Recommended reading: Tell Me About Yourself

March 21, 8:10 AMEntry Level Careers ExaminerHeather Huhman

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Some might argue the “tell me about yourself” interview question is an easy one, but I disagree—particularly for those just starting down their career paths who haven’t been interviewed countless times. It is, however, a fantastic opportunity to frame yourself for the position—if answered correctly. But, where do you begin with this extremely open-ended question?

In a recent interview with Katharine Hansen, PhD, author of “Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career,” she offered the following steps for creating a career-propelling success story.

1. Identify a dozen or so help-wanted ads or Internet job postings that typify the kind of job you seek. 
2. List keywords that describe the skills and characteristics required for these jobs. Don’t be too concerned that as an entry-level job seeker you don’t have the required skills. Chances are you’ve had experiences that will provide transferable skills you can construct stories about. 
3. Next, make a list of the skills and characteristic keywords the ads or job postings have in common. 
4. For each, compose a story that illustrates how you have successfully demonstrated that skill or characteristic. Remember, as a college student or new grad, you can draw on a wide range of experiences—class projects, work-study, extra-curriculars, study abroad, sports, volunteer work, Greek organization roles, internships, summer jobs and more. 
5. Be sure to compose stories that come from diverse aspects of your life and career. Don’t focus on just one job or extracurricular activity, for example. Draw your stories from fairly recent experience. Employers what to know what you’ve done lately that could benefit their organization.