Friday, November 12, 2010

“Tell Me about Yourself” Interview Questions and Answers

In brief: “During a job interview, the interviewer can ask many questions. Some of the common questions are the ‘Tell Us about Yourself’ interview questions. Your answers to these questions are crucial. Make sure that you are prepared for these types of interview questions.”
A job interview is one of the most important personal interactions that an individual conducts. It is therefore of utmost importance that a person is well prepared for every aspect of a job interview. In fact, most of the interview time schedule is spent on many aspects of the tough interview questions  – “Tell Me about Yourself” and your interview answers..

Common “Tell Me about Yourself” interview questions and answers




1. A brief summary of your personal details: You have to give your name, where you are from and a brief review of your resume. You may also provide any other personal detail that you choose to provide.
2. Education: You should tell the interviewer about your educational qualifications and any relevant miscellaneous educational qualifications that you might have amassed.
3. Professional experience: Standard questions during a job interview are “tell me about your professional experience”. Depending on whether you are a novice or an experienced professional, you should share your previous job experiences. If you are a novice, then, you could tell anything that you think would be relevant for the job. You may provide a scope of your educational capabilities and strengths or any of your hobbies, etc.
4. What are Your weaknesses and strengths: One of the tricky interview questions that you might be asked is “tell me about your weaknesses and/or strengths”. Therefore, you should prepare for such questions. A common mistake is to take strength and present it as a weakness. You should be honest. You may share one-two of your weaknesses and the way you have (successfully) corrected or handled these weaknesses. On the other hand, do not boast your strengths. Tell about some of your strengths as having a positive impact on your professional capabilities.

Tips for “Tell Me about Yourself” interview answers




Try to be as clear, precise and frank as possible. When interviewing and answering “tell me about yourself” questions, you should avoid common mistakes and stick to the facts as follows:  
1. Keep the information crisp and relevant: One of the first things to remember is to keep the information crisp and relevant. Try to speak in short sentences and moreover, try to give them as much information as possible in the least amount of time.
2. Do not repeat information from the CV: You should ascertain that none of the information that you provide about yourself is repeated or duplicated from your curriculum vitae. Therefore, even your curriculum vitae should only contain the necessary and relevant information, while all other miscellaneous information should be disclosed during the ‘tell me about yourself’ answers.
3. Fabricated or false information: Another important thing that you should remember is that you should not give any fabricated or false information while answering the Tell Me about Yourself Interview question. Background checks today have become very important and strict. Companies are known to sack people even after years of working, simply on the basis of some false information provided to them during the initial interview.
4. Irrelevant and unnecessary information: It is very important that no irrelevant and unnecessary information is given out during the question. The question seems to be quite simple, but it is actually one of those make or break questions, from which an interviewee can never recover and hence loses the job opportunity.
5. Facts and figures: While telling about yourself, be prepared to be asked further questions about any facts and figures that you have provided. For example, if you have said that you have a Bachelor’s degree, make sure that you carry a copy of the same. Any information given without the relevant proof may be deemed suspicious and ambiguous.
6. Do Not Tell them about: You should not disclose too much information . You might tell the interviewer that your hobby is fishing, but telling about your last fishing trip in which you missed a big fish would be too much information, unless the interviewer is a big fishing fan and actually goads you into telling the details. Also, you should not give them too much information about your family members. Of course, you would have to inform them about the number of family members that you have,  and whether they work or not, and if yes, where, those kinds of details, but telling them anything apart from that is not suggested.

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Interview: Body Language Do's and Don'ts

Your heart feels ready to leap out of your chest. Beads of sweat build on your forehead. Your mind is racing.

It's not a full-blown interrogation -- although it may feel like it -- it's just a job interview. While it's no secret that job interviews can be nerve-racking, a lot of job candidates spend a significant amount of time worrying about what they will say during their interview, only to blow it all with their body language. The old adage, "It's not what you say, it's how you say it," still holds meaning, even if you're not talking. You need to effectively communicate your professionalism both verbally and nonverbally.

Because watching your nonverbal cues, delivering concise answers and expressing your enthusiasm at once can be difficult when you're nervous, here's a guide to walk you through it:

Have them at "hello"

Before you walk into the interview, it's assumed that you will have done the following: prepared yourself by reading up on the company and recent company news; practiced what you'll say to some of the more common interview questions; and followed the "what to wear on your interview" advice. So you're ready, right? 

Some hiring managers claim they can spot a possible candidate for a job within 30 seconds or less, and while a lot of that has to do with the way you look, it's also in your body language. Don't walk in pulling up your pantyhose or readjusting your tie; pull yourself together before you stand up to greet the hiring manager or enter their office. Avoid a "dead fish" handshake and confidently -- but not too firmly -- grasp your interviewer's hand and make eye contact while saying hello. 

Shake your hand, watch yourself

If you are rocking back in your chair, shaking your foot, drumming your fingers or scratching your... anything, you're going to look like your going to look the type of future employee who wouldn't be able to stay focused, if even for a few minutes. It's a not a game of charades, it's a job interview. Here's what to do (and not do):

Don't:

  • Rub the back of your head or neck. Even if you really do just have a cramp in your neck, these gestures make you look disinterested.

  • Rub or touch your nose. This suggests that you're not being completely honest, and it's gross.

  • Sit with your armed folded across your chest. You'll appear unfriendly and disengaged.

  • Cross your legs and idly shake one over the other. It's distracting and shows how uncomfortable you are.

  • Lean your body towards the door. You'll appear ready to make a mad dash for the door.

  • Slouch back in your seat. This will make you appear disinterested and unprepared.

  • Stare back blankly. This is a look people naturally adapt when they are trying to distance themselves.

  • Do:

  • Sit up straight, and lean slightly forward in your chair. In addition to projecting interest and engagement in the interaction, aligning your body's position to that of the interviewer's shows admiration and agreement.

  • Show your enthusiasm by keeping an interested expression. Nod and make positive gestures in moderation to avoid looking like a bobblehead.

  • Establish a comfortable amount of personal space between you and the interviewer. Invading personal space (anything more than 20 inches) could make the interviewer feel uncomfortable and take the focus away from your conversation.

  • Limit your application of colognes and perfumes. Invading aromas can arouse allergies. Being the candidate that gave the interviewer a headache isn't going to do anything in your favor.

  • If you have more than one person interviewing you at once, make sure you briefly address both people with your gaze (without looking like a tennis spectator) and return your attention to the person who has asked you a question.

  • Interruptions can happen. If they do, refrain from staring at your interviewer while they address their immediate business and motion your willingness to leave if they need privacy.

  • Stand up and smile even if you are on a phone interview. Standing increases your level of alertness and allows you to become more engaged in the conversation.


  • Say Goodbye Gracefully

    After a few well-thought-out questions and answers with your interviewer, it's almost over, but don't lose your cool just yet. Make sure your goodbye handshake is just as confident now as it was going in. Keep that going while you walk through the office building, into the elevator and onto the street. Once safely in your car, a cab or some other measurable safe distance from the scene of your interview, it's safe to let go. You may have aced it, but the last thing you want is some elaborate end-zone dance type of routine killing all your hard work at the last moment.