One of the hardest questions to answer in an interview is the “So, tell me about yourself” question. Although it’s fairly easy to talk about yourself given there’s no wrong answers, but rather this question gives you the free reign to respond as you wish. You could…
- Talk about your life.
- Talk about your job history.
- Talk about your future plans.
- etc
However, you should treat this like the same question you might be asked from a complete stranger. How would you communicate to someone you’ve never met to give an idea of who you are, what you stand for, and what you’re passionate about? You’re not going to tell them about every single job you had and your responsibilities there. Rather you are going to tell stories about how you struggled and how you came to be the person you are today.
You can think of this like your personal elevator pitch.
Introduce Yourself
As with any introduction, give your full name, provide a smile and extend yourself to an introduction such as a handshake, a wave, or greeting.
Provide a Summary
Without going into too much detail, give a brief summary of your background such as where you went to school, your work experience, and a couple things you like to do in your free time. Be prepared to touch base on the highlights you put on your resume when talking about each of these items.
Give Your Why
This is the time that you get to go into detail as to why you believe you are the cream of the crop. You will explain the value you can bring, why you’re a great fit for the job for both the workload and the culture, and generally what they can expect from you.
Finish with a Call To Action
As per any elevator pitch, you will need a call to action to let those know that if no action is taken, they will be missing out on what you have to offer. This can be as simple as setting up a future call, following up on email, or even scheduling another in-person meeting. If they agree upon the request, make sure to follow-through and the rest will be history.
Summary
As you start to figure out your personal elevator pitch, you’ll start to notice that it becomes second nature. As with anything, practice makes perfect, so try to get out of your comfort zone and talk to people you normally would not talk to, and give them your personal elevator pitch while asking about theirs. You’ll be surprised how natural it will feel as you do this a few times.
Ultralearning