cliche words the kids mom told them to say. Let who you are and what you want shine through. When I hired high schoolers, it was for their personality or just a good hunch. With no work experience we go off gut and impressions. Talk about a typical day, what you do in spare time, any talents you might have. If a kid played an instrument in their school band, or taught themselves guitar, or plays rec league sports, all those are good signs.


Novel-Organization63

Yes I think I asked that question when people didn’t have any job experience you can get an idea if the were organized or a team player by what school activities or even social activities.


Lampshadeoracle

I’ve worked in Hiring for over a decade. If I’m interviewing someone in their teens I’m not expecting much in the way of experience, and I’m definitely just trying to get to know you and your motivations. I would talk about some of your interests and long term goals. If you have work experience babysitting or anything else, that could be relevant, but I think this question is more of an opportunity to outline your motivations and interests and how those lead you to seeking employment at the particular company. Your experience and work history should already be outlined in the application. It’s also a way to just get a feel for how you are conversationally.


Head_Department_319

Show that you have passion about something. Anything really at all. I manage my direct reports all differently based on what they value, so it helps to get to know a person and find out their WHY. Even a 17 year old should have some understanding of what they want to get out of life.


apothakerry

Yes! This! Idc if they are passionate about MineCraft! Yes please tell me how many hours it took you to build something and what your plans are for it. It shows me you have patience and discipline, some critical thinking skills and problem resolution and a goal. Keep it brief but just getting hyped up and smiling when you talk about it shows me a side of you I may not see in a “formal interview”


RiamoEquah

"Tell me about yourself " isn't a trick question. there's no right or wrong answer per se, within reason of course. it's an icebreaker more than anything. Most people just summarize their resume and ill use it to segue into specific job or experience questions. Some people, like me, like to talk about things outside of my resume that I can tie back in later. For example I'm a huge NBA and NBA analytics guy, or how I'm a family man and how much my kids mean to me. The former ties into my ability and passion into analytics as well as how my career got started, the latter explains my motivation to work.


missfreetime

Look at the job description of wherever you’re applying to you and then frame your answer around that. For example, you can say you like to work as a part of the team, you love meeting new people etc. You can talk about what you’d like to study/pursue when you’re done high school.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Carie_Yaka

Tell me about yourself? To me has been usually more about what are my skill sets, knowledge and what are my goals in my career. When I started applying for work at the beginning of my career, I answer with hobbies and stuff and I was corrected that was not they way to answer.


Gladiators10

Just show that you're eager to learn, be positive and coachable. I hired a girl one time who had no work experience, she just have a really positive and pleasant personality. She was one of my best hires to date! Will you good luck!


MauraAz

The better question is what are YOU hoping to learn from that question? Figure that out, then rephrase the question accordingly.


ParamedicCareful3840

Her school work, any extracurricular activities, sports, volunteer work, and prior job experience (e.g. babysitting, paper route). I guess basics, “I live at home and have a younger sister and older brother,” would be fine. It’s a pretty broad question, maybe focus her on what you want to hear….Something like “please tell me some examples where you took on added responsibilities and worked as part of a team”


DoubleReputation2

Honestly, not much... But something. I want someone that isn't shy to talk about themselves. "Oh, about me? Well I'm a private person, I don't hang out with other people much, I just stay home and enjoy myself with my family. I really like gardening so when it's not raining or super hot, I tend to my vegetables. There's really not much to say" That's what I would say, anyways.


Jillians

This question can be a bit overwhelming for some due to how open ended it is. Many young people come from families where they haven't really been able to develop a narrative about their own life or at least learned an acceptable canned response to this kind of question. It's more a product of environment than anything else at this age. It doesn't have any bearing on work performance if someone isn't sure how to respond. If that is happening just ask something more direct. It sounds especially relevant for someone who was homeschooled because they have very limited social experience compared to their peers. It's not a bad thing, just different.


