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Interviewing 101: "So, tell me about yourself?"
How to answer the hardest question of any interview, ever
STRIDEPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Abby Miller
1/13/20252 min read
As an interviewer, I have gotten really close to never asking that question again because very rarely does it actually help make a decision. I might know more about a person, but usually not more information about whether they are a good fit or not.
The reason is because many of us are using the same Mad libs (fill in the blank game, look it up) and the only blank is name, town, and the combination of the general activities a high schooler could do (adults, we are a little better, but not by much). It goes like this:
"Hi my name is_______ and I am from ____________ and my family is _________________ and I do _____ things at school andddd yeah. It's nice to meet you."
Boring, unhelpful, and a dire waste of time if the interview is timed.
Instead, try following this rubric
Give a few specific highlights that are either relevant, or wildly irrelevant to evoke some potential laughter or authenticity
What do you inherently care about? (This is what makes us human and will be a connection quickly between you and the interviewer. Few people are willing to be vulnerable, those that do, excell)
What do you do that shows that/excersises that?
How does that all relate to the position you are interviewing for?
It could look something like this:
Ex: Abby is applying for her first Lincoln job at the Lincoln YMCA as an after school program coordinator.
My name is Abby Miller I am from Mead, NE where I just graduated high school. I have a large family and we all grew up very similar to many other small town kids being involved in almost all the activities from 4h to One Act, but my favorite was sports. What I really learned was that I specifically enjoyed seeing myself and my teammates improve, which is why I chose to coach elementary volleyball and softball teams too throughout high school. Now, I am moving to Lincoln to study Animal Science at UNL, but I want to keep teaching as a potential option for my future, which is why I am excited for the opportunity to potentially work with an afterschool program.
For more help crafting this message, let us help you through FLEET!
Happy interviewing!