“So, tell me something about yourself!”

Sigh! An easy yet scary question posed during an interview. The easy part is that there is no right answer, and the scary part, there is no right answer! So when that is the case, how does one answer this question to the best of their abilities? Well, here is an approach assuring promising results.

This question will be one of the first two questions to be asked whenever you go in for an interview. The reasoning behind this question is simple: it gives you (the candidate) a fair and an open chance at displaying yourself however you want.

I’ve seen candidates who don’t pay much importance to this question and wing it.

DON’T.

Here’s the way to do it: Craft your story in a way that highlights all your professional strengths and, at the same time, brings out the positives in your personality.

So let’s assume we have a candidate, Arunima who wants to highlight the following in her profile:

1. Adaptable

2. Strong team player and

3. Learner mindset

4. Believe of Work-Life balance

Let’s look at her story:

1. Has a defense background

2. Has done extracurriculars during college

3. Does extra learning by participating in MOOCs’ and online certifications

4. Has hobbies like playing the keyboard and reading books

So, it comes down to the match you want to highlight in your candidature with what personal background you have and then craft a unique story around it.

In this case, an excellent answer to this question would be:

“My name is Arunima Sharma, and I’d use “Life long learner” to describe me. Given my defense background, I grew up amongst different cultures and places in India. After college hours, I am usually completing a MOOC or online certification, and during my relaxed days, I would probably be playing the keyboard or reading books. In fact, in the past year, I completed ten books for the Goodreads yearly challenge. I find the balance to be of utmost importance, which is why along with earning good grades, I’ve also organized a 2000 audience, 40 volunteer-led event, called “Manthan” surrounding new Indian ideas and inventions.

This pitch sets quite a nice background to who you are as a person and speaks volumes about your life beyond the job you’re applying. However, it becomes essential to note that this pitch you prepare should be delivered with confidence and a smile. Learn the words well because you don’t want to mess with your first impression. At the same time, don’t rote the words and let it come off as robotic.

This question is an excellent opportunity to help you with setting your impression with the interviewers. Make sure you seal your job with this one, itself!

We at Empower To Strive to believe in promoting knowledge and encouraging your powerful selves to become their best version. So, in case there is any other idea/question or issue that we can help you out with, please write in the comments below, and we’ll make sure to address them.

Cheers!