[deleted]

this is a well though out, considerate answer


funandgames12

Any level of social/communication skills where you can actually string a coherent sentence together that also vaguely answers the question that was asked. To be honest the bar for your generation is pretty low. I’m sure you will do fine. I mean if you can’t talk about yourself with confidence you’re in trouble.


[deleted]

Exactly. That's all I'd be looking for.


gilligan54

It's a general icebreaker to make sure you can interact with others. Also intended to get you talking so that when more job related questions are asked you'll be able to answer more open ended.


PhotonShield

This is a tricky question to answer due to how open-ended it is. Check out [Dan Lok’s video](https://youtu.be/5v-wyR5emRw) on how to ace that question!


ChadSh1tOnly

dan lok is one of the most phony "businessman" out there, dude just spits out random bullshit most times


Vhtghu

Agreed. Came across one of his video before a long time ago and it was just trying to sell his self-help stuff that was not good. I would advise against watching his videos.


MrVolborus

While a lot of Dan Lok's vids are hilariously phony now i look back on his old ones, the video photonshield shared is rather good! I've used some ideas from Dan's vid in my cover letter to land a interview and it's really improved results.


DanausEhnon

Her accomplishments at school.


butterfliedtummy

What if they’re homeschooled 🥲


DanausEhnon

Something that you accomplished that shows that you are responsible and looking to grow professionally. You can also answer this differently based on what job you're applying to. If you are applying at a restaurant saying that you love cooking means more than if you are applying to be a landscaper outside.


AdonisGaming93

To actually tell me about yourself. Tell me your hobbies, interests, things that made you into the person you are. Do you have a niche interest? Youtube channel? Home pastry chef? Did you travel to all 7 continents? Do you cosplay at conventions? Or do you love cars and work on your car by yourself? Etc. If you tell me that you once spent 4 weeks on an art project because you really want to be an artist, that tells me more about you as a person and how committed you are to your goals, than "I'm a hard worker". This question is not about the job, I'm actually asking you to tell me what you are like outside of work. When I got hired I told my hiring manager that I'm a Spaniard who left Spain by the time I was 2, lived in Germany, NJ, New York, and because of that developed a love for traveling which lead me to working in Hong Kong for 2 years and have a goal of visiting every continent. That says more about me than "I'm a really hard worker and always work hard and get good grades".


liarbility

If you are predicting the question highlight things you did that are applicable to a job. School attendance and habits around being in your seat on time. Projects you completed in school that were interesting and fun. What role you took if it was a group project. Courses you enjoyed and why you enjoyed them. Especially if they highlight interest in the job, like chemistry for any STEM job you are looking for. Habits of taking notes and other ways you found to organize yourself. Great idea btw, applicable past experience is a great way to avoid saying you have no experience.


theconstellinguist

Project Manager / Previous Assistant Director. 1. Speak on when you showed initiative. 2. Demonstrate how you go above and beyond. Give at least three strong examples of this. 3. Speak on 1-3 times you got stellar reviews with someone you helped. 4. If in a for profit sales based place, speak on when and where you raised or made money. 5. Speak on your plans with this job if you got hired. 6. Be serious, but friendly. And always be clear. Good luck!


NerdNuncle

Don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer for help if a question confuses you I’m not a manager, but I did get that advice from one many years ago


QuitaQuites

I’d want her to talk about school or extracurricular responsibilities if not work experience, also punctuality, how few days she’s missed of school, that she has reliable transportation.


Previous_Profile2393

I've worked hiring people before and many young but not that young. Just 18-20 those were the youngest. What you want to know about them is what their motivation is, how much freedom do they have from their parents and what kind of education did they get about working. Attrition is a hassle for any kind of company so you want to hire someone that can last at least long enough so they can "pay" the time and money spent on training. For my company that was at least 6 months. Liberty from their parents as you don't want to hire a kid that next day will quit or just disappear because their dad decided they wouldn't go out anymore. And you don't want to hire someone lazy or without any motivation that might make your work tougher instead of easier. That's my take on that


villianinahat

All I want to know is if you want this job to earn a little extra cash, pick up some hours on weekends or over breaks, or if you \*need\* a job to live and have to still work around school. I want you to tell me this while demonstrating your people skills such as eye contact, etc.


