So, Tell Me About Yourself: A 3 Point Strategy to Answering This Interview Question

You did it: you landed the interview. You spent hours doing company research and crafting the perfect cover letter. You tweaked your resume ever so slightly to keep the most relevant information front and center. You checked out that insider info on that company on Glassdoor, but reading each review with a grain of salt. Hell, maybe you were super proactive and sought out some current employees on LinkedIn before you applied. You finally mustered up the mental and emotional fortitude to hit “Submit” on the application after triple checking every. single. box. Then, finally, a week and a couple recruiting phone calls later, you get the message, you made it to the in-person interview!

You get yourself ready with the biggest mood swings you’ve ever experienced, ranging from borderline cockiness to complete anxiety attack. And there’s no in-between. You finally get there, walk in, play the waiting game, and get in front of the person who will decide if you’re the “right fit” for their company, their brand, and their culture. And then you’ll be asked a question so simple, so non-threatening that you didn’t even think about it.

It comes in a few different forms, but most likely the exact question will be “So, tell me about yourself?” By the time I got my first big boy interview, the above was more or less my process for job hunting, but with a lot more bourbon and 5 hour drives to Connecticut. I spent hours, possibly even days, going over my extensive collegiate academic and professional experiences. I became a master at making a part-time internship look like I was a damn CEO and twisting a club presidency into a MUCH bigger deal than it really was. The perks of being a big fish in a small pond, but I digress.

What I wasn’t prepared for, and one that I had only partially thought about, was talking about just me. Or at least, that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. It really is something that most of us tend to gloss over when prepping for an interview when so many companies are looking at your personality, or sales numbers, or what internship you did last summer (and yes, you should have an internship under your belt by the time you graduate).

After a multitude of interviews, reading several LinkedIn articles, and consulting with some former professors and bosses, here is a solid way to answer the question, “Tell me about yourself?”

It is most commonly called the Present, Past, Future method, and it has seriously helped with how I approach the beginning portion of the interview. The basic premise is pretty simple: talk about yourself in terms of what you’re doing, what you have done, and what you’d like to be doing in the near future, presumably for this company you’re interviewing with.

Present

This part of your answer, along with the Past, are more or less going to be a brief walkthrough of your resume but with some added details. This part is generally pretty easy to answer to anyone who is interviewing you. What are you doing currently? Maybe you’ve just graduated from college and you’re in the Job Hunt Jungle with the rest of America’s recent graduates. Definitely highlight anything relevant that you are currently involved in, which can be a range of things like finishing up classes or helping a new executive team transition into the organization you’re involved with. As an example, a lot of times my response for this part would be along the lines of:

“Well, right now I’m doing some traveling back and forth from New York to here in Connecticut for things like interviews and to do some apartment hunting. In the mean time I’m helping my academic program director out with transitioning the new leadership team of our Sport Management Club so that they can hit the ground running in the fall.”

Because I was so fresh out of college, I didn’t have much to currently show in terms of job performance, but that’s okay. I was able to highlight my experience in a leadership role in a club/student government organization, which was included on my resume but might be something that hiring managers overlook for more relevant items like internships or college attended or degree earned. Revealing that I’m currently apartment hunting shows commitment to moving to the area and dropping that subtle tidbit that I’ve been on other interviews says less of, “I’m a hot commodity” and more of, “I’m not a total loser.”

Past

This is not, I repeat, NOT the time to talk about the time you did a 52-second keg stand at Sig Ep house last fall. We’re not talking about that kind of past, so just relax. Instead, this part of your answer is where you go over anything you’ve done in your last job or internship that has real and relevant applications to the position you’re applying for. The important thing is to really try to match some past experience with your prospective job. Employers love applicants with transferable skills, and they will love you as an applicant even more if you are able to communicate those skills during the interview. Sometimes, this might be a stretch, in which case, maybe dig a couple years in your work/internship history.

At the time I was interviewing every week in Connecticut, I was applying for a lot of marketing positions. I was able to tailor this perfectly to the previous summer’s internship as well as work I did as an undergraduate planning an event for a local sports team. Even though the jobs weren’t always in the sports field, the marketing experiences, and skills I learned from those experiences, were applicable to a wide range of jobs.

