Tell Me About Yourself

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. That's why you need to be able to answer the question "tell me about yourself" clearly and concisely. You may use your "infomercial" when you are networking prior to your actual job search, or to articulate your answer to the "tell me about yourself" question during the job interview.

Key Components

• Introduction
• Education; professional development
• Work experience; key accomplishments
• Transferable skills, if necessary
• Current status; what you have to offer
• Employment opportunities you are seeking
• Length - 30 seconds to max of two minutes

Uses for your Infomercial

• Response to "tell me about yourself" during job interview
• In any situation when you are making "networking" connections
• Portions can be used on your resume
• Increase confidence as you introduce yourself
• Script when making "cold" telephone calls
• When requesting informational interviews or advice

Networking Example:
Thanks so much for being willing to speak with me. My name is Jane Jobseeker, and Nan Networker gave me your name as someone who might have information for me about the field of bioethics, in which I am very interested.

In May I will be graduating from the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health with an MPH in Public Health Administration and Policy. While in school, I worked as a research assistant, and I am especially proud of the fact that I presented a poster presentation on tobacco use prevention at the ASPH conference last year.

As I mentioned, I am exploring information about the field of bioethics, with a goal of combining my skills and education working in a small non-profit. I have a few questions about your position and this agency and wonder if you could tell me a little about what you do and what it is like to work here.

Interviewing Example:
First, thank you for this opportunity to interview with you today. As you know from my resume and cover letter, my undergraduate degree is in Biology, and I graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. I became interested in public health while I was volunteering at a community clinic, and realized how prevalent the issue of health disparities is.

I enrolled in the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, and in May I will be graduating with an MPH in Community Health Education. While in school and throughout my community service activities, I developed skills and strengths both in research and public speaking -- especially presenting educational sessions on a variety of health issues to diverse populations. I am especially proud of the fact that one of the sessions I designed and created was so popular; I have been asked to present it to several more groups.

One of the reasons I am excited about interviewing for your agency is that it has such a great reputation, and the position sounds both challenging and like a perfect fit for my skills.