Tell Me About Yourself: Tips To Answer this Tough Interview Question

This is probably the most important question to answer during your interview. It is usually the first one. The key is to prepare yourself for this question. Write down and practice. Time yourself. It should not be a 10 minutes monologue. Here are more tips on how to answer this question from Recruiter.com.

At least once, every job seeker dreads the seemingly innocuous interview question, “So, tell me about yourself.” A standard in the interviewer’s arsenal, this open-ended classic can be scary.

However, just like any other interview question, if you are prepared and practice, it can be a no-brainer.
Start with your name: A no-brainer, many job seekers panic right off the bat by incorrectly assuming the interviewer asked a loaded question. In reality, the interviewer just wants to see how well you can sell yourself. Just state your name and feel free to include a line or two about your passions and hobbies – but don’t overdo it. You need to pace yourself and save precious monologue time for significant details regarding your career. Your total answer should be short and complete.
Follow up with your background: You should include a brief history of your education and experience. Think bullet points and hard facts – don’t waste time on inconsequential details. In terms of goals and aspirations, mention where you came from, where you are currently and where you want to be. Don’t be surprised if the interviewer starts taking notes while you talk. This is a good sign and means the interviewer is engaged and actively listening. They may refer to these notes and ask questions regarding your statements after you finish talking, so make sure you are honest and that all of your facts line up.
Relate it to the position: This is where the interviewer will know if you’ve done your homework or not. Your goal is to recount specific projects and achievements that are relevant to the position you’re applying for and mix them in with in your background history. You’ll want to research the company beforehand and focus on key requirements of the job description. You need to imply that you are the solution to their staffing need.
Turn the question on them: Don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer questions. If you say, “I’m originally from Boston,” follow it up with “Have you been there before?” If you state “I worked on a consumer marketing project,” follow it up with “Does your firm tend to focus on B2B or B2C marketing projects?” These examples probably don’t fit you, but the point is that you have to engage with the interviewer, not just rattle off points. It’s a conversation.
Avoid overexposure: Less is more. Get in and get out. The same rules apply to this age old question. If you sit there babbling on and talking your interviewers ear off with your life story you’re ultimately going to leave a bad impression. Smile, keep a positive and excited tone during your abridged, micro-autobiography and let the rest of the interview commence. You’ll have time to ask your own questions at various intervals throughout the process. Good luck!

10 Questions to ask (From Monster.com)

Own the Interview: 10 Questions to Ask

By Larry Buhl, for Yahoo! HotJobs
For many job seekers an interview can seem too much like an inquisition. That's usually because they're doing all the answering and none of the asking.
"Somewhere in the interview you have a chance to impress the employer on your own terms and see if the job is a good fit for you," says Florida-based career coach and executive recruiter Jonathan Milligan. "And you absolutely should take this opportunity. By asking the right questions you can determine if the job is right for you and also show you're engaged and interested in the job."
Employment experts identify five key question areas where you can gain insight, put yourself in a good light and take some control in the interview.
Identify Their Pain:

• "What is one of the biggest problems the company faces that someone with my background could help alleviate?"
• "If I started in this job tomorrow, what would be my two most pressing priorities?"

Find Out Where the Company Is Going:

• "Where do you see this department/company in five years?"
• "What are the long- and short-term goals of the company/department/work group?"

Determine Whether You'd Fit In:

• "How would you describe your company's culture?
• "What tangible and intangible qualities attracted you to the organization?"

Show You're Really Interested:

• "What additional information can I provide about my qualifications?"
• "What are the next steps in the selection process?"

Ask Follow-Ups:

• "Can you clarify what you said about...?"
• "Can you give me some examples of...?"

"By requesting clarification or examples, you show interviewers you care and that you're thinking deeply about the issues they brought up," says learning and development consultant Bill Denyer. He suggests taking notes in the interview, using keywords to jog your memory of what was discussed but not burying your head in your notebook.
What you don't want to ask are questions with obvious answers, according to Susan RoAne, author of Face to Face: How to Reclaim the Personal Touch in a Digital World.
"You really need to do your homework," RoAne says. "Before the interview, go to the company Web site and use search engines to get up to speed, and browse social networking sites to see who knows what about the company."
And never, never ask an interviewer, "How long is the vacation?" or "What does your company do?'" RoAne added.
Some experts suggest waiting for the inevitable "Do you have any questions for us?" at the interview, while others recommend looking for conversation openings to ask appropriate questions.
"It depends on the situation," Milligan says. "If the interviewer seems to be reading from a sheet of questions, don't interrupt. If it's a more casual conversation, you may have chances to turn the questions back on the interviewer."
RoAne advises job seekers to remember "the job interview is a two-way street."