Future

This is where you start to tie your present and your past in with where you want to go in the future. Make sure you immediately communicate to whomever is interviewing you that you see working at their company in your future. If you can tie your potential future employer in multiple short and/or long term goals, it will show that you have given employment at the organization some serious thought and that you would be committed to the organization. Assuming that you’re already pretty ambitious, I would definitely suggest mentioning that vertical moves within the company or organization (read: promotions) are on your mind and that you look forward to proving yourself in whatever way that takes place.

Personally, I would always mention my interest in leadership positions, unique opportunities outside of (what would be) my current job roles, and my willingness to adapt and improvise my skillset to match the goals of the organization. Because I was moving to the area from far away, I would also talk about how excited I am to get to know my new surroundings and finally find an apartment. This was a last attempt by me to leave no doubt in my interviewers mind that I was committed to relocating for this job. You may not need to worry about this, but if you do, it’s certainly a nice little strategy without being too overbearing about it.

So there it is! A quick three point strategy to answer the question, “Tell me about yourself?”

There are certainly other ways to do this, and I would encourage you to look up as many interview tips as possible, talk to old professors or bosses, and practice interviews with your friends and roommates as often as you can. Questions will always trip you up, but what matters is how well you think fast and adapt to the situation. Now, let’s go get this money, y’all.

Who is Windrose for?

These are words for those who are wandering and wondering through the open spaces of young adulthood, words for those navigating the unchartered seas of a life all your own. Whether starting a new job or investing more in your current one, moving to a new city or creating a home where you already are, making new friends or feeling the loss of your old ones, booking that trip to Europe or only staring at a calendar void of vacation days, Windrose is for YOU.

Where do you ship?

We can only ship within the United States. Sorry to our international friends! We still love you! But you can still get your digital copy of Windrose!

When can I expect to receive my copy of Windrose?

Windrose Magazine is back in stock! HOORAY! You can expect to receive it 7-9 business days after your order.

How will you be shipping these magazines?

We will be mailing your magazine via United States Postal Service. You will receive a tracking number via email once your magazine has been shipped.

Anything else I should know?

No returns; all sales final.

I still have questions...

Just shoot us an email at info@thatfirstyearblog.com and we'll respond as quickly as we can!

Featured

The End of An Era: Saying Goodbye to Windrose

Hi friends,

Announcement (sounds so formal, doesn’t it?):

It's the end of an era.

I’ve decided that, after nearly 8 years of telling stories of navigating life, this season of Windrose is drawing to a close.

Even Here: Words for When You're Wandering

When I was 22 years old, I visited the desert for the first time.

A metaphorical desert, if we’re getting technical.

I was fresh out of college, starry-eyed and eager to begin my post-grad life. I had big ‘ole me-centered dreams: a shiny, brag-worthy PR job in the music industry! An apartment with an exposed brick wall that (somehow) would fit an upright piano! A committed relationship with a kind, goofy man!

I got exactly none of those things.

To summarize an entire year’s worth of emotion: I was devastated.

Witching Hour (or, Fighting Off Demons at 3 am with a Box Cutter)

Between the hours of 3 - 4 am, I find myself awakened by nothing in particular. The room is silent. There is no sound outside. No loud car horns. No dogs barking.

I’m upset.

I wish it was something other than just me. Then I could stop it. Nothing is to blame. It feels like moments have passed since I closed my eyes. The moments of a long dreamless sleep last about 4 hours.

A Song for Growth

A year ago, a friend of mine got a job at a well known tech company. He had been slogging through the interviews, and he finally got an offer. Obviously he deserved it. He was a hard worker, and his attitude for success and life was admirable to say the least. I knew he was beyond qualified.

But at the time, I was on a career path I couldn’t see myself being happy in. I had made the mistake of staying in the industry mainly for the money. Every month in the industry was a reminder of how much I did not want to stay. It created a nasty cycle of overthinking and career angst. Feelings of inadequacy and existentialism rooted themselves deep inside me. I couldn’t focus on anything and was utterly disconnected from the work I was doing.

I admit I wasn’t happy for him.

A Song for the In Between

It may be over.

Despite its nature, the concept is definitive. The body is better at preparation than action, so the concept invokes an uncontrolled reaction. The sweaty palms; the rusted coils in the stomach; the feeling of teetering on the edge—my body thinks I’m dying.