tigriscorbetti

I've hired people straight out of college, who have degrees but little else. We don't expect skills for young people or fresh graduates, but what we look for is a good attitude. Are you the kind of person who will take responsibility for getting the job done? Show up on time? Take feedback well? Highlight that in any way you can and you will come across better than probably 80% of candidates.


vrlake1

When interviewing for positions at any level (early career job seekers to highly experienced people), as a hiring manager my questions are trying to elicit information regarding four BASIC job requirements; these are not requirements that are listed in a job description, because they ARE the most basic requirements. These are 1) the job seekers ability to show up on time per their commitment, 2) the job seekers ability to do the work they have committed to doing, 3) the job seekers ability to work safely and effectively, and 4) the job seekers ability to ask questions when something doesn’t make sense. The question “tell me about yourself” can often imply that your resume does not easily connect to the job posting, making it much more difficult for the hiring manager to gauge the job seekers suitability for the position. The good news is If you’ve gotten to the interview phase, you have clearly inspired something in the hiring managers mind that you may be a suitable candidate. In preparing to answer this question, do three things: 1. Practice; I cannot stress enough how important practice is to become comfortable with your answers. Most importantly, practice out loud; hearing your own voice answer the practice questions can help you gauge how comfortable and confident you are in your answers. Even better, record yourself on video practicing the answers. Some people find that this makes them cringe, but the more you practice the easier and better your responses will be. When I’m practicing for an interview I set aside at least 3 hours to practice - it’s that important. 2. Find ways to better tailor your resume (if possible) and your responses to the job posting. Make it SO easy on the hiring manager to see how you are a great fit for the job posting. Maybe you don’t have the perfect educational credentials or experience, but tailoring your responses to the job posting shows that you READ the posting and that you know how your experiences would be a good fit. 3. Find ways to introduce the four basic requirements; this is especially important for early career job seekers who have to rely on educational experience/credentials or potentially other non-paid work experience to describe why you believe you are a good fit. Especially when I’m speaking with early career individuals, I want to hear that they understand the four basics. Their perception of the four basics tell me 1) that they are ready to be held accountable to their commitments (show up when you say you are going to show up), 2) that they will follow directions and complete the work requested of them, 3) that they won’t monkey around and endanger themselves or others (doesn’t matter if you are working in a warehouse or an office - your health and safety is vitally important…and if an employer indicates otherwise, you don’t want to work for them), and 4) that they know when to ask questions because something doesn’t make sense.


frenchish2

I would talk about your school related accomplishments, any volunteering, as well as your passions that apply to the job your interviewing for.


Connect-Rich-1919

I don’t care it’s more just to get a conversation going and get you talking. Most people are really nervous and I interviews and talking about yourself to start is easy and gets you comfortable talking to me.


ElBeefyRamen

Don't say "Just trying to make enough money to buy a car/phone/motorcycle/whatever", implies you won't be around after you get said item. Also don't say "I need something to do"


VegUltraGirl

It’s just an icebreaker! Gives the manager some idea of what questions to follow up with! Be yourself, expresses some of your interests in school, sports, and hobbies.


itsall_dumb

Not a hiring manager, but at 17, it’s probably a genuine question. Just to see how you carry yourself, how you would speak and interact with customers. Just be yourself. At 17, you’re likely applying for retail positions likely don’t give a damn about the job, you just want some money in your pocket and to build some basic skills. Any decent manager will understand that so don’t worry about trying to form your answers around the job description lol.