Body Language During Interview

 

It is important what you have to say during job interview, but it is also imperative to be conscious about your nonverbal communication- your body language.  

Here is a great article reminding us about the proper body language during the interview. 

From Monster.com. 

 

Body Language Can Make or Break a Job Interview

Are You Looking for a Job? You Have to Use Your Body

By Robert Ordona, for Yahoo! HotJobs
Savvy job seekers know how important choosing the right words is when communicating with prospective employers. But what about nonverbal communication?
"You could be saying how great you are, but your body could be giving your true feelings away," says Alison Craig, image consultant and author of Hello Job! How to Psych Up, Suit Up, & Show Up. Mark Bowden, author of Winning Body Language, agrees with Craig -- and with the highly regarded Mehrabian communication study, which found that if what's coming out of your mouth doesn't match what your body is saying, your audience is more likely to believe your body.
Here's some expert advice on how to effectively let your body do the talking in a job interview:

Making a Great Entrance
Craig and Bowden agree that the interview starts even before you get to the interview room."You don't know who could be in the parking lot with you, looking at you from a window or standing next to you in the elevator," says Craig. "Your body should tell anyone who might be watching that you're confident and calm. It's not the time to be frantically searching through your portfolio for printouts of your resume."
Show Your Good Side
Hiring managers often ask receptionists for their take on people who come to the office for interviews, so Bowden suggests letting them observe you without letting on that you know they're watching. "Sit with your profile to them," he says. "It makes them feel comfortable, and if they're comfortable, they're more likely to form a good impression."
Craig suggests trying to predict the direction your interviewer will come from, so you can sit facing that direction. It'll make the greeting more graceful.
First Impressions
While waiting, don't hunch your shoulders or tuck your chin into your chest, which will make you seem closed off. Sit with your back straight and your chest open -- signs that you're confident and assertive. "But don't take this to the extreme," cautions Bowen. "Elongating your legs or throwing your arm across the back of the chair can make you appear too comfortable, even arrogant."
Also, says Craig, don't have so much stuff on your lap that you're clumsily moving everything aside when you're called. You want to rise gracefully, without dropping things, so you can smoothly greet the person coming to get you.
Shake It -- Don't Break It
Job interviews mean handshakes -- so what are the secrets to the perfect handshake? The overly aggressive shake, or "death grip," as Craig calls it, can be as off-putting as the limp handshake, so practice with a friend before the interview to find the right balance.
You're going to be shaking with your right hand, so prepare by arranging your belongings on your left side. Offer your hand with the palm slightly up so that your interviewer's hand covers yours. "It's a sign that you're giving them status," says Bowden. And never cover the other person's hand with the hand you're not shaking with -- it can be interpreted as a sign of domination.
Important Steps
The walk to the interview is the perfect time to use body language. Always follow that person, whether the person is the hiring manager or an assistant, to show you understand the protocol. You're saying, 'I'm the job candidate, and you're the company representative -- I follow your lead.' Bowen adds that you should try to "mirror" that person's tempo and demeanor. "It shows you can easily fit into the environment," he says.
At the Interview Desk
In the interview room, it's OK to place a slim portfolio on the table, especially if you'll be presenting its contents, but put your other belongings on the floor beside you. Holding a briefcase or handbag on your lap will make you seem as though you're trying to create a barrier around yourself, cautions Craig.
Avoid leaning forward, which makes you appear closed off, Bowden says. Instead, he advises sitting up straight and displaying your neck, chest and stomach area -- to signal that you're open.
When gesturing with your hands, Craig says, you should always keep them above the desk and below the collarbone. "Any higher and you're going to appear frantic," she says.
Bowden advises that you keep your hands even lower, in what he calls the "truth plane" -- an area that fans out 180 degrees from your navel. "Gesturing from here communicates that you're centered, controlled and calm -- and that you want to help," he says.
It's fine to sit about a foot away from the table so that your gestures are visible, he says.
The Art of Departing
At the end of the interview, gather your belongings calmly, rise smoothly, smile and nod your head. If shaking hands with everyone in the room isn't convenient, at least shake hands with the hiring manager and the person who brought you to the interview space.
You may be tempted to try to read your interviewers' body language for signals about how the interview went, but don't, cautions Bowden -- because they're likely trained not to give away too much. "Don't allow any thoughts into your mind that may [cause you to] leave the interview in a negative way," he says.