But when you walk into an interview one of the questions you are virtually guaranteed to hear is, "So, tell me about yourself." What should you do? Well, first you should think about your answer before the interview.
Your answer should be honest, but it should not be too revealing. Let me explain. As I discuss in detail in Hired! there are certain questions that under Federal law an interviewer is not allowed to ask. These are questions that have no relevance to your ability to do the job you are interviewing for, but may consciously or unconsciously provide information to disqualify you from consideration.
Your response to "Tell me about yourself" should avoid providing answers to these questions that have not been asked. The topics you should avoid providing information about are
- Nationality
- Religion
- Age
- Gender issues
- Sexuality issues
- Marital and family status
- Health and physical abilities
- Residence, legal and military status
Of course it is prudent to avoid projecting political and economic biases as well because the person you are talking to may be on the other end of the political or economic spectrum.
So, what could you talk about? There is no one-size-fits-all formula because each of us is unique, but words matter and they matter a lot. I suggest that you prepare an honest and informative, but non-provocative, answer that you have scrubbed of content in any of the areas above.
For example, I have a single statement that I use as my answer: "I love puzzles and I have collected take-apart puzzles for many years. I like to go to the gym and I still play soccer in an over-30 league. I serve as assistant coach for a youth soccer team. And I am a real techie at heart. I am always reading technical material both about programming but also in other areas of science."
Any activity that involves serving others in a neutral setting, such as being a soccer coach, will create a positive impression. I do not, however, tell them that the youth soccer team is in a Christian soccer league. Am I afraid to say that? Not at all, but I don't want to add unnecessary "color" to the description that might raise a negative response in the other person's mind. If I am not the right person for the job I want that decision to be made strictly on the basis of my skill, knowledge, and experience. Period.
Note that I end my statement with a personal activity that relates directly to the technical nature of the job I would be applying for. Again, I am always thinking of a structure that will lead back to the reason why I am in that person's office. Otherwise, I could finish with something as personal as "...and I love Chinese food," but there would be no tie-in, would there? And is loving Chinese food really going to enlist a positive impression in the interviewer?
You are going to be asked this generic question about yourself. I have heard it as "Tell me what makes Gary really tick," or "What do you enjoy doing outside work." I strongly suggest you have the answer that is correct for you, long before you hear the question.