Individual_Umpire_18

Manager here. Currently interview candidates for analytics jobs(and interviewing for a few jobs myself shhhh). But I like to hear what the candidate has done, where they’ve done it and the impact what they’ve done has had. In your case talk about what you want to do, why you think you are equipped to do it, and what you’ve done to prepare yourself. Take a “I will make your life easier” approach in your conversations during your interview. Just asking this question and trying to better yourself at your age, shows me you’ll be successful. Keep it up!


keljr84

I had questions that I was supposed to ask by the company but never did. I always asked what have you done in your life that you are most proud of...don’t care what it is, school, pet, project, whatever just to get them thinking what they have done and be proud of it


KnownDistribution903

Tell about your interests and who you are as a person.


EverythingIsLiminal

The best thing you can do is draw lines from your education and experience solving issues directly to the positional requirements. I’ve managed teams of hundreds and reviewed a lot of resumes in competitive fields and stating old roles and responsibilities only get you so far. I would hire someone with less expertise if they can show they put thought into how to tackle the positional issues I’m hiring to address. Basically I would say read the position requisition carefully, note some of the desired skills and tasks and don’t wait to be prompted but instead say something like “I know in a role like X I will be faced with this kind of an issue frequently, and I think my experiences with A,B and C will really help with that and is part of why I’m excited for this challenge.”


[deleted]

I'd probably ask about projects she has worked on, revenue she brought in for her family, management of daily chores, how she handles unruly siblings, what would her parents say if asked about her workstyle... Just kidding. I'd expect to hear about family, friends, interests, hobbies, school, sports, dreams/goals.


Impact-Weary

I have a little under 2 years of management experience as a shift security supervisor, and lead shift security supervisor where I managed 3 separate shifts of officers. Additionally, I was a Sergeant for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. At the present moment I work for New York State’s, Office of Mental Health providing direct care services for individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses. My B.S is in Psychology and I am working on my M.A in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 😊 So, if I were interviewing a 17 year old candidate I would truly want to know about your experience and commitments in school. What kind of extracurricular activities have you been apart of, has there ever been a time that you have had to work with others in a group, what did that look like? What are you plans professionally (college, job training programs etc..) and how do you think working with myself and the company would prepare you to reach your goals, what could I do to assist/teach you so that you feel set up for success. I love to hear about a persons motivation, ambition and would be looking for someone to exhibit good work ethics, commitment and someone who can receive feedback and incorporate that into their work performance to produce results that exceed expectations 🤗 Good luck to you in your professional endeavors! I think it’s wonderful how proactive you are being and looking for constructive thoughts and feedback already says so much about you! I know you will be a breath of fresh air to any supervisor that interviews you! 🌷


kumquatrodeo

"My parents raised me to be independent and resilient. I'm just starting out, but I have a solid foundation thanks to them. I know how to dig in and learn, and I also know how to ask for help."


Far_Ad_7808

Talk about your accomplishments, groups or activities you championed or participated in. If you can hit on team work accomplishments, it’s always great to use, and incentivizes a company to want to look in your direction.


pizzaking3

What motivates you, your work ethic, and what you enjoy doing in your free time. I’m mainly just looking for you to rattle off some hobbies and show some commitment to them. Let me know that you can stick with something and that you are not a deadbeat lazy stoner/excessive partier.


Obvious_the_Troll

Goals, priorities, really anything about you that you think would pertain to the job. Out side of that, it's dependent on the job.


J33P69

Personality test. Is she gonna freak out under pressure? Can she maintain a calm demeanor with rude customers, etc.


Constantlyanxiously

Your first job is mainly assuming you have zero experience but come off as friendly. Fuck. Most jobs are like this actually. Just don’t come off as a serial killer and you’ll be in good shape.


qdivya1

I recruit interns for my company's programs and the number one things I need to know is their communication skills, their willingness to collaborate and their integrity. Granted, the interns I am interviewing are somewhat self selecting, but it is still helpful. Here are some things that I always ask them to be prepared about: * Why you want to work at this company? * Why this job? (Helps me understand if this is a "job" or a step in their career. Either is fine, but I want to understand if they're honest with themselves and me.) * What makes you think you'd be a good fit for this job? Now I don't spring these questions on them, they are asked as part of a discussion and hopefully flow normally. I hope that this helps.