What’s the best way to answer the “Tell me something about yourself” question in a job interview?

Candidates who only summarize their resume in response to the “Tell us about yourself” question may be missing an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. The recruiter already has access to their resume and expects more than just repeating information.

As CNBC Make It writes, There is another explanation for this question. Gary Burnison, CEO of consulting firm Korn Ferry, recalls one answer that stuck out to him as his best yet. One of the candidates, speaking about herself, said: “I have climbed the highest peaks on every continent, including Mount Everest.”.

I shared something that showed What kind of person he is in reality, not just on paper: Adventurous, curious, goal-oriented and disciplined. Moreover, it was already clear by then that he could apply lessons learned from previous experiences to new challenges.

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When Bourneson asked her what was her first thought after ascending the highest peak on Earth, the woman laughed and answered frankly: “How the hell do I get down from here?” Burnison was fascinated by her sense of humor and humility and, as he admits, After this short conversation, he already knew that this person was highly qualified and that “everyone would like to have him on his team.”.

Naturally, not everyone can boast of this feat. However, you don’t have to be a world-class mountaineer to stand out during a job interview, says a CNBC expert. From the answer given above, you can extract some important tips that anyone can use. Burnison summed them up in four points.

1. Take a risk and make yourself known. Burnison believes that “Tell us about yourself” can be an invitation to share a short anecdote or personal information that allows the recruiter to know something about your life outside of work.

2. Don’t be boring. Everyone has something interesting to say about themselves, but the key is to present it in a memorable way, says CNBC expert. According to him It is worth focusing on the unique aspects of your life (For example, that you completed your first triathlon or that you are skilled at playing a musical instrument), Especially if it can be linked to the skills required in future work.

3. Show your purpose and passion. During the interview, the goal is to showcase your interests, goals, and commitment and help the recruiter better understand the type of person you are and the values ​​you live by. We read: “Completing your first 10K run may indicate that you like challenges.”

4. Be authentic. Don’t read your answers, and don’t role-play. “Relax, be yourself and tell the truth. […] If you exaggerate or invent something, you will be exposed. Then everything you say about yourself will be questioned,” asserts Gary Burnison.

As Katarzyna Zincarrowwicz, a recruiter, coach and psychologist who recruits job candidates on a daily basis, explained in an interview with money.pl, the “Say something about yourself” request is not a difficult test. on the contrary. Its purpose is to relax the atmosphere and encourage openness. – It happens that during a hiring meeting we are nervous, lacking in naturalness, and after the meeting we have the impression that we were not ourselves at all. The expert explained that the role of such a request/question is to create the appropriate conditions for the conversation.

Like Borneson, Sinkarowitz says there are no hard and fast rules as to how to respond to such a request/question. However, it is worth the answer to be polite, honest and natural.

In general, this should be your answer. Synthetic information is in the resume. Therefore, it is worth going a little further – suggests the expert.