Interview Question – Tell me about yourself

Tell me about yourself is a question that most interviewees expect and it is the most difficult to answer as well. The key to answering this question or any other interview question is to offer a response that supports one’s career objective. This means that you should not respond with comments about your hobbies, spouse, or extra curricular activities.

So how to answer the question and get the interviewer's attention???

*List five strengths you have that are pertinent to this job (experiences, traits, skills, etc).
*Prepare a script that includes the information you want to convey. Begin by talking about past experiences and proven success.
*Next, mention your strengths and abilities
*Conclude with a statement about your current situation

Example:
" I have been in the customer service industry for the past five years. My most recent experience has been handling incoming calls in the high tech industry. One reason I particularly enjoy this business, and the challenges that go along with it, is the opportunity to connect with people. My real strength is my attention to detail. I pride myself on my reputation for following through and meeting deadlines. When I commit to doing something, I make sure it gets done, and on time.What I am looking for now is a company that values customer relations, where I can join a strong team and have a positive impact on customer retention and sales."

*Introduce attributes that are keys to the open position.
*Your career summary is the "meat" of your response, so it must support your job objective and it must be compelling.  
*Tie your response to the needs of the hiring organization
*Ask an insightful question.By asking a question you gain control of the interview. Don't ask a question for the sake of asking. Be sure that the question will engage the interviewer in a conversation.

The question is very tricky and being the first question of the interview…one need to be a bit more careful in answering the same. This question can make or break the interviewer’s interest in you.