The 30-Second Commercial: “Tell Me About Yourself”



The 30-Second Commercial: “Tell Me about Yourself”

Definition: Often the question, “Tell me about yourself” is the first question asked in an interview and will do the following things:

← It is a nice way to ease into an interview or break the ice.

← It allows you to talk uninterrupted for at least a minute, so the interviewer can judge your verbal skills (grammar, personality, etc.) and your body language.

← It allows you to demonstrate these important skills: your intelligence; your enthusiasm; your confidence; your dependability; and how your education, training, and interests match the job that you are applying for.

How to write the answer:

1. Be brief and not too personal.

2. Give age, and tell whether you have a driver’s license and transportation.

3. Talk about your key job skills, training (how they will help you do the job).

4. Talk about your strengths, major awards, projects, things you have accomplished.

5. Give reasons why the strengths, awards, projects are important to the company.

6. Tell how you see yourself developing in the job.

7. Be modest and add the right amount of self-deprecating humor.

Sample Answer:

Maria is interviewing for an entry-level sales position at Macy’s. She will graduate from high school in June.

Interviewer: Maria, thank you for coming. Why don’t we start with you telling me a little about yourself.

Maria: “I’m 18-years-old and will graduate from Turlock High in June. I have a driver’s license and reliable transportation. I plan to attend MJC in the fall and take general education courses for two years and then transfer to CSU Stanislaus and major in education and minor in math. I want to be a PE teacher with a credential certification so that I can teach math as well. I have won awards in the math Olympiad and am a championship swimmer for my high school and city league. I absolutely love working out and participating in sports, especially swimming and tennis. I have purchased my swim wear from Macy’s for years and appreciate that you carry a designer line that is trendy but not too expensive for young consumers. I have an eye for fashion and understand what quality clothing is. In high school I took four years of elective courses that followed a fashion track. I took sewing classes, fashion design; courses emphasizing fabric colors and textures; and advertising and marketing classes. I am also very good with numbers, having taken all levels of math from algebra to calculus. I know a good bargain when I see one, and the quality of the clothes at Macy’s definitely matches the price. I would be a great sales representative because I have fashion sense and am very knowledgeable about clothes and love interacting with people and really listening to their needs. I would be very attentive to customers. I think it’s because I’m a good talker and an even better listener. People feel comfortable with me because I pay attention to detail. I believe this helps people know they are important to me. They know I will do my best to meet their needs.

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