It tries to save me from myself. It transforms into a spring to weather elements. Or a boulder. I am hunched, prepared for the event.

But there’s nothing to save me from. My life isn’t in danger. I’m not being chased by a wolf. I sit on the couch. I sit in my chair, still. I am, in theory, perfectly healthy.

Yet my mind paces.

A Song for the Nocturnal

I woke up again and knew I wasn’t going back to sleep.

The alarm wasn’t even close to waking up. The cracked light through my drapes showed the indigo sky—a shade I’ve come to refer to as “you’re not sleeping tonight” blue. I looked at my phone but already knew what it would read before the screen turned on: 3am.

It was the third night in a row I’ve woken up at this time. In the past, options to tackle this insomnia were aplenty: I could go back to sleep after a drink of water. I could read and drift off. I could even play some video games until sleep lulled me back. But lately, my mind pulls the body along a joyride of thought. It starts and doesn’t stop. It has become loud and uncontrollable, like a child. In dead silence this time brings, my mind wakes before my body can at 3am.

3am. Historically, I’ve gotten along with this time.

One could say I’ve preferred the night in my life.

A Song for Embracing the Present Moment

Despite the sun’s rays and the heightened sense of joy in the air that wafted like perfume, I was feeling gray. Over the year, COVID-19 made me uncertain about my future. In my life, like most people, the pandemic revealed certain aspects of life that weren’t previously apparent. Maybe for some it was relationship issues. Maybe it was cabin fever or job uncertainty.

In my case, my career path was no longer clear. I was increasingly aware of this fact as the days dragged on in isolation. Throw in the economic flux of the job market, a splash of consistent restlessness, and you have a cocktail of underlying anxiety.

Caught in a web of thought and analysis-paralysis, I often spent more time pondering the future than acknowledging the present day.

Looking on the Bright Side: On Feeling Stagnant in a Global Pandemic

Now each day blends into the next. I had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it’s September already. What have I accomplished?

My bed has a me-shaped impression in it from sitting in it so much. I spend my days seeing how many episodes of Love Island I can bear to watch in 24 hours. Work is hard to concentrate on when there isn’t a separation between me time and work time, since me time and work time both take place in the same room.

My heart aches for normalcy, for my friends, my family, for change, for growth. The pandemic has made me feel so… stagnant.

Is This Everything You Wanted, Now That It's Everything You Have?

Is this everything you wanted, now that it’s everything you have?

This question haunts the intro of a song by singer/songwriter Noah Gundersen. At just 2 minutes and 16 seconds, the song is short but packs power like a summer thunderhead. I’ve listened to this song so many times in the last six months, and yet every time I hear it, it does that thing that all good songs do, making your heart feel like it just might burst from an inflation of emotion.

Is this everything you wanted, now that it’s everything you have?

On the surface, yes.

You Can Do Hard Things

“Would you rather be comfortable?” my roommate, Chelsey, asked me.

Work has weighed heavily on me these last several weeks, and on this particular day, I felt like I was on the precipice of a cliffside drop into a panic attack. As I boiled noodles and browned ground turkey, I shared my stresses with my friend as stray tears tried to make a quick getaway from my eyes.

Would I rather be comfortable or challenged?

Facing Unemployment: When Post-Grad Life Doesn’t Look Like You Planned

After two full years of resume editing and practicing responses to interview questions, I’d finally landed a job—albeit, part-time—only to learn the company had been outsourced to Europe sixteen months later. I felt anxious, angry, and stressed.

Worst of all, I felt like a failure.

It had taken me so long to get this job and now I was unemployed again. What if it took me another two years to actually get something full-time? I shuddered at the thought as I waited for the bus, shivering in the chilly November air. I didn’t know if I could do it. But then what if I had no choice?

Unwritten: Overcoming Fear and Doubt

You know that feeling when you first discover something and that something new-to-you suddenly appears everywhere? It happens to me a lot with words, the once unfamiliar expressions jumping from each subsequent page I read or floating through the air, only to rap on my eardrums.

Lately, I’ve felt that way about writing.

CareerPatrick BoyleJanuary 18, 2018FeaturedComment