“Tell me about yourself”: 4 types of answers to get your job interview off to a good start

Job interview

At the beginning of a job interview, a recruiter asks you “Tell me about yourself”. Nothing is worse than paralyzing yourself if you haven’t prepared anything. Here are 4 ways to answer this open question by following 4 simple and effective structures. It’s up to you to work on the one you feel most comfortable with.

Tell me about yourself answers to get your job interview

1/ Opt for a presentation based on 3 qualities to start your job interview off right

“Choose three adjectives that characterize you (international, curious, autonomous, etc.), recommends Sophie Muffang, executive coach.

And present them during the pitch, which consists of 3 steps:

  • what you are
  • what you do
  • and your added value to the company

Focus on qualities that are appreciated in business.

Tell me about yourself – Example:

What characterizes me is creativity. I put this skill to the service of marketing for 10 years in several companies… For example, my investment allowed me to reposition products in a more premium segment. The key was a 3% additional market share. My creativity, coupled with great autonomy, will allow me to excel tomorrow in the position of digital marketing manager.

I have also started to decipher such a market, I believe that we could…. What do you think? Would you like me to develop this part or another specific point?

To learn more about the famous “3 qualities and 3 faults”, you can listen to our Podcast. All our advice in 5 minutes so that you can pass your recruitment interviews in the best conditions.

2/ Highlight your previous achievements to talk about yourself

For Ana Fernandez, head of the Energy Coaching firm, you have to focus on the concrete, the concrete, and the concrete for your presentation in a job interview. The presentation pitch is the candidate’s identity car.

She therefore goes over their job, sector of activity, skills, and years of experience… all supported by examples and a few subtleties. “Mentioning that you worked for 5 years in London implies that you speak perfect English. So there’s no point in explaining it,” she illustrates.

Example: “My job has been responsible for HR development focused on project management for 10 years. My career began in 1994 as a labor law lawyer for an employers’ organization for vocational training. Then, for 7 years, I held the position of HR development manager within a firm as an associate director. My achievements have enabled, for example, to:

  • Develop the consulting and training activity by achieving a 20%/year increase in turnover;
  • Create an HR hotline to assist managers in the operational management of their employees;
  • Lead complex training projects for example.

In 2009, I took advantage of a departure plan to develop my career path by completing my training with a Master 2 in HR Management and Development, during which I worked at XXX as an HR development project manager. Since September, I have devoted my time to publishing my book Femmes: osons pour réussir! The self-coaching guide to succeed in your job.

3/ Use storytelling to structure your speech

“A pitch first includes a good punchline to set the scene,” assures Stéphane Saba, vice-president HR Europe, Middle East, and Africa at East Balt and coordinator of the Lemon expert network. “Then, you follow up by transforming your CV into a story. To captivate your interlocutor, the pitch must make sense of course but also be fluid.

Say a lot about yourself without revealing everything. Suggest links rather than saying everything. If you talk about personal experience, it must resonate in the professional world. A marathon runner is, for example, known for being enduring of course but also mentally tough,” he advises.

Example: for a management controller: “Improving the finances of organizations is second nature to the point that I also work on it in my private life as treasurer of my city’s sports association”.

For a professional in R&D or marketing innovation: “Curiosity and innovation are two character traits that define me”.

Generic conclusion: “It is these skills and experiences, both personal and professional, that I propose to put at the service of your organization”.

4/ Focus your job interview pitch on the past, present, and future

For Pauline Lahary, founder and director of MyCVFactory: “The presentation must be structured in paragraphs, like a cover letter. First, talk about the present of what you are currently doing. Then about the past.

The idea is to prove through a previous position or an internship what you have been able to achieve. The choice of example must echo the position sought. Continue with the future. In other words, your added value for the target company. Be operational. And conclude by citing a professional reference,” she explains.

Example: “Soon to graduate with a master’s degree in marketing from EM Normandie, I have focused my career on international issues. Thanks to this internship in this and that sector, I really enjoyed…. This experience allowed me to discover in depth the fields of… that I found fascinating.

Today, I would like to work for a company with an international dimension, like yours, in which I could flourish and build my professional project. To conclude quickly, my former boss would say that I take my missions very seriously, that I always produce impeccable work, and that I am always in a good mood.”

Up to you!